St. Timothy, Bishop and Martyr, was born in Lystra in Asia Minor. He was the son of a Gentile father and a Jewish mother. St. Paul converted Timothy to Christianity, and Timothy became Paul's companion and helper. He accompanied Paul on his second and third missionary journeys. Paul addressed two of his New Testament epistles to him. From the epistles, we learn that Paul entrusted Timothy with the supervision of the Christian community at Ephesus. He is regarded as the first bishop of Ephesus.

In his office as bishop, Timothy strove to preserve the purity of the Church's doctrine. He was steadfast in his faith in the face of opposition and relied on the power of the Scriptures. A fourth century account states that he was beaten to death in the year 97 by a mob for opposing the observance of a pagan festival.

As the patron saint of our parish, we honor St. Timothy with a wood carving which for years hung near the Altar of the Word - a very appropriate place for a staunch defender of the Church's doctrine and a lover of the Scriptures. Since the renovation work of 1995, the wood carving now hangs in the church vestibule. St. Timothy is also the patron saint against stomach disorders.

The feast of St. Timothy is celebrated on January 26.