ABOUT SAINT TIMOTHY

The location of Lystra. Also known as Kilistra in Turkish, Lystra is located just southwest of modern Konya, Turkey (Image adapted from Wikipedia).

Early on in his mission, Timothy particularly ministered to the Judaizers who were Jewish converts to Christianity that insisted on all Christian converts, Gentile or Jew, practiced the numerous Jewish laws. Timothy went on to accompany Paul on his second mission because he had heard that Timothy was well spoken of. Timothy was sent to Thessalonica to encourage the converts who experienced persecution and report on the condition of the Church there. He eventually joined Paul in Corinth to help him found the Church there and remind them of Paul’s teachings.

Timothy was imprisoned in Rome with Paul during his mission there but was later freed. According to tradition, Timothy went on to Ephesus and became the first bishop for the Christian Ephesians. Paul mentioned Timothy in 7 epistles and wrote two pastoral letters to him, known as 1 and 2 Timothy in the New Testament.

Timothy was stoned to death in AD 97 for opposing the festival to honour the pagan goddess Diana. We celebrate the feast of our patron, Saint Timothy, alongside Saint Titus, on January 26th.

Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the mission and lives of Paul with Timothy and Titus in a general audience in 2006. He concluded that Timothy stands out as a very important pastor for the early Christians. Paul, a great saint of our Church, trusted in his friends Timothy and Titus to spread the Gospel.