About St. Timothy · Walkersville, Maryland
St. Timothy Catholic Church is a bilingual (English and Spanish) Roman Catholic parish in Walkersville, Maryland, in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The parish was founded in 1980 as an 'independent mission' and has grown from its first Mass celebrated in a rented historic chapel on Main Street into a thriving faith community on Biggs Ford Road. Today the parish is led by Fr. Juan Vazquez-Rubio and is supported by several permanent deacons and a broad staff of coordinators for music, faith formation, youth ministry, evangelization and Hispanic outreach. Its mission statement reads: 'We are called together by Jesus Christ to worship, proclaim and serve as a community of faith and to embrace one another in the love of Christ.'
- Established
- 1980
- Patron
- Saint Timothy
- Rector
- Rev. Juan Vazquez-Rubio (Fr. Juan)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
St. Timothy is a vibrant, family-oriented faith community that explicitly strives to be 'a place of mercy and hope where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven.' The parish celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish every weekend, runs a full Christian Formation program for grades 1–5, an Edge middle school youth ministry, a Life Teen high school program, adult Bible study and Scripture discussion groups, a Rosary prayer group on Zoom, OCIA (formerly RCIA) for adults, and supports a sister parish in Haiti, a St. Vincent de Paul Conference and a Summer Lunch Program — giving new parishioners many ways to plug in and serve.
Mass times at St. Timothy
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–4:45 PM
- Sunday 11:20–11:45 AM
- By appointment — call the Parish Office at 301-845-8043 (x100)
Adoration times
- First Friday 12:30 PM through Saturday 9:00 AM — 20-hour Vigil in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel
- All other Fridays 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM in the Church
About St. Timothy Catholic Church
St. Timothy is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish serving Walkersville and the surrounding Frederick County area under the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The parish's mission statement reads: 'We are called together by Jesus Christ to worship, proclaim and serve as a community of faith and to embrace one another in the love of Christ.' Pastor Fr. Juan Vazquez-Rubio extends a warm bilingual invitation to 'visit us on our website virtually and in Walkersville personally,' asking the community to embody Pope Francis's exhortation that 'the Church always be a place of mercy and hope where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven.'
- Mission: called together by Jesus Christ to worship, proclaim and serve
- Pastoral vision shaped by Pope Francis's call to mercy and hope
- Parish Offices open Monday–Friday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Address: 8651 Biggs Ford Road, Walkersville, MD 21793
History
St. Timothy was established in 1980 as an 'independent mission' with a resident priest, Fr. Paul Witthauer, who gathered the first families and celebrated the inaugural Mass on Sunday, July 27, 1980, in the historic Georgetown Chapel on Main Street. The Israel Creek United Methodist Church graciously rented their place of worship to the Catholic community for seventeen years while the mission grew and organized. On Holy Saturday in April 1997 the parish celebrated the Easter Vigil in its new church on Biggs Ford Road. Successor pastors Fr. Dick Murphy and Fr. Andy Aaron continued the work, and on September 7, 2008 Archbishop Edwin O'Brien dedicated the Parish Center.
- 1980 — Parish founded as an independent mission; first Mass July 27, 1980 at the Georgetown Chapel, Main Street
- 1980–1997 — Worshiped in the historic Georgetown Chapel rented from Israel Creek United Methodist Church
- April 1997 (Holy Saturday) — Easter Vigil celebrated in the new Biggs Ford Road church
- September 7, 2008 — Archbishop Edwin O'Brien dedicates the Parish Center
Parish Staff
In addition to Fr. Juan and the deacons, St. Timothy's staff includes coordinators for faith formation, evangelization, music, youth ministry, business operations and Hispanic outreach. All volunteers and ministers must be STAND certified through VIRTUS for the protection of children and youth.
- Pastor: Rev. Juan Vazquez-Rubio (Fr. Juan) — [email protected]
- Deacon Rob Price — [email protected]
- Deacon Jim Barth — [email protected]
- Deacon Manuel Hernandez — [email protected]
- Faith Formation Coordinator: Isaac Lopez — [email protected]
- Director of Evangelization / Coordinator of Hispanic Outreach: Maria Nunez-Arias — [email protected]
- Director of Music: Amanda Schrider — [email protected]
- Christian Formation & Youth Ministry Administrative Assistant: Marissa Paoletti — [email protected]
- Business Manager: Dawn Hawes — [email protected]
- Administrative Assistant: Sandy Gordon — [email protected]
Music Ministry
The music ministry at St. Timothy provides musical support for all liturgical functions, helping the assembly take part fully and actively in the Mass in keeping with 'Sing to the Lord,' the General Instructions on the Roman Missal, and Sacrosanctum Concilium. All adults — regardless of musical experience — are welcome to join a choir.
