A Word from Your Pastor May 13

Dear Parishioners:

The month of May is dedicated to Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our Heavenly Mother.  Our children have recently experienced the tradition of May Crowning, both in the School and in our PSR.  It is fitting that they be introduced to such devotions so that they will know throughout their lives that Mary is there to intercede for them.

As we honor our earthly mothers this Mother’s Day, why not consider ways of showing our love for Mary too?  Families can do this in a number of ways:

• Create a May Altar in your home by placing a statue of our Blessed Mother in a prominent place an putting fresh flowers in front of it.  If you have a flower garden, let each child choose a flower and do your own May Crowning.
  
  
• Pray a family Rosary each day of May or at least once a week.  Each child can take a turn and be responsible for leading a decade.  Invite everyone to do a Scripture reading about one of the Mysteries and to express the meaning of that Mystery to him or to her.
  
  
• Memorize some of the traditional Marian Prayers: the Angelus, the Salve Regina, the Regina Caeli, and the Memorare.  If you don’t have a prayer book available with such prayers, look them up on the Internet.  Or better yet, ask your parents or grandparents to teach them to you.  Most Catholics of earlier generations have these prayers in their minds and hearts and are always ready to recite them.
  
  
• Make sure that every member of the family has a Rosary of his or her own.  Have all the members of the family enrolled in the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.  Learn about various forms of devotion such as the Miraculous Medal and the Five First Saturdays and Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
  
  
• Purchase an outdoor statue for your front yard or for your flower garden.  Let your neighbors see that you are proud of being a Catholic who honors Mary as your Mother.
  
  
• Spend some time in the Rosary Prayer Garden at St. Timothy Church for personal prayer or with your fellow parishioners and your brothers and sisters in Christ.
  
  
• Consider making the Total Consecration as suggested by St. Louis de Montfort.  This devotion was promoted by Blessed Pope John Paul II and it was from it that he took his motto Totus Tuus.       

Today we offer our thanks to all who stand in the role of Mother: our Moms and Grandmothers, Godmothers and all the Women of the Parish who serve as spiritual mothers to the rest of us.  May Mary our Mother smile upon you and keep you growing in the Grace of her Son.

Celebrating our Golden Jubilee:  Getting to know Saint Timothy’s Community of Faith.

We are looking at St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, since Ephesus was the see where St. Timothy served as Bishop.  This may offer some perspectives on the Church and the Community among whom Timothy lived and ministered.

And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming.  Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love.  (Ephesians 4:11-16)

The Christian Life takes all kinds.  We have many different roles of service in the Church.  St. Paul reminds the Ephesians that the common ministry is to build up the Body of Christ until Faith and Knowledge of Jesus reach the full extent possible in this life.  There ought not to be any rivalry among us.  Rather, each unique individual should see himself or herself as part of the whole.  Living the Truth in Love is our common responsibility.  Christ is the Head of His Body the Church.  As members of His Body, we all belong.

Our world today fails to understand the wisdom offered by this insight.  We are often blinded by an impoverished vision of what it means to minister in the Name of Christ and His Church.  While the world continues to seek change in Church teaching and practice, we ought rather to seek a conversion of mind and heart to Christ in our own spirits and souls.  When we choose to see others as co-workers in the task of building up the Body of Christ, our attitude changes.  We become more aware of the power of Faith to unite us.  One day we shall become Christ come to full stature.

This Week in Our History:  May 13-20

1973:   The Women’s Club of our Parish solicits your support in the Fight Against Abortion.  There are many approaches, many organizations, much literature available, many things you can do.  One of them is to sign the petition in the lobby today. Another is to write your Congressman...to restrict abortion and to support the right to life.

A limited number of tickets will be available for the Peg Will Appreciation Diner on June 10.  Please call Pat Frericks or Edna Whitacre.

1975:  Parish Council Election results:  Sue Dodd, Wayne Volk, Bob DuMont, Burton Went, Barry Smith, Ralph Rohner, George O’Grady, John Cline, Don Bigg.  Board of Finance:  Mike Bonny, Keith Henley, Tom Scott.  Board of Education:  Beverly Sweeney, Pat Melfi, Tom Scholl.  Board of Worship:  Eleanor Anawalt, Felix Azzola, Marge Raines.

1976:  This is the last Sunday for our Guitar Group at the Sunday Evening Mass.  Under the new leadership of Sharon Smith, with the special help of Diane Fares, Cindy Spillers, and Julie Raymond and a whole generation of young helpers, this group grew and grew and gave us some of the finest moments of worship we have had in the parish..  The four named are going on to wider circles and have our best wishes and deep thanks.

1977:  Sports banquet will be held Tuesday, May 24.  All St. Timothy Athletes will be guests of honor.  Spaghetti dinner by Herm Will – adults $3.00 – children $1.50.

