A Parish at the Heart of Lutz
St. Timothy Catholic Church sits on Lakeshore Road in Lutz, a community in the northern part of the Tampa Bay area, and has grown into one of the larger Catholic parishes in Hillsborough County. The community lives by a mission statement that is printed across its materials: "We the people of St. Timothy Parish, seek to become a bright beacon of faith in Christ by fostering a family community in a loving and spiritual environment in which we may grow in service and knowledge of God." In practice that means four Sunday Masses, daily Mass every day of the week, two parallel youth ministries, a Montessori-style religious education program for the youngest children, a Bible study for adults that has run for years, a preschool, and a long list of outreach and pastoral care ministries serving the sick, the grieving, the addicted, and the poor.
The parish is part of the Diocese of St. Petersburg and is supported by a campus that includes the main church, an Adoration Chapel inside the Parish Center, the Holy Family Chapel, the St. John Paul II Youth Center, the Parish Hall, and a network of meeting rooms named for the saints.
Mass, Reconciliation, and Adoration
Sunday Masses are offered at 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 5:30 PM. The 9:00 AM Mass is livestreamed each week on Vimeo for the sick and homebound. The Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at 5:30 PM, and daily Mass is offered Monday through Saturday at 9:00 AM, with an additional Wednesday evening Mass at 6:00 PM.
Reconciliation is heard on Saturdays at 9:30 AM and 4:30 PM, on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM, on the first Friday of each month after the 9:00 AM Mass, and by appointment. During Advent and Easter, St. Timothy joins with neighboring parishes for communal penance services.
Eucharistic Adoration fills most of the week. The Adoration Chapel in the Parish Center is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM. On Wednesdays, Adoration shifts to the Holy Family Chapel and runs from 9:30 AM to 7:45 PM.
EDGE and Life Teen: Two Tracks of Youth Ministry
One of the most visible things at St. Timothy is the energy around its youth programs. Two parallel tracks meet weekly at the St. John Paul II Youth Center on the parish campus.
EDGE is the middle school ministry for students in grades 6 through 8, gathering on Wednesday evenings from 6:45 to 8:15 PM. High school students meet for Life Teen on Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Both follow the Life Teen model of catechesis, using large-group and small-group settings, dynamic video, prayer, Adoration, and dedicated adult mentors rather than textbooks. The curriculum draws on YDisciple and Life Teen resources, with material aligned to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops guidelines, Scripture, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Both programs encourage students to attend the contemporary Sunday evening Mass at 5:30 PM, which features modern music and homilies designed to engage younger parishioners. Life Teen nights begin with a shared meal in the Parish Hall, and parents regularly sign up to provide dinner for 70 to 100 teens. EDGE registration is $75 per student, the same as Life Teen, and covers the fall and spring semesters. The summer youth program is free, though it focuses on community building rather than catechesis.
Retreats are a major part of the year. EDGE hosts a day retreat each fall, an overnight Lock-In in January, and a Hidden Lake summer trip. Life Teen offers an October overnight retreat, a December day retreat, a March day retreat, a Rock the Universe weekend, a spring break retreat for high school boys, and the Steubenville Orlando Catholic Youth Conference. Both programs rely on a large team of adult mentors and junior mentors, the latter being 11th and 12th graders who help lead the middle schoolers. All adult volunteers are Safe Environment trained and background checked.
Justin Lantz serves as the Parish Youth and Young Adult Minister, with Jen Linder as Coordinator of Youth Ministry. Parents of teens also have their own community, called Parent Life, which meets on Sunday nights during the high school Life Teen time, with food, large-group teaching, and small-group discussion. The parish also runs a series of parish-wide Adoration evenings called Encounter, with praise music, Adoration, and a talk.
Lifelong Faith Formation: From Toddlers to Confirmation
St. Timothy's formation programs serve the whole family. For the youngest children, the parish runs a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program, a Montessori-based approach. Level I serves children ages 3½ to 6, and Level II serves ages 6 to 9. Children work with hands-on materials, encountering Scripture, liturgy, and prayer at their own pace in a prayerful environment inspired by the parable of the Good Shepherd.
