St. Timothy Catholic Church Newsletter — June 2023

55 and Up Club

A Time to Socialize, Share a Meal and Draw Closer to Our Faith Community

When we think of a person’s overall health, we are quick to look at the shape of their physical body. Yet, mental and spiritual health are equally important considerations. And there’s also the social aspect to well-being. Does the person have a network of people to spend time with and lean on when in need? Often, loneliness can impact the oldest members of our community, especially if they don’t have family in the area. Here at St. Timothy, we are blessed with the 55 and Up Club, which ensures that isolation doesn’t affect those in our community.

The group meets on the first Wednesday of the month from noon to 3 p.m., September to May, in the Parish Hall.

“We are here to serve the spiritual, social and personal needs of our senior parishioners,” says Ray Pironti, ministry leader.

The group has been meeting since at least the early 2000s. About 30 to 40 people attend each month.

“The club is not about me,” Ray says. “It’s about older people enjoying each other. I personally enjoy the company and conversations with various club members. I’m involved in the club because I care about others.”

The meetings include the opportunity to purchase 50/50 raffle tickets; offer prayers for sick members and other intentions; recognize new members; and offer birthday wishes. Then, members share the prayer

June/July 2023

In

2 Summer Stewardship for Children

3 A Letter From Our Pastor

4 Youth Ministry Summer Nights: An Evening for Young Parishioners to Share in Faith, Fellowship, and Fun

6 The St. Vincent de Paul School Supply Drive: Faith Family Works Together for the Good of Our Wider Community

Potluck from a meeting of the 55 and Up Club

Summer Stewardship for Children

School is out! We hear many children say, “I’m bored!” or “there’s nothing to do!” Here are a few ideas to help children grow in their understanding of Stewardship as a Way of Life.

“Bean” a Good Steward: Give children several bean seeds and a small pot or plot of ground. Have them prepare the soil, plant the seed, and give it water. Make sure it is in the sunshine! Talk to them about the importance of taking care of God’s seed. (The seeds will sprout quickly in the summer heat!)

Have a neighborhood talent show: Talk to your children about how everyone has been given a talent from God, and they could plan a special show to entertain the neighbors, family members, and friends. Encourage them to recruit participants with a variety of talents such as: singing, dancing, showing an art project, telling a story, reading a poem, or showing an athletic skill. Decide on a place, date, and time. They should create invitations and handle all the work.

Plan and carry out a neighborhood clean-up and recycle day: Make one day each week your stewardship of your neighborhood day. Give each child a garbage bag and latex gloves. Make one garbage bag for recyclables and the other for garbage. Go for a walk, picking up the trash and putting it in the proper bag. When you get back to your house, put the material collected in the proper receptacle.

Write a Litany of Gratitude: Give your children a special notepad and pencil for recording a Litany of Gratitude. Ask them to write down things for which they are grateful all during the day. Some examples might be a kind word from a friend, a beautiful flower, the softness of a puppy, help with chores, a favorite song, a refreshing swim, cold lemonade, etc. At the end of the day make the litany part of your night prayer. Have as a response, “Thank you, God, and help us to care for all You have given us.”

A Letter From Our Pastor

Remember to Keep the Faith this Summer

Dear Friends in Christ,

As we enter the month of June and kick off summer, I want to take a moment to reflect on the importance of stewardship in our daily lives as Catholics. Stewardship is a way of life that calls us to recognize that everything we have is a gift from God, and that we are called to use these gifts for the good of others and the building up of God’s kingdom.

Here are a few ways in which we can live out stewardship as we move into summer:

• Practice gratitude: Take time each day to thank God for the blessings in your life, both big and small. A grateful heart is essential to living a life of stewardship, as it helps us to recognize the gifts that God has given us and to use them for the good of others.

• Give generously: Whether it’s donating to a local charity, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or simply offering a kind word to a neighbor, there are countless ways to give of ourselves to others.

• Pray for others: Stewardship is not just about giving of our material resources, but also about giving of our time and talent. Take time each day to pray for the needs of others, whether it’s for the sick, the poor, or those who are struggling in their faith.

