Some history about St Timothy’s
1960 January approximately 5 acres of land in Stevens Road was purchased by Fr. Coghlan, the Parish Priest of Mitcham.
1962 an old portable timber building was transported from St. John’s Mitcham via Woodcrest Road. In those days the road was unmade and the truck was bogged for a week.
1962 the first Mass celebrated in the Church was Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. There was no electricity so candles and torches were used.
1964 Extra rooms were added to the White Weatherboard and the Primary School commenced with Lay Staff and approximately 60 children. The building had to be converted from school rooms to Mass centre and back again each weekend.
1967 April the red brick school was opened by Bishop Fox with classes extended through to Grade 6. Principal Mrs. Lorna Khone.
1968 January St. Timothy’s was officially formed as a separate Parish with Fr. Tom Brophy as our first Parish Priest. There was an open air mass in the school quadrangle.
1969 January Sisters of the Holy Infant Jesus led by Sr. Henry (Sr. Elizabeth Golden). These Irish nuns arrived from Malaysia where they had been working.
Initially two sisters were teaching at St.Timothy’s. In May the Convent was completed and five Nuns moved in. The convent is now our current Presbytery.
1973 two new classrooms were opened. This was the original grey besser brick building, which was later extended into our Parish Hall. School enrolment was 300 with 9 teachers.
1974 March the first Pastoral Council was installed by Bishop Perkins. The existing Church building was commenced in April.
1975 August the Parish Mass Centre was opened by Archbishop Little. We had a dividing ’tilt-a-door’ wall creating a quiet chapel area and larger function centre.
1980 January Sisters of the Holy Infant Jesus leave the Parish (as they were intended to work for the poor – some went to Beagle Bay in Western Australia). Mrs. Shirley Mutimer was appointed School Principal.
1982 Fr. Brophy leaves and Fr. Tom Jones from Ascot Vale was appointed.
During the 1980’s we had our largest enrolment of 365 children split into 11 classes, using portable classrooms. We upgraded our communication with parents from Fordigraph ‘purple’ ink machine, to a gestetner ink machine (which is when we had our parish magazine “The Satelite” ) to joy of joys – a photocopier!
1985 Mrs. Pam Storey was appointed Principal of St.Timothy’s. In March, the new ‘Library wing’ was commenced. On October 2nd Fr. Tom Jones died on route to Rome at Athens Airport.
1986 January Fr. Bill Fox appointed Parish Priest. The Library wing was officially opened 11th Sept. 1986 by Archbishop Little.
1987 August the Shool’s administration area was upgraded. Portable buildings were used for the Staff room and offices.
1988 March upgrade was completed. The Parish also celebrated Fr. Fox’s 25th Jubilee at St. John’s Parish Hall.
1991 our own Parish Hall was completed and the Parish led by Laraine Rasmussen performed a “Tribute to Broadway” to christen our new hall. Val Carter was acting Principal at this time.
1992 Stephanie Eynon was appointed Principal of St. Timothy’s School.
1993 February (19th., 20th. and 21st.), St. Timothy’s celebrated their 25th Jubilee weekend.
1994 Fr. Bill resigned and Fr. Joe Hynan was appointed Parish Priest.
1996 Modifications to the Church including new foyer were completed.
1998 Stephanie Eynon was appointed to St. Luke’s Wantirna, Bernadette Potter was St. Timothy’s Principal until resigning in April, when Mr. John Faulkner became our new School Principal.
2000 August a special 25th anniversary celebration of our Church occurred.
2002 Fr. Joe left and Fr. Rod Pitts was appointed as Parish Administrator. The Cathedral required us to have many meetings with Holy Saviour Parish as to the possibility of an amalgamation.
2006 Room 1 of the school building was renovated into 3 small offices plus a conference room and opened by Mr. Chris Pearce M.P.
2007 the Church sanctuary remodelled including new altar and lectern.
2008 the Parish had it’s 40th Anniversary Celebrations. At this point in time we have had 2,450 enrolments through St.Timothy’s Primary School.
2012 January Anne Maree Jones was appointed Principal of St. Timothy’s School. (Click this link)
2013 Vietnamese Community was established. (Click this link)
2017 November Fr Rod officially retires.
2018 Fr Tony Kerin EV, already Parish Priest of Saint Francis Xavier Box Hill, was appointed Parish Administrator/Parish Priest.
2021 August 11 Fr Gerard - already Parish Priest of Saint Luke the Evangelist Blackburn South, was appointed our next Parish Priest - for Fr Tony to become the next Episcopal Vicar for the Eastern Region of the Archdiocese.
2023 August (25th, 26th & 27th), Archbishop's Pastoral Visit to the Parishes of St Timothy's and St Luke the Evangelist Blackburn South.
Some information about our patron, St Timothy
Born at Lystra, Lycaenia, Timothy was the son of a Greek father and Eunice, a converted Jewess. He joined St. Paul when Paul preached at Lystra replacing Barnabas, and became Paul’s close friend and confidant. Paul allowed him to be circumcised to placate the Jews, since he was the son of a Jewess, and he then accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey. When Paul was forced to flee Berea because of the enmity of the Jews there, Timothy remained, but after a time was sent to Thessalonica to report on the condition of the Christians there and to encourage them under persecution, a report that led to Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians when he joined Timothy at Corinth. Timothy and Erastus were sent to Macedonia in 58, went to Corinth to remind the Corinthians of Paul’s teaching, and then accompanied Paul into Macedonia and Achaia. Timothy was probably with Paul when the Apostle was imprisoned at Caesarea and then Rome, and was himself imprisoned but then freed. According to tradition, he went to Ephesus, became its first bishop, and was stoned to death there when he opposed the pagan festival of Katagogian in honor of Diana. Paul wrote two letters to Timothy, one written about 65 from Macedonia and the second from Rome while he was in prison awaiting execution. His feast day is January 26.
Saint Timothy’s Final resting place … Termoli Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Termoli, in the province of Campobasso, central Italy. The dedication is to the Purification of the Virgin Mary, but is commonly ascribed to Saints Bassus and Timothy, patrons of the city. It is the seat of the Bishop of Termoli-Larino.
17 Stevens Road, Vermont Vic 3133 | 03 9412 8499