Our Lady of Guadalupe Church at 2316 W Coldwater, Flint, MI 48505 US - Our Pastor: Fr. Tim Nelson
| Our Pastor: Fr. Tim Nelson |
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I was born in Dubuque, Iowa on December 21, 1951. My first thought of wanting to become a priest was around 6 or 7 years old. I remember seeing the priest at the altar and thinking, "Gee, he gets to be with God all day long!" Now, I realize that the same is true for all of us, but as a little kid, that was that thought got the ball rolling. I felt sure I wanted to be a priest until I got to college and started dating seriously. At the same time, I was majoring in math and physics and I wanted to do something really important in my life - like work for NASA as an aerospace physicist! Whenever I thought about the priesthood, though, I just couldn’t get a clear mental picture of what a priest does all day long. Sure, he says Mass and he’s usually a nice guy... but, other than that, does he do all day?
To help resolve this vocational impasse, I decided to take a year off from college and travel to South America. I taught English and Analytic Geometry to senior students in a Bolivian high school. I met a medical missionary there and became fascinated with the idea of becoming a doctor. I could easily see and understand how a doctor can profoundly help peoples’ lives. So, I returned to the United States and I finished my undergraduate studies with little thought of the priesthood. I was accepted to medical school at the University of Iowa and graduated with an M.D. degree in 1979. I did my internship and residency training in Grand Rapids, MI., and went on for further training in cardiology at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal, MI.
During my years in Grand Rapids, I became engaged to be married. I thought the fact that she was not Catholic wouldn’t be a big problem, but I found myself talking to her a lot about Catholic beliefs and practice. Then, the question of birth control came up and I had to make a decision one way or the other. I felt that if I compromised myself on that point, I would probably start to compromise myself on a lot of other things down the road. Eventually, other issues made it clear that we were not meant to get married. I felt extremely grateful for the Church’s teaching on this and other difficult issues. As time went on, I realized that I could live a happy and fulfilled live as a celibate.
As a cardiologist, I felt immensely privileged to care for the body of my patients. I also became much more aware of the spiritual depth of peoples’ lives and the soul's integration with the body. I finally started to understand what a priest "does." A priest brings Christ to people... and brings people to Christ. That distant idea of becoming a priest started to return and now didn't seem so crazy after all. In the meantime, I had the good fortune of joining a small religious community, Alma Redemptoris Mater, which allowed me to continue my medical practice and helped form me in a religious way of life while I continued to discern my call to the priesthood.
Finally, after 12 years of cardiology practice, I "hung up" my stethoscope and entered Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan. The camaraderie in the seminary was great and it helped those years of study fly by. I was ordained by Bishop Carl F. Mengeling on June 10, 2000.
I have never regretted the decision to become a priest nor I have I ever felt as though I ceased being a physician. I see my life as one huge adventure, one integrated whole, one tremendous gift by God, in both my medical practice and my priesthood. My deepest desire is to one day hear those words, "Welcome, good and faithful servant." Please pray for me.