OUR PARISH HISTORY

Breaking Ground

In 1964, property for a new parish site in Laguna Nigel was purchased by the Archbishop of Los Angeles. Sunday Mass was celebrated for the few parishioners of the area at a variety of locations, including the Monarch Bay Plaza movie theater, Shepherd of the Hills Church and the Crown Valley Elementary School, by priests from Saint Catherine of Sienna Parish in Laguna Beach and Saint Edward Parish in Dana Point.

Bishop William R. Johnson, the first Bishop of the Diocese of Orange established Saint Timothy Parish at a Sunday Mass in Crown Valley School on July 13, 1980. Formal building plans were announced; and a house on Via San Sebastian was purchased as a rectory. Father Harold Furno, administrator, oversaw the construction of the first multi-purpose building, with groundbreaking on February 22, 1981. This multi-purpose room is now St. Timothy’s Parish Hall, which holds many of our Parish and ministry events to this day.

Building the Church

In November, 1984, Father Bruce Lavery was appointed first pastor of Saint Timothy. Within eight years, the multi-purpose building in which Sunday Mass was celebrated was too small.

Bishop Norman F. McFarland, who succeeded Bishop Johnson, originally thought another site would be better, but in 1989 he reconsidered and a major building fund drive began in 1991. The crib wall which enlarged the property, was completed in June 1994, and the two level parking garage in April 1996. At the same time the new Church was under construction, additions to the original multi-purpose building were made which included new parish offices, remodeled parish hall and kitchen. Work on the present Church began in June 1997.

We Have a Church!

The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on Palm Sunday 1998. Consecration of the new church, May 8, 1999, was presided over by retired Bishop McFarland.

In early 2004, we started the final building phase. By the end of the year, the "Upper Room" building and the Faith Formation offices had been completed.

St. Timothy Parish Today

As of 2025, St. Timothy ministers to over 2600 families. Our Family Faith Formation which begins at age three, with Tiny Tims, continues through Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School, and High School. Adult Faith Formation is also a high priority especially with a thriving Young Adult Community, the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, dynamic weekly Bible studies, and various prayer ministries. We strive to serve our community and surrounding areas through various service and outreach ministries such as the Food Pantry, St. Vincent de Paul, and the Knights of Columbus to name a few. Our Spanish Community is also growing since the establishment of our 1 pm Spanish Mass back in 2023.

To this day, St. Timothy Catholic Church is not only a faithful community, but also a thriving hub for evangelization with a vibrant Sunday experience as the heartbeat of our Parish.

Our Patron Saint, St. Timothy

Saint Timothy was an early Christian evangelist, mentored by Saint Paul. He was born of a Jewish mother who had become Christian, and a Greek father. He was the first Bishop of the Church of Ephesus.

St. Timothy is the patron saint of stomach ailments.