St. Timothy's holds final service and looks for new home

By Julie Baughman
July 2, 2013

CATONSVILLE, MARYLAND---St. Timothy's Church of Baltimore County held its last Sunday service in its building on Ingleside Avenue — which they have occupied since 1844 — June 30 after voting as a parish on Feb. 10 to switch faiths from Episcopalian to Roman Catholic.
Those congregation members who chose to convert to Catholicism will move to St. Mark Church's building on Melvin Avenue for the time being as they search for a new, permanent home in the area.
Emory Stagmer,a member of St. Tim's for more than 20 years, and was among the parishioners who voted to switch.

He said the group negotiated with the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, which owns the church property, but was unable to retain their worship space.
"We went to the Episcopal Diocese with a lease, with an option to buy proposal and they turned it down and said that they were not going to make us a counter offer," Stagmer said. "We know going into this entire process that ... it was a distinct possibility (to lose the church building.)"
"The new Roman Catholic congregation was allowed to maintain a presence in the Catonsville church property during their transition through a cooperative arrangement with the Episcopal Church," said the statement from the Rev. Scott Slater, canon to the ordinary of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland. "The new Catholic community will be leaving the property effective June 30, 2013.
"The buildings and grounds remain the property of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland and we are currently discerning future uses of this space," the statement said. "As we have said from the start, our goal is to maintain an Episcopal presence in Catonsville. This is a strong community and we plan to be here for a very long time."
Stagmer said the group is thankful to St. Mark's parish for welcoming them into their church home, and is looking at property at both St. William of York Catholic Church on Cooks Lane and Mount de Sales Academy on Academy Road for a long-term spot...

Read the rest at the Baltimore Sun.

Hat tip to Mary Ann Mueller.

More on St. Timothy's, Catonsville

In an article on The Christian Post, Fr. Jason Catania of Mount Calvary Church, Baltimore is interviewed about St. Timothy's.

St. Timothy's Church is not the first Maryland congregation to opt to leave The Episcopal Church for the Catholic Ordinariate. Christ the King Anglican in Towson, and Mount Calvary Episcopal in Baltimore joined last year.

Fr. Jason Catania (right) with Fr. Reamsnyder and Fr. Vidal
after their ordination as Catholic priests last year.

Fr. Jason Catania of Mount Calvary told The Christian Post that he was "delighted by the decision of St. Timothy's to join the Ordinariate."
"I have been in close communication with their rector during the past year, so I know what a careful and thoughtful process it has been," said Catania.
"I congratulate them on having made such a momentous decision, one which sadly includes abandoning their property, as the Diocese of Maryland seems to be unwilling to reach a settlement as they did with Mount Calvary."
When asked if he felt other Maryland congregations would follow suit, Catania told CP that he was unsure but that it was not impossible.
"I was asked this same question after Mount Calvary's decision, and the time said that I didn't think there would be any more Episcopal parishes in Maryland that would seek to join the Ordinariate. Clearly I was wrong," said Catania.
"But at this point, I can't really think of any other congregation that might follow this course, though there could well be individuals or groups from particular parishes that might do so. It is curious how Maryland seems to have become such a hotspot for the Ordinariate in North America."

Read the whole article at "Md. Episcopal Congregation Votes to Join Catholic Church".