Have you ever attended Mass and sat and listened to the homily and thought,” Wow, this priest must have followed me around this week because that is exactly what I went through and just what I needed to hear!”
Father John Twomey’s homilies hit home with many people addressing relationship issues with family, friends, and co-workers, or the path to becoming a better person or the current affairs in the world. Fr. John’s homilies cut right to the core of today’s issues of being human.
So prepared was he for each mass, starting on time if not a few minutes early. Reaching for his outlined thoughts when time for the homily, one would settle in for the gift of his sermon. Fr. John began his homilies by addressing his parishioners; “Members of the Faith Community here at St. Peters”. As the homily proceeded, he inspired parishioners with quotes from numerous articles and books he read and he artfully connected them to the day’s gospel. Sitting in the pews, one could notice the half sheet of paper he penned his thoughts on. Ever mindful of waste, he used paper from old bulletins, bank statements, and flyers that afforded one blank side that his frugal self could use.
And what would he do with these homily outlines after he was finished with them? A few times folks would thank him for his thought provoking homilies and ask for a copy of his notes for reflection. He would simply smile, or mime like he ripped them up after mass, or simply shrug his shoulders. It seemed such a waste to not be able to save these beautiful words of wisdom