During Father Tim's almost twelve years as pastor,the Parish Council was resurrected and many ministries were developed and strengthened, such as the Food Box program, the restored Catechumenate (R.C.I.A.), and outreach to 'alienated' Catholics. Parishioners were encouraged to participate in many ways and "to assume leadership roles in all phases of parish life." In 1983, as part of a Parish Renewal program, a door-to-door census of St. Martin's Parish was conducted by four seminarians. (One of those seminarians was our future pastor, Dave Mercer.)
Father Tim's most ambitious undertaking, was the renovation of the parish church according to the guidelines set forth by Vatican II. Many parishioners were involved in committees which researched and discussed all aspects of the renovation, and it was for this process that the new Diocese of San Jose awarded St. Martin of Tours Parish the Benedictus Award.
In 1990, Father Tim left St. Martin's and served as a senior priest at St. Mary's in Los Gatos until his retirement in 1996. He wrote a book while there, entitled Why Small Christian Communities Work (published by Resource Publications). During that time he also used his administrative abilities once again as he guided the remodeling of a convent into a beautiful retirement home for priests, where he also eventually went to live. He died there in 1998, having just returned from a trip to Ireland to visit and minister to his family living there.
(Photo at left is of Father Tim with Nicki Palumbo, AKA "the Donut Lady," who served donuts to the children after Sunday Masses for many years, along with many other ministries, including a St. Joseph's table at her home each year until her death.)
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