Friar Timothy Patrick Dore, OFM Conv. -- About Me and My Blog . . .

Friar Timothy Patrick Dore, OFM Conv. (Baltimore, Maryland, United States).

On September 3, 1962, I was born at Mercy Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland; I’m the second of seven children: I have an older brother and four younger sisters; they each married terrific spouses and now have families of their own; one sibling, a younger brother who my mother named Joseph, died at birth.  In all, I have fourteen wonderful nieces and nephews, as well as a grand-niece and a grand-nephew, both of whom are absolutely beautiful.  My mom, +Carolyn Marie Winterling (d. 09-13-18), was born and raised in Locust Point, South Baltimore, and was of pure German descent; during her professional life she was a Registered Nurse; my father, +Eugene Anthony “Gene” Dore (d. 07-21-24), was born and raised in Irvington, West Baltimore, and was of Irish/Swedish descent; he spent much of his professional career as a salesman within the heavy construction industry. My immediate and extended family members have always been very dear to me!

I spent my earliest school days as a student in both public and parochial schools: first at Beechfield Elementary, P.S.#246, Irvington (grades K-2), then at St. Joseph's Monastery, Irvington, (grades 3-5) and finally at the Catholic Community School of South Baltimore, (grades 6-8). For high school I attended Baltimore's great Calvert Hall College (a Christian Brothers' school locally known as “the Hall).  

As a child, my family and I were always very active in our parishes (both at St. Joseph's Monastery, in West Baltimore where I lived until the age of eleven, and in later years at Our Lady of Good Counsel, South Baltimore).  I was a member of the boy scouts, an altar server, choir member, youth groups, church cleaner and part time youth parish office receptionist.  As a child, my Catholic faith and my parish identity were always very important aspects of my personal and family experiences!  

After graduating from Mount Saint Mary's College (now “University”), Emmitsburg, Maryland in May of 1984, I entered religious life in August of that year as a novice with Conventual Franciscan Friars (OFM Conv.). I completed my Theological studies at the Washington Theological Union in Silver Spring, Maryland in May of 1992. After a six month period as a “transitional deacon,” on October 17, 1992 I was ordained to the priesthood at St. Casimir Church, in my home-town of Baltimore, Maryland, by Baltimore's then Auxiliary Bishop +William C. Newman.

For seventeen years of my priesthood (in two non-consecutive terms between ‘92 and ‘14), I was assigned to Most Holy Trinity--St. Mary in Brooklyn, New York. Both my Franciscan and my priestly identities were greatly “formed” during my years in Brooklyn!

In addition to Brooklyn, I served as a parochial-vicar at St. Philip Benizi, Jonesboro, Georgia, and at St. Stanislaus Basilica, Chicopee, Massachusetts. In August of ‘14, I began a year-long assignment at Pastor at Assumption Church in Syracuse, New York. Years earlier in ministry, I also spent time teaching young people in schools at St. Francis High School in Athol Springs, New York (‘87-‘88), at St. Francis Primary School, San Jose, Costa Rica (‘98-‘01), and at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore, Maryland (‘01-‘03). Later, and in the Archdiocese of Baltimore (‘15-‘18), I was Pastor of two wonderful Parishes of St. Ann and St. Wenceslaus, in Baltimore City, Maryland.  Then I was Pastor of St. Michael the Archangel, Annunciation, and St. Clement Mary Hofbauer, a three parish “Pastorate” in Baltimore County, Maryland (‘18-‘22). 

I’ve always had an “itch” to be a missionary friar.  Although I have never really pursued such a calling, I did have several opportunities in my life to travel and to live abroad in countries where people live in poverty and in great need.  While still a seminarian in 1991, I did a “missionary internship” for three months in Ghana, West Africa where I lived and worked with our friars who ministered to people with leprosy.  Later, after my ordination to the priesthood, I spent three months in Honduras, Central America, where I studied Spanish and further discerned a “missionary calling.”  I’ve returned to Honduras for shorter visits at least ten times over the years, and I still wonder if someday I should return there for a longer commitment.  In 1998, I began a two-and-a-half year assignment in Costa Rica where I taught English to children in our friars’ St. Francis Primary School in San Jose and also to adults in an evening language institute there called the Instituto Interamericano de Idiomas (Intensa).  My experience in Costa Rica was wonderful!

Most of my ministerial experiences have been as a “parish priest.”  Parish work has always been at the core of my priestly ministry, and over many years I feel I've been greatly blessed by the wonderful people of the parishes I've met along the way!  See a short reflection I wrote about the life of a parish priest here on my blog entitled “This is the Life of a Parish Priest” (https://www.frayteo.us/2014/04/this-is-life-of-parish-priest.html).

I think one of my most passionate desires within ministry has always been to enthusiastically serve and to work with Christian outreach efforts done for the poor, the marginalized, and to those who are “different.”  I believe this desire is fundamentally rooted in my identity as one who hopes to live in accord with the teachings and example of the Lord Jesus, and as a Franciscan Friar, a follower of “Il Poverello,” St. Francis of Assisi.

Currently, I am stationed at the Shrine of St. Anthony, Ellicott City, Maryland, and there I am one of the friars in the community of the Friary of St. Joseph Cupertino. These days, I divide my time as a friar-chaplain at St. Joseph's Nursing Home, Catonsville, as well as at the Shrine of St. Anthony.

Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope the posts you find on it are both thought provoking and spiritually uplifting!   Peace, Timothy

Praised be Jesus Christ!
Now and Forever!  Amen!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Friar Timothy Patrick Dore, OFM Conv.