Children's Faith Formation covers kindergarten through fifth grade. Weekly classes meet on Sundays from 10:30 to 11:45 AM. A Home Study option lets parents serve as the primary catechists in the home using provided materials, with six in-person family gatherings each year on Wednesday and Thursday evenings that include fellowship, shared meals, and guided discussion. Fourth and fifth graders focus on the upcoming Sunday Gospel, with activities that include games, skits, the Rosary, Reconciliation, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion require two consecutive years of Catholic education in first and second grade. Children in Catholic school or homeschool follow the same sacramental track, with families using the parish's home study or in-person program as needed. Older children who have not been baptized participate in an OCIA adapted for children and youth over two years, leading to the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. Middle and high school students who have been baptized Catholic but still need First Communion can prepare through the youth ministry office.
Joe Nieves-Serrano leads the faith formation team as Director of Faith Formation, with Zack Weiss as Pastoral Associate for Lifelong Faith Formation and Cathy Stipanov on the formation staff.
Becoming Catholic, Adult Confirmation, and Bible Study
Adults who want to become Catholic join the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. The OCIA journey is a year-round formation that culminates in the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. Adults who were baptized Catholic but never received Confirmation can take an eight-week Adult Confirmation Prep Course on Tuesday evenings, taught with discussion and fellowship, leading to a Confirmation Mass. Zack Weiss coordinates this work.
The Adult Bible Study is one of the longest-running programs at St. Timothy. Sessions are held on Tuesdays at 10:00 AM, right after the 9:00 AM Mass, and again at 7:00 PM, running from September through March with holiday breaks. The format combines individual study of the coming Sunday readings with a small-group sharing session, a 30-minute lecture rooted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and fellowship. The 2026-2027 curriculum walks through the Book of Tobit, the Song of Songs, and the Book of Micah. Facilitators and setup volunteers are always needed, and the ministry is open to people of any faith background.
Fishers of Men, the Women's Club, and Community Life
St. Timothy has a strong tradition of men gathering to support one another in faith. The Fishers of Men ministry runs a weekly small group on Saturday mornings from 7:00 to 8:45 AM, focused on Matthew 4:19. Members form small groups to help each other live the promises they have made to God, their families, and the parish, and they host an annual men's retreat. A separate Men's Club meets on the first Monday of each month for a business meeting and social, runs two golf tournaments a year, and supports St. Vincent de Paul and other parish needs.
The Women's Club meets monthly from August through May in the Parish Center. Committees organize the annual Holiday Boutique, raise funds for floral decorations at Christmas and Easter, coordinate drive-by collections for pregnancy centers and nursing homes, and plan a women's retreat. The club is led by a board of officers and chairs. A newer ministry, Women of St. Tims, complements the Women's Club, and a Bible study for women is led separately.
Other community life groups include the 55 and Up Club, the Knights of Columbus Council, Brothers United in Christ, the Hearts, Yarn and Hooks crafting circle, Moms of St. Tims, New Beginnings, the Society of St. Timothy, the St. Timothy Homeschool Fellowship, the Parish Library, the Parish Health Ministry, and a weekly Bingo gathering. The Homeschool Fellowship meets on Wednesday mornings during the school year, beginning with 9:00 AM Mass in the Holy Family Chapel, followed by Adoration, classes for the children, a mom's Bible study, and a picnic lunch together in the Youth Center.
Parenting, Young Adults, and the School of Prayer
Young adults from 20 to 35 years old meet on Monday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in the JPII Youth Center, Ski Lodge room. The program covers three facets of Christian faith: liturgy, formation, and fraternity, with weekly reflection nights, monthly men's and women's groups, and monthly Eucharistic Adoration and Mass. Matthew Cutrona serves as the young adult minister under Justin Lantz.
The parish has launched a video series called School of Prayer, hosted by Father Anthony and members of the staff, designed to deepen family prayer life. Episodes are released on YouTube and are highlighted on the parish's social channels, with a seasonal Advent edition during the Christmas season.
