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intellectual training to help people understand their faith,” he said. “And while it’s also true that you never really learn to swim until you’re thrown into the pool, definitely, my previous assignments prepared me very well.”

If it works…

During that first year, Father Meyer says he initiated as little change as possible.

“My goal was to get to know the people and the parish, the families and the community,” he said. “So, while there may have been some minor tweaks in background processes, in terms of the big picture, there were no major changes.”

Parishioners can expect his second year, and those to follow, to be largely similar.

“There’s a strong foundation here,” he said. “I walked into a great parish. It’s not a matter of instituting change. It’s just a matter of continuing to grow, and to see the school continue to grow and thrive. I want to try to continue to share with people in the growth of our understanding of our Catholic faith, so that we can truly understand why we do what we do, and why we believe what we believe. That includes explaining the things we hear in the news in the context of our faith.”

And as Father Meyer begins his second year serving St. Timothy’s, it is a calling he is as happy to continue as he was to assume.

“Our Catholic faith is a wonderful thing, a beautiful thing,” he said. “It’s kind of a treasure we sometimes take for

granted. St. Timothy’s is a great church, and I want to get the word out about that.”