My Curriculum Vitae:

EDUCATION

12/99 - 12/00:  The Mesoamerica Spanish Language Program (at the Institute for Central American Studies-"ICAS"), Intensive Spanish Program and Tutoring.  Guadalupe, San Jose, Costa Rica, Completed: December 2000.

Fall 1998:  Centro Lingüistico Latinoamericano, San Antonio de Belén, Heredia, Costa Rica, Certificate, Intensive Spanish Program. Completed: November 1998.

1988-1992: Washington Theological Union, Silver Spring, Maryland, Master of Divinity, Graduated: May 1992.

1985-1987:  Saint Hyacinth College and Seminary, Granby, Massachusetts, Pre-Theology Certificate in Philosophy, Completed: May 1987

1984-1985:  Saint Joseph Cupertino Friary, Ellicott City, Maryland, Novitiate Program, Completed: August 1985.

1980-1984:  Mount Saint Mary's College (now “University”), Emmitsburg, Maryland, Bachelor of Arts  (Majors: History and Theology), Graduated: May 1984.

1976-1980:  Calvert Hall College, Towson, Maryland, High School Diploma, Graduated: May 1980.

WORK & INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES

06/22-Present:  Pastoral Associate, (chaplaincy at St. Joseph's Nursing Home, Catonsville, and pastoral ministry at the Shrine of St. Anthony, Folly Quarter), St. Joseph Cupertino Friary, Ellicott City, Maryland.

08/18-06/22:  Pastor, St. Michael the Archangel, Annunciation, & St. Clement Mary Hofbauer Churches, Baltimore County, Maryland.

08/15-08/18:  Pastor, St. Ann & St, Wenceslaus Churches, Baltimore City, Maryland.

08/14-08/15:  Pastor, Assumption Church, Syracuse, New York.

06/04-08/14:  Parochial Vicar, Most Holy Trinity Church, Brooklyn, New York.

06/03-06/04:  Parochial Vicar, St. Stanislaus Basilica, Chicopee, Massachusetts.

08/01-06/03:  Secondary School Teacher (Intro to Spanish I & Intro to Spanish II), Archbishop Curley High School, Baltimore, Maryland.

06/02-08/02:  Mission Volunteer, Helping Hands for Honduras, La Paz, Honduras, Central America. 

01/01-08/01:  Parochial Vicar, Saint Philip Benizi Catholic Church, Jonesboro, Georgia.

03/00-12/00:  English as a Second Language Teacher (Conversational–for adults), Instituto Interamericano de Idiomas (Intensa), San José, Costa Rica.

12/98-12/00:  Primary School Teacher (Middle School Religion, Second Grade English), Saint Francis Primary School, Moravia, San José, Costa Rica.

01/94-04/94:  Mission Internship, Conventual Franciscan Friars, Campamento, Honduras, Central America.

06/92-09/98:  Parochial Vicar, Most Holy Trinity Church, Brooklyn, New York.

06/91-08/91:  Mission Internship, Franciscan Community Services, Ankaful Leprosy Camp and the Ahotokurom Village, Ghana, West Africa.

09/90-05/91:  Supervised Ministry in Pro-Life Advocacy, Human Life International (H.L.I.), Gaithersburg, Maryland.

09/88-05/92:  Supervised Ministry in a Parish Setting, Saint Mark Church, Catonsville, Maryland.

09/87-05/88:  Secondary School Teacher, (Freshman Social Studies, Sophomore Religion), Saint Francis High School, Athol Springs, New York

The Cathedra or Bishop's Throne

 

The photo above is of the “Cathedra” or “bishop's throne” in the Archdiocese of Baltimore's Cathedral of Mary Our Queen.  It's notable that this “throne” is intentionally positioned as the “highest” seat in the sanctuary, and of course within the church building itself. 

Such “thrones” were not used by church leaders within the Christian church until sometime in the fourth century (CE/AD). At that time, they were adopted from the use of such “thrones” as was commonly practiced by “worldly” emperors and kings.  As such, this custom as used by church leaders (i.e. those mere mortal beings who were called “bishops”) didn't begin until at least three hundred years after the passion and death of Jesus and the apostles. 

There is no reference to such ecclesiastical and/or episcopal “thrones” in the New Testament and/or in the writings of the earliest Christian authors. 

The “throne of God” as referenced in both the Old and New Testaments is very different from what might seem to be a presumptuous (possibly even arrogant?) adoption of such “royalty mimicking thrones” by mere mortal beings (vis-à-vis, by any type of “pharisaical religious leaders”).  

In contrast to God’s throne, “such otherwise earthly thrones” could be seen to be those used by mere mortals (those that are perhaps illegitimately constructed to seat mere humans who have no biblical right to do ascend them in this life—especially by those who claim to be servants to the poor and the marginalized). 

Jesus constantly criticized the arrogance of the Pharisees.  Unfortunately it seems such “religious figures” are still very much alive in our own day and time, and they still use symbols of power and domination to lord their corruption over the “religious” masses.    

Is it possible that in light of this we might need to make substantial and radical reforms within our Roman Catholic Church (as well as within other church communions who follow similar traditions)?

Is the use of the “Cathedra” defensible in light of the preaching and ministry of Jesus as found in the Gospels?

Can a bishop be seated on such a throne and remain faithful to the following words of Jesus?

“You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt.  But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.  For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:42-44).

Hmmm . . . 🧐

In the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke we find the following words: 

“God has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly” (see Luke 1:53).

I’ll stick with that!