1978:  The celebration is over.  Now we want to say THANK YOU to:   

-those who were confirmed…for their inspiring eagerness to prepare themselves for this giving of the Holy Spirit;

-Bishop Herrmann for coming to administer the Sacrament;

-Sr. Evelyn, Mr. Weisner, Mrs. VanCamp, Mrs. Angelo, Mr. Hartnett, Mr. Kevin Furno, and Mr. Hanlon for helping prepare the young men and women who were confirmed;

-Sr. Sharon Marie and Fr. Enke for conducting the Day of Recollection;

-the Choir for singing so beautifully;

-Joseph Yheaulon for acting as Master of Ceremonies;

-Mr. and Mrs. George O’Grady for providing the presidential chair;

-Mike Dodd, Mike Dorrian, Jim Hickey, Mark Nobile and Richie Olsen for serving the Mass;

-Ann Bubenchik, Ceil Tennant, and Lucy Hickey for preparing an elegant dinner for the Bishop and clergy;

-Theresa McLean and the Women’s Club for the reception;

- Mark Bubechik and Dave Dalton for having the building and grounds so spiffy;

and to anyone else whom we may be forgetting.  God bless all of you!!

We are pleased to announce the principal for St. Timothy School for next year.  She is Mrs. Marilyn Price Nachtman, who has been teaching at Holy Spirit School for the last few years.  Mrs. Nachtman comes highly recommended and was the choice of our search committee (Robert Albert, Ned England, Mr. Weisner, and Mrs. Mooney).

1982:  On Saturday, June 5. Lawrence Little and Constance Brembeck, both of St. Timothy Parish, will be married in St. Timothy Church at 1:40 pm.

1983:  On Saturday May 21, Karen Simon of St. Timothy will marry Gerald Wotja of St. Andrew in St. Timothy Church.

On Saturday May 28, Rebecca Bringardner of St. Timothy will marry Terrance Sweeney of St.Peter in St. Peter Church.

Our deep appreciation goes out to Elena Osterwalder, a parishioner who has provided us with a real labor of love in the mural that now graces our vestibule.  In the tradition of artists and artisans throughout the history of the Church, she has provided us with a thing of beauty to help set the stage for the joyful celebration of the Eucharist as we enter the church proper.  Everyone is urged to turn to Psalm 150, verses 3 and 4, reflect on that passage, and then come look at the mural again.

1984:  Please remember in your prayers William (Bill) Davis, a former parishioner of St. Timothy who was buried this week.

1985:   On Saturday, May 25 at 1:30 pm Laura Pardi of St. Timothy will marry Michael Colwell of St. Matthew in St. Timothy Church.

On Saturday May 25 at 7:30 pm Catherine Miller of St. Timothy will marry Dennis Thornton in St. Timothy Church.

1987:   Think co-ed softball and watch this bulletin for details.  We will again be attempting to form six or eight teams into our own league with play right here on our own field.  It is planned that all the oil on the field will have soaked into the children’s clothing by then so that it will be okay for adults to go around sliding into bases.   Really though, there is no sliding in this league.  The only really violent aspect of the league is loud moaning.

1988:  “Dear Friends,  George O’Grady had a great love for St. Timothy Parish, and you have all responded to his passing in an overwhelming number of ways.  Thanks to the beautiful funeral choir and to others who have contributed flowers, money to the St. Tim Development Fund, food for the out-of-town family and friends who were with us, cards and calls.  Your very presence filled the children and me with strength that is sustaining us yet today”   Maggie O’Grady

Parish Election Results:  Board of Finance, John Gerlach, Paul Maynard, and John Downey; Board of Education, Al Brehl, Kathleen Taps, and Gail Wenger; Parish Council, Sue Stephen, Mary Beth Benecke, Julie Cornwell, and Nancy Scott.

1989:  Servers for next week …will be drafted by Father Thomas when he sees them.  A new schedule is being worked out.

1998:  Congratulations to Susan Paquette and Dr,. Joseph Thomas who will be married Saturday, May 23 in St. Timothy Church.

1999:  Please remember in your prayers Dick Weisenbach who was buried this past week. May he rest in peace.

2009:  St. Timothy’s Maintenance Committee sends out a THANK YOU to Tom Pelland for scraping, priming and painting the underhang of the outside entrance to the church.

Remember in your prayers Lola D’Amico who died this past week.  May she rest in peace.

2010:  Congratulations to Kristin Briski and Patrick Murphy who will be married here on Saturday, May 22.

Plans for a Rosary Prayer Garden to help commemorate our upcoming 50^th Jubilee year were presented along with various opportunities for donation.  The project is an outgrowth of beautification efforts of the Garden Club started with seed monies from a $5,000 donation from deceased parishioner Elizabeth Magnuson.  The garden will feature paver bricks, a mural of the Blessed Virgin, and steel benches.  A large donation from the Men’s Club has been received in support of the project.