Parishioner Feature

Tony Lara has been a parishioner as St. Timothy since the beginning. He, along with a group of founding parishioners can truly call themselves “long-timers”. 

“Father Ron Simon baptized my daughter on our kitchen table,” Tony recalled, “because the church wasn’t yet built.” 

It was 1981 and Tony and his wife, Marilyn, were seeking baptism for their daughter, Kristen. They began to attend Mass at Booker T. Washington school auditorium because St. Timothy Church was still under construction. Tony and Marilyn were pen pals throughout the war. They wrote letters back and forth during Tony’s time serving in Vietnam. When Tony returned to the states and they met in person, they decided to elope. As the Lara’s took infant baptism classes in the Christy Center, they realized the need to be married in the Catholic Church. Soon after, they received the Sacrament of Marriage. 

When St. Timothy Catholic Church was officially dedicated during the fall of 1981, Tony and his family began attending the Saturday 5:00 pm vigil Mass. Now, 43 years later, the 5pm Saturday is still Tony’s Mass of choice. He and his wife Marilyn began ushering 35 years ago and Tony faithfully upholds his duty as Head Usher. You can spot him proudly wearing his name tag while greeting parishioners or searching for a family to take up the gifts.

So, what has made Tony stick around for all these years?

“I have been here through every single priest and deacon that’s ever been here… I think the world of them, they are so good; this goes for all the priests and deacons that have been at St. Timothy, even though we have had controversy and everything,” Tony said. 

Tony’s connection with the priests of St. Timothy goes back to his childhood. Born and raised in Prescott as one of ten children, he was instructed in catechism by Fr. Marcel Salinas.
 
“He was mean,” said Tony. “He was tough but I [grew to] really like him.” 

Many years later, when Tony realized Fr. Marcel was a priest at St. Timothy, he had the following reaction:
“I looked up in the sky and I said, ‘God why would you do this to me?’”

At that time, Tony was on a computer committee and was assigned the task of teaching Fr. Marcel how to use his laptop. 

“One day I came into his office…I looked at him and I said ‘Do you remember me? I took my catechism from you in Prescott.’ He looked at me and started smiling and we both started laughing,” recalled Tony.

“He was wonderful, we became very close [after that].”

Another priest that Tony formed a strong bond with was Fr. Gerry LaPatka. When Father Gerry retired, Tony used to call him every Saturday on his way to Mass. One day, Tony received a letter from Fr. Gerry [pictured below]. The letter included the crucifix from Father’s rosary which was given to him by Pope John Paul II in 1986. Tony greatly treasures this second-class relic of his favorite saint, given to him by his friend, Fr. Gerry.

“Tony Lara is truly a good Samaritan,” said Deacon Abe Calderon.
“He is the type of person that is willing to go the extra mile with someone in need. Tony has not buried, but used the many talents God has blessed him with.”

The clergy have made a strong impact on Tony, but they aren’t the only ones that have kept him faithfully coming back to St. Timothy.

“The priests come and go but the parishioners are always here,” he said. “I just love seeing the people… I call them my extended family.”

“I have seen women pregnant and watched their kids [grow up and] graduate from high school. I’ve seen people pass away whom I brought communion to… I’ve gotten to know hundreds and hundreds of people. I’m really bad at names but I recognize faces.”

The smile on Tony’s face is telling. He enjoys talking to people. His welcoming presence and cheery disposition have made many a parishioner feel ‘home’ at St. Timothy. 
 
“He always wants to carry on a conversation… he asks about how you [and your family] are,” said Chad Turner, Director of Liturgy at St. Timothy.

“His smile [and laughter] are addicting and he is always concerned about others. He comes in and he is all joy and everybody knows his name.”

Although he is filled with joy, Tony carries the weight of his cross every day. His time of service as a Marine in Vietnam took a toll on him. 

“I was 19 at the time but… it still hurts to this day,” Tony said.

“I was a rifleman and a radio man; then I became a casualty reporter, so I had to take [down] all the information on our casualties,” he recalled.

“The outfit I was with was one of the most honored battalions in Vietnam. [We were] the First Battalion 9th Marines, Third Marine Division, and they called us ‘The Walking Dead’. We took more casualties and had more purple hearts than most other outfits in Vietnam… Our outfit was always in the heavy fighting by the DMZ (demilitarized zone) up north.”

“I remember one time; I was so scared that I dreamt I was in a coffin in my dress blues. I was watching everybody come over to look at me.”

Tony, himself a purple heart recipient, was wounded in the arm by a piece of shrapnel from a rocket. When the corpsman bandaged him up, he asked Tony if he wanted to ‘claim it.’ Tony refused until the corpsman told him that three purple hearts would spell a ticket home. After hearing this, Tony agreed to accept.

During his time at war, it was Tony’s faith that kept him going.
“I still remember getting communion up at some of the combat bases. I prayed a lot that I’d make it home,” Tony said.
“We had priests that would have confessions and Mass right in front of you. We just sat on the ground.”

When Tony returned to the United States, he felt so grateful to God. So many veterans, so many of his friends on his unit, didn’t make it home. He wanted to give God something in return for sparing his life. His service as an usher at St. Timothy has been an expression of this gratitude.

Before ending the interview, Tony insisted on giving some shout outs:
“I have to say something about the 5:00pm ushers. They are awesome; all of them! We are all close and we all know what we have to do. When one of us is absent, we always have a backup.”

“I love all the memories I have from the people I’ve known here… You get to know where people sit; they always sit in the same place…There was one family called the Hall’s. They live back East now but I knew her when she was pregnant and she had quadruplets! I remember them so well. Before they moved away, my wife and I would go over to help them to take care of the children… Now they are all in their 20’s.”

Tony still keeps in touch with the Hall’s through email and Facebook; he updates them on what is happening here at St. Timothy. 

The Pisani family is another that Tony has known for a long time. He has become friends with John and his wife, watching their children grow up to become altar servers and participate in St. Timothy music ministry. He has enjoyed getting to know them through the years.

“I don’t know why you chose [to write about] me,” Tony said at the conclusion of our time together. However, everyone who knows Tony can understand why. He is beloved by the parishioners and his humility is genuine. He embodies the family spirit at St. Timothy.

“His heart for the church goes beyond his purple heart,” said Turner;

“What a purple heart represents: his heart for the church [at St. Timothy] exceeds and goes beyond that.”