Outreach and Pastoral Care
St. Timothy takes seriously the work of bringing the Eucharist and the Church's presence to those on the margins. The Sick and Homebound Ministry brings weekly Communion to parishioners in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and private homes, and assists with monthly Mass at larger care centers. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are trained and commissioned through the parish and may also be asked to assist with ashes on Ash Wednesday or the Blessing of Throats.
St. Vincent de Paul works with the Men's Club to assist parishioners in need, while Trinity Cafe serves meals in the wider Tampa community. Life Ministries raises awareness about abortion, euthanasia, end-of-life care, and other sanctity-of-life issues, coordinating the parish's 40 Days for Life campaign and connecting parishioners with local pregnancy centers such as Catholic Charities on East Busch Boulevard in Tampa. The S.O.S. Human Trafficking ministry raises awareness of trafficking in the region, and the parish works with both the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on legislative matters.
Pastoral care ministries include Bereavement, which meets twice a month on Mondays for those grieving any kind of loss; Surviving Divorce, a support program for those who have experienced divorce; Parents of Addicted Children, which meets on the second Tuesday of the month; the Catholic Cancer Network; the Unbound Healing Ministry, which uses the Five Keys model from Heart of the Father Ministries to pray with individuals seeking freedom from spiritual obstacles such as habitual sin, unforgiveness, fear, or a stalled spiritual life; and the Annulment ministry, led by Deacon Ed LaRose, which helps parishioners understand the tribunal process and prepare petitions for declarations of nullity. A Prayer Tree receives prayer requests, and the Prayer Requests page invites anyone to submit intentions for the community to lift up.
Worship and Liturgical Ministries
Liturgical service is at the heart of parish life. Altar Servers, starting in fifth grade, assist the presider at Mass. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion distribute the Body and Blood of Christ at Masses and to the homebound. Readers proclaim Sacred Scripture, Sacristans prepare the sacred space before and after Mass, and the Liturgical Environment committee uses art and seasonal décor to set a prayerful tone in the church. The Safety Team, trained in first aid and CPR, supports Masses and special events, while Hospitality Ministers, including ushers and ambassadors, welcome worshippers and help them feel at home.
Music at St. Timothy is led by Director of Music Chase White and Music Ministry's Stephanie Escher. The Music Ministry includes the parish choir, children's choir, a teen band, cantors, and instrumentalists, and adult choir practice is held on Wednesdays from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, with no audition required. Anyone who sings or plays an instrument is invited to join.
St. Timothy Early Childhood Learning Center and Mother Teresa School
The parish operates the St. Timothy Early Childhood Learning Center, a preschool directed by Mary McGuire, that provides early childhood education in a faith-filled setting. St. Timothy families also have access to Mother Teresa Catholic School, a regional Catholic school that serves elementary and middle school students and is supported by several area parishes in the Diocese of St. Petersburg.
Clergy, Staff, and Vocations
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Anthony Ustick, with Parochial Vicar Rev. Tamil Selvam. Four permanent deacons serve the community: Deacon Jerry Crall, Deacon Ed LaRose, Deacon Glenn Smith, and Marc Garofani. The Vocations Ministry supports an Adopt a Seminarian program, a Priest of the Day prayer calendar, and monthly meetings focused on vocations to the priesthood, the permanent diaconate, consecrated life, and sacramental marriage. Parish Life Director Eddie Mendez oversees the liturgical ministries, and Katie Batteese coordinates communications and evangelization across the parish's social channels, bulletin, and eNewsletter.
Media, the App, and Practical Information
St. Timothy keeps parishioners connected through a weekly eNewsletter sent on Thursdays at noon, a bulletin available on the parish's pages, and active social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The myParish app offers daily readings, announcements, and notifications, and is available on Apple and Android.
The Sunday 9:00 AM Mass is livestreamed on Vimeo, and online giving is available through the parish's giving portal, with the Catholic Ministry Appeal supported through the Diocese of St. Petersburg. The parish phone number is 813-968-1077 and the general email is contact@sainttims.org. The Parish Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, closed for lunch from 12:30 to 1:00 PM. Those interested in joining the parish can complete a registration form and return it to the parish office or by email. Anyone who is not yet Catholic is invited to learn more about OCIA and the journey toward full communion with the Church.