“Recently, as the youth and young adults came together to share favorite memories of Timmy…they agreed to keep it an uplifting tribute to a young man who was remembered as respectful, friendly and happy.
For many years here at the Mission, the youth participated in two, yearly church pageants: 1) Palm Sunday and 2) Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day. The youth came to church to rehearse the presentations and, on the given dates of each pageant, the Word of the Lord was brought to life. Each youth was dressed in full costume.
On Palm Sunday, Timmy took the role of Pontius Pilate and was dressed in gold garments and wore a gold-leaf crown. The youth agreed that Timmy had a bit of the “actor’s bug” in him because he was a convincing Pilate. I remember that his mother, Virginia, was very proud of him and shared that Timmy took the scripture-reading very seriously. He faithfully practiced his parts and memorized every single word. Timmy did this willingly as he served his religious community.
In December, he took the part of Juan Diego who was a 55-year old Mexican Indian man to whom the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared on the foothills of Tepeyac in Mexico City. And, true to form, Timmy nailed that part, too.”
I remember that each time Timmy performed the yearly Juan Diego role, he always added his own personal touch. As the pageant cast left the hall near the church, Timmy would remove his sandals, walk to the church barefoot on very cold and sometimes rainy-wet asphalt. But since the youths were bringing to life the story of the apparition of La Virgin de Guadalupe, it was Timmy’s way of bringing his respect to the role of Juan Diego.
Timmy was the first St. John Bosco Mission youth to attend World Youth Day, which he did in 2011 in Madrid, Spain. Timmy helped at the various fundraisers and special family cousins also assisted. Through the efforts of many, that World Youth Day dream was made possible to a very appreciative young man.”
“While in Spain, Timmy attended daily mass and religious classes and with the San Bernardino Diocesan group and others, spending several days in Madrid before going to the World Youth Day site. On one of those days, Timmy volunteered to carry the processional cross and would lead the entire group closer to the stadium where youth from every nation of the world would gather in prayer and religious songs as they waited to see the Pope. While there, in the procession, he was moved at seeing all the Christian believers gathered in one location. And, once again, Timmy voluntarily removed his shoes, picked up the cross, walked on the hot-earthen Madrid ground, and showed his respect during the pilgrimage. Upon arrival to the designated site, and as luck would have it, Timmy and the group were a stone’s throw away from the main World Youth Day platform. They had a perfect view of the ceremony and of the Pope.
As the St. John Bosco youth shared, perhaps it was a that time, in Europe, that Timmy decided he would travel before serving his country and enlisting in the United States Marine Corp. And travel he did! Proud and supportive dad, Steve, shared the following United States locations that Timmy visited: San Francisco, Longview, Texas; Shawnee, Oklahoma; Boston, Massachusetts; Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; Meadowlands, New Jersey; and, as his mother shared, Timmy was all over Arizona, Baltimore, Maryland; Louisville, Kentucky; St. Louis, Missouri as well as Tennessee, New York, Virginia, Georgia and Ohio.
What accomplishments for such a young life! Yet, Timmy was able to achieve all this travel and, most importantly, he gave service to God and his church community.”
“Colossians, Chapter 3, Verse 17, tells us, “And whatever you do in word or deed do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Through Timmy’s good deeds, we are confident that he has earned a place in Heaven.
The parish youth would like to conclude with: “We are grateful and blessed for having had Timmy in the youth ministry, our lives, and in our parish.”
May he rest in peace. Que descanse en paz…asi sea.”