To the Band of Brothers: January 26, 2021

Good morning!

 

Permit me a stroll down memory lane this morning. The reason is that today we celebrate the feast of St. Timothy, one of the disciples of St. Paul and the first bishop of Ephesus. He is also the patron saint of the parish of my youth and the namesake of my elementary and middle school. That’s right, for eight whole years, before becoming a Wolverine, I was a St. Timothy Trojan.

 

I have very fond memories of that school and the relationships I established while I was there. My classmates and I were inseparable. We went through some critical and formative experiences together. It was at St. Timothy where I had my first girlfriend, went to my first dance, had my first fist fight (my brother at home doesn’t count), made my first best friends, and came up with my first series of excuses for not doing my homework or failing a test.

 

It was at St. Timothy where I had the best teacher I have ever had the privilege of studying under. Her name was Mrs. Harris. She taught 2nd grade. You would think that teaching such an elementary grade would not be as impactful, but trust me, it was. In the beginning stages of our long educational experience, she motivated me to learn. She would award us with what she called “warm fuzzies'' when we did well and hand out “cold pricklies” when we didn’t. Ample were her supplies of Pixy Stix and Blow Pops to encourage us to try harder and read more. She was an educator at the core and everyone wanted to learn because and for her.

 

It was also at St. Timothy where I was impacted profoundly by two important people in my life. Our pastor, Fr. Patrick Healy, O.M.I, was a former army chaplain during Korea and Vietnam. He was a giant Irishman who walked around the school grounds in his black cassock, with a pipe clenched between his teeth. He was no-nonsense, but his love for us was as clear as a bell. It was because of him that I thought for the first time about the possibility of becoming a priest. 

 

Then there was Sr. Mary Carolyn, O.P. She was in charge of the 8th graders and of religious education for the school and parish. Wearing a white habit with a black veil, she kept very strict control of her students making sure every assignment and essay was written impeccably. To this day, people comment on how nice my signature is and how neat my handwriting is. This is all thanks to Sr. Carolyn. But what most intrigued me about her, was her fascination with the faith. She spoke about it with such enthusiasm and conviction that I realized there was something there. And you know what… there is.

 

While there is no question the four years I spent at Belen Jesuit as a student were some of the most important and formative of my life, it was at St. Timothy’s where the foundation was set for such great success. My parents worked very hard, oftentimes struggling, to make sure their children got a Catholic education from beginning to end. For this, I am eternally grateful. To all those teachers, staff members, and religious who were such an important part of those first formative years… thank you as well.

 

Auspice Maria