- Contemporary Adult Choir — rehearses Thursday 7:30–9:00 PM (Sept–mid-June) and Sunday mornings 45 min before Mass; sings at the Sunday morning Masses
- Traditional Adult Choir — rehearses Saturday afternoon before the 5:00 PM Mass; sings September through May
- Cantors — train with the music director and are scheduled at weekend Masses
- Instrumentalists — strings, winds, brass, percussion, guitar and keyboard; rehearsal times scheduled individually
- Music Director: Amanda Schrider — [email protected]
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs a full faith-formation program for every age, from first-graders through high school, plus adult Bible studies, OCIA and retreats. The parish teaches grade-appropriate prayers so that children grow in their relationship with God through the words of the Church.
- Children's Christian Formation for Grades 1–5
- Children's Liturgy of the Word at the English Masses, September–May
- Prayers by grade level — 1st: Sign of the Cross, Glory Be, Our Father; 2nd: Act of Contrition, Hail Mary; 3rd: Decade of the Rosary; 4th: Grace before Meals, Guardian Angel Prayer; 5th: Rosary
- Radiant Disciples — assistants for children's ministry on Monday nights, 5:00–7:15 PM (contact Isaac Lopez)
- Vacation Bible School — July 13–17, 2026
Youth Ministry (Edge & Life Teen)
St. Timothy offers a comprehensive middle and high school youth ministry, with retreats, service opportunities, socials and liturgical ministry training. Volunteer Youth Ministers — both young adults and parents — are essential and receive VIRTUS/Worthy of the Call training.
- Edge (Middle School, Grades 6–8) — meets about twice a month on Sunday nights, 6:30–8:00 PM, during the school year; also offers retreats, service and socials
- Life Teen (High School, Grades 9–12) — meets every other Sunday evening, 7:00–8:30 PM; year-round retreats, pilgrimages and social events
- PathFinders — post-Confirmation high school group discovering gifts, training to serve and growing in friendship and spiritual life
- Teen Sacramental Prep on Sunday evenings for Baptism, Reconciliation and First Communion
- Confirmation Retreat at Camp Round — November 13–15, 2026
Adult Faith Formation
Adult parishioners can continue growing in the faith through Scripture study, video-based discussion series and a Wednesday-evening Rosary prayer group on Zoom. The parish also runs OCIA for adults who want to learn about or join the Catholic Church, and the Catholic Keys young-adult group meets in nearby Frederick.
- Wednesday Rosary Prayer Group on Zoom, 6:15 PM — contact Barb Schaberl ([email protected])
- Scripture Discussion Group — Spring study on 'Angels in the Bible' via Zoom
- Brown Bag Lunch Series — 'The Search' 7-week video series (Mondays after Mass)
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — open year-round
- Catholic Keys — young-adult faith-sharing group, Frederick, MD
- Men's and Women's Retreats
Sacraments
St. Timothy prepares parishioners for all seven sacraments. Baptisms for children are scheduled on the second and last Sundays of the month at 1:00 PM (and within Mass), except during Lent. First Reconciliation and First Eucharist preparation is generally for children in second grade or older, and Confirmation is open to high-school students who have received the earlier sacraments.
- Baptism — children: 2nd and last Sundays of the month, 1:00 PM (not during Lent)
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist — typically second grade or older
- Confirmation — open to Grades 9–12 with Baptism, Reconciliation and First Communion
- Marriage — Marriage Preparation required
- Anointing of the Sick
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (ongoing)
Outreach & Charity
Outreach is a core part of parish life. St. Timothy supports a sister parish in Haiti, helps fund financial assistance through the St. Vincent de Paul Conference, runs a Summer Lunch Program for local children, and assists with the Glade Valley Community Thrift Store.
- Sister Parish — Paroisse Saint Jérôme, Petite Rivière de l'Artibonite, Haiti (founded December 25, 1725) — supported for more than 13 years
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference — financial assistance to the Walkersville community
- Summer Lunch Program — healthy lunches and recreation for children in the community
- Glade Valley Community Thrift Store — located in the basement of St. Paul's Lutheran Church on Pennsylvania Avenue, Walkersville
Becoming a Parishioner
New parishioners are warmly welcomed. Registration forms can be downloaded from the parish website and mailed to the Parish Offices at 8651 Biggs Ford Road, Walkersville, MD 21793. All volunteers working with children or youth must complete STAND/VIRTUS training through the Archdiocese of Baltimore before serving.
- Download the Registration Form from stimothys.org and mail it to the Parish Offices
- STAND / VIRTUS training required for all volunteers working with children and youth (www.virtusonline.org)
- Bulletin and 'Wednesday Blast' email keep parishioners informed of parish news
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Paul Witthauer1980 – c.1997
Founding resident priest; gathered the original community and celebrated the first Mass on July 27, 1980 at the Georgetown Chapel on Main Street.
- Fr. Dick Murphy
Succeeded Fr. Witthauer; served as the parish's second pastor.
- Fr. Andy Aaron
Succeeded Fr. Murphy; under his pastorate the Parish Center was dedicated by Archbishop Edwin O'Brien on September 7, 2008.
- Fr. Juan Vazquez-Rubio
Current pastor; leads a bilingual English/Spanish parish community.