• Share your talents: We are all blessed with unique gifts and talents that we can use to serve others. Consider volunteering to teach a religious education class, joining the choir, serving as a youth ministry mentor, or using your professional skills to help those in need.

On a more personal note, it is in that spirit of gratitude, dear parishioners and families, that I say farewell to you at St. Timothy’s. I begin my new assignment as pastor at St. Jerome’s on July 1. As I reflect back on my three years here, I am filled with gratitude for the time I was given to serve this wonderful parish community. Keep growing in holiness and virtue, and continue to be generous and faithful stewards of the gifts God has blessed you with. Please be assured of my prayers for all of you during the coming days as you welcome your new pastor, Fr. Anthony Ustick.

May God bless you and your families abundantly this summer, and always.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. John Blum Pastor

Youth Ministry Summer

An Evening for Young Parishioners to

Community is an essential aspect of our faith life. It is within our faith community that we find like-minded friends, we volunteer our time in service to God, and we are challenged to grow in our relationship with Christ. Having a faith community is not only important for adults, but for the youth of our parish as well.

Here at St. Timothy Catholic Church, our Youth Ministry programs are offered year round. Justin Lantz, our Youth Minister, was blessed to be part of a wonderful youth ministry program as a high schooler, so he knows firsthand the impact that this community has on our young parishioners.

“Whether it’s Youth Ministry Summer Nights or just being involved all year round, Jesus is transforming lives,” Justin says. “I’ve seen students come in a little apprehensive, or even shy, but for whatever reason God uses games and sports to change hearts. I’ve seen it over and over again. There is always a sense of belonging when you get placed on a kickball team with some strangers, and then suddenly they know your name. There is a sense that God is real when our high school seniors get up to talk about their faith, and our younger students are keyed into everything they are saying.”

There are two programs that are offered during the summer. Life Teen Summer Nights take place on Sunday Nights from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Life Teen is specifically for high school students — anybody entering high school in Fall 2023. Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. are the Youth Ministry Summer Nights, with both high school and middle school students combined.

“The goal is for students to come, have fellowship and have fun with others in an environment that will still engage them spiritually,” Justin says. “During the school year, I would say Youth Ministry is 70 percent formation/catechesis and 30 percent fellowship/fun. When summer hits, we flip that around. The summer season is a restful time for students and we like to encourage that in Youth Ministry.”

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“There is always a sense of belonging when you get placed on a kickball team with some strangers, and then suddenly they know your name. There is a sense that God is real when our high school seniors get up to talk about their faith, and our younger students are keyed into everything they are saying.”

— Justin Lantz, Youth Minister

Summer Nights: to Share in Faith, Fellowship, and Fun

A typical Youth Ministry Summer Night evening is broken up in three segments. The youth start the night off with free time, during which they play basketball or volleyball in the gym, or head outside to play football, four square, or gaga ball. They can also spend time in the café with food, drinks, foosball, arcades, pool and ping-pong. After about an hour of free time, students are brought together for an organized, large-group game of flickerball, volleyball, or kickball. Finally, they end their evening by listening to a lesson or Bible study given by one of the older students and prayer, praise, and worship.

“Our older high school students often lead our prayer time and lessons,” Justin says. “We talk about topics that are relevant to our students’ lives, such as resolving conflicts with others or how to pray. We take time every night to lift up each student’s prayer intentions out loud, if they want. We almost always put Bibles in student’s hands, so they can get used to flipping through it and reading it.”

The Youth Ministry is always looking for adult mentors who are on fire for the Lord to be with their students. During the summer, volunteers would help with tasks such as setting up snacks, chaperoning the students, and even joining in the games.

If you are interested in the Youth Ministry Summer Nights or have any questions, please contact Youth Ministry Coordinator Jen Linder at jen.linder@sainttims.org or 813-542-5968.

The ST. VincenT de Paul

School Supply Drive:

Faith Family Works Together for the Good of Our Wider Community

Stewardship within our parish is incredibly important for building the faith community that is vital to our walk with Christ. Along with caring for those within our community, we have to take the opportunities to care for those in the wider community. By doing this, we are caring for the sick, hungry, naked and imprisoned — just as Jesus called us to do. This is also a wonderful opportunity to evangelize and share the love of Christ with those outside of our community.

The mission of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, or SVdP, aims to do just that. By reaching out to others who are in crisis or in need of essentials for living, members are caring for the poor in very tangible ways. They invite the parish into their ministry in many ways, including the School Supply Drive for those in need in the surrounding communities. Though we are currently on summer break, many parents are already preparing for and worrying about what their children will need for their next school year.

“We recognize how difficult it can be for people to get supplies," says Cindy Vinal, coordinator for this event. "Sometimes, these supply lists are enormous. They don’t just include pencils, notebooks and crayons. They also need to provide tissues, disinfectant wipes and dry erase markers. You can easily spend $50 to $75 per child. Our neighbors can’t always afford that and parents worry about sending their children to school only to be embarrassed because they

go through to figure out what each child needs.”

There are several ways that the parish helps provide the children with their needed supplies. Some parishioners will “adopt” a particular child and fill the needs of that child’s school supply list. Other parishioners will bring in items to donate, which are then given out to students in need. Some will bring in gift cards and the members of the SVdP will use them to purchase needed supplies.

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"As a parish, we are not an island — we are a part of the larger community. We try to take care of those in our parish first and then expand from there. But it really comes down to the fact that our parishioners are so generous that we are able to care for so many in our community."

— Cindy Vinal

School Supply Drive

continued from page 6

“Our parishioners are remarkably generous and this event is so successful that we have so much more than we need for just our clients," Cindy says. "Our leftover supplies are given to Santa Maria Mission in North Tampa. We also reach out to several schools within our boundaries to see what needs they have that we can fill."

"We have another parishioner who is a special education teacher at a local school and she gives us a wish list of things that we can help provide her students with," she adds. "In other situations, we have provided specific classes with special notebooks that the students need, as a way to take some of the burden off of the parents."

Parishioners are notified of the timing of the School Supply Drive through the bulletin or emails. The drive usually takes place sometime in August, depending on the start

date of school. Tables are set up in the narthex to collect the donated items.

“It all comes back to stewardship," Cindy says. "We are responsible for each other. As a parish, we are not an island — we are a part of the larger community. We try to take care of those in our parish first and then expand from there. But it really comes down to the fact that our parishioners are so generous that we are able to care for so many in our community. We are able to provide supplies for hundreds of students."

"It is incredible to see those who are blessed with excess share so much with those who have less," she adds. "We have found within the St. Vincent de Paul Society that the more we give, the more we receive and it is a blessing to be a part of that."

Please watch the bulletin for more information regarding dates for the School Supply Drive.

Lutz, FL 33558

813-968-1077

www.sainttims.org

55 and Up Club

continued from front cover

before meals and a potluck-style meal together. After the meal, members sing the theme song, and the secretary reads the last month’s minutes while the treasurer gives a report. Then, they draw for the raffle. The group will break out into smaller groups — some play cards, while others play Bingo.

“These meetings are a great environment to see people smile, talk and share,” Ray says.

Jim and Patti Brozowsky have been attending 55 and Up Club gatherings for about five years. They enjoy that this is something they can do as a couple. Jim and Patti appreciate that this ministry has helped get them more involved as they also volunteer at parish breakfasts and fish frys.

It’s also important to consider that, when people see each other at weekend Mass, they may not have an opportunity to get to know one another — it takes an extra step to introduce oneself. But the 55 and Up Club helps

make introducing yourself more natural. It’s truly a place to enhance relationships and make new friends.

“Our monthly luncheon allows everyone to provide their special homemade contribution to the group,” Ray says. Ray says that he and the other members really look forward to getting together and sharing what’s happened since the previous meeting.

Be sure to watch the bulletin for upcoming meeting dates.