Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Family

Bishop David Zubik, of the Diocese of Green Bay appointed Norbertine Father, Tim Shillcox as the 2nd pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish on September 1st, 2004; he came to celebrate Mass and formally install him as our pastor at the weekend Mass on Saturday, Septemmber 11th, 2004. The following is the letter Father Tim wrote to introduce himself to our parish family as he began his pastoral service among us:

Wednesday, August fourth, 2004 + Feast of St. John Vianney – pastor

Dear Sisters and Brothers of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Family,

Today, as the Church remembers St. John Vianney, the ‘patron saint of parish priests’, and exactly a year since the conclusion of my first pastorate, I wanted to write to you in deep gratitude, great excitement, eager anticipation (and a bit of anxiety, to be honest) having been nominated by our Norbertine Abbot, Gary Neville, and appointed by our Bishop, David Zubik, to become your pastor and parish priest on September 1st.

It is a humbling privilege for me to be a priest so far these 17 years, and particularly to be sent to be with you at Our Lady of Lourdes! Having wanted to be a priest since I was 6 – the good example of Father John Van Deuren, our newly ordained assistant pastor at St. Pius X Parish in Appleton got me thinking about it. And having been blessed by the good example and warm, sincere faith of many priests, religious women, parishes and communities of faith ever since, I still have to pinch myself to make sure that it’s true that I’m coming to be with you!

Right from the start I promise to you, as I already have to God, and to Bishop Zubik and Abbot Neville, that “I will do my best” to be a good pastor for you, one like Jesus, our “Good Shepherd” (which after all is the literal translation of the Latin word “pastor”).

It is of course, one of the most cherished images of Jesus for us, isn’t it? Check out the beautiful stained-glass window when you come to Confession in the Reconciliation Room of our beautiful church! A kind tender-hearted, humble and compassionate friend, who wants to be there to listen, care, support and guide us in our joys and struggles, our searching and our finding; one who helps to bind our wounds and to share our pain so as to ease it. What Christ is for each of us – “Good Shepherd” – I want to try and imitate in being with you and for you; so too, I observe, does the wonderful pastoral and support staff of this parish family!

Could I say too that I know, both as a “departing pastor” this time last year, and now as an “incoming pastor”, that pastoral transition isn’t easy for anybody. Our founding pastor, Father Conrad Kratz has done such a trememndous ministry here! He has shown such compassion and care and vision!

In my own life since 1977 when I came as a ‘wet-behind-the-ears’ art teacher at Premontre High School, he has been that kind and caring and guiding presence in my life (also a very funny one at times!). When our paths have diverged I have missed him greatly. And so I appreciate that you – the parish family of Our Lady of Lourdes – will miss him too…very much. I want to be sensitive to that aspect of your transition these days and to assist in it. As you see what can be helpful, please help me to know how to best help in this regard.

I hope too, that it is a comfort to know much of our “vision of Church and parish life” is probably very similar; our values around hospitality, sensitivty to the weak and vulnerable, a priority focus on the person, and healing power of Sacrament, Scripture, prayer and humor – I believe that these are some of the facets of common ground which Conrad and I both share.

Being an introvert to his extrovert though, it may be that we approach these common values with different ways; I hope that will be more fun than threatening, more exciting than burdensome – an opportunity for still further growth in Jesus for us all.

And of course Conrad always has a place here, right? Always! It is in our hearts and in our ongoing “welcome home” for him as he is able to be with us. So as I say, please know of my sensitivity and desire to be respectful in this time of transition.

In that light then, with what is similar and in what may be a bit different…I ask that you would please allow me to be your pastor and parish priest.

Certainly, it is not only a formal letter of appointment, but also a Community’s openness which gives such permission and opportunity. I am grateful in anticipating this gift from you, dear brothers and sisters! And I do sincerely promise my best efforts and sincere respect for you (and a growing affection too!).

Also to give you a little background, along with my only sibling and twin sister, Debbie Santoski, I have just turned “50″ (and I’m not sure I like it yet). Our parents, Wayne & Germaine are 83. My sister and her husband, Bill, have a daugther, Nicole and a son, Ryan, and a 6-year old grand-daughter, Mikayla Santoski-Xiong. They are all in Appleton, gladly close by! And I love them very much and want to be present to them as son, brother, godfather, confirmation sponsor and uncle.

My initial training – St. Pius X Grade School, Appleton-West High School and Lawrence Univsesity – is as a high school Art teacher; I found my vocation at Premontre in the late 1970′s when the Norbertines there modeled such a powerful example of ministry, community, prayer and joyful fraternity that I asked to join them in 1981!

Being a priest since 1987, I’ve taught, guided retreats, & counseled at Premontre & Notre Dame, worked in the formation of seminarians and been in parish work – 2 years at St. Agnes, Green Bay and 11 years as pastor at Holy Cross in Bay Settlement. Along with a year as deacon at St. Ailbe on the South side of Chicago, I’ve come to have a deep love for parish ministry; it feels like what I’m created by God to do. This year away in Chicago has poignantly revealed that to me once more!

In terms of ‘style’, maybe you would be better able to tell me in a few months, or check with people from my past. But if I could say that as an Art major, I’m more ‘circular than linear’ as far as logic goes. But my first time as pastor has taught me a lot about temporal stuff and administrative ministry – an appreciation, respect and understanding for it!

The best parts – “my pastoral priorities” – for me would be the celebration of the Sacraments, particularly the Sunday Mass. I really believe and I do experience what our Church teaches: “It is the ‘source’ of all our power to live the Gospel and be like Jesus; and it is the ‘summit’ – our best moment – in our life together as Christ’s crucified and risen Body, the Church”.

I hope you’ll continue to join me in this “main event”, and invite others to join us, by being present in the weekend Mass – the Sunday Assembly at Lourdes.

I also love to preach and teach! But don’t panic! Despite what you have heard from our dear friends at Bay Settlement, I am serious – really – in adapting the length of all of this to fit the schedule, limits and expectations of our parish family – I promise!

I also promise to try and have something to say which will connect the Word of God to our daily lives and our ‘issues’. Here as elsewhere, I hope to find folks saying: “You’re speaking right to me, Father!”. Even when I’m not, I trust God is…making the connections and speaking as God knows best what we need to hear. I hope to be able to help in that (or at least stay out of God’s way)!

And it is for me a great privilege to just “visit with people”. I feel the parish ‘stakes me to be available’ for whoever may come in need; the same for Deacon Mike – and all the staff really. So, I look forward to listening, caring, praying and offering honest and gentle response to each one the Lord brings across the path! If course I know it’s our banner cry and ‘theme song’ too:

“All are welcome in this place!”
You’ll also maybe observe by this point, my use of the term “parish family”. It’s not accidental semantics. And I do hope that in print and spoken reference – if it’s not too ‘corney’ – we can begin to take it up. For, to be faithful to Christ’s call, I believe we have to see ourselves that way, and relate to one another in that warm, caring intimate way, so that Christ can care for us and form us through the care of one another. Certainly Lourdes’ reputation for being such a “parish family” is widely recognized; I’ve experienced beautifully and often as a visitor here myself! May the Holy Spirit grant our parish family continual growth “one in mind and heart on our Way home to God”, as Saint Augustine’s Rule, which we Norbertines try to follow, would say.

Other than that, as an Art major, I’m still interested in the visual; I’ve been working to get good at the potter’s wheel (You’ll see a few ‘home-made chalices’ at Mass.), and have a book on prayer and Scripture and the pottery process that I’m trying (slowly) to write. Along with the bicycle, music (Bach, 1960′s folk and liturgical stuff are my favorites), Morgan Lake, a cold beer once in a while, my family and Norbertine Community – my “free time” (and ‘days’ off on Mondays) pretty much fill up.

Oh, and one other thing: daily time for personal prayer. I can’t very well lead you in prayer and worship, or preach the Gospel without being a person of prayer myself. And I promise that prayer includes YOU – each day, in your joy and your need, whether I may know those specifics or not – because God knows! And so I promise as your pastor and priest, and your brother and friend, to pray for you.

Long enough for the first letter, I suppose; hopefully not too long. Let me close by asking that you please pray for me as we grow to know each other; introduce yourself, tell me your name (correct me when I forget at first), and in this parish family, already built on such a firm and beautiful foundation of faith, minsitry, care and joy which are ‘of Christ’, let us walk ahead together in the Plan God has marked out for us…which is Eternal Life!

And as we do, (in the words of another “Tiny Tim”), may…
“God bless us…EVERY one”!
Your brother and priest,

Timothy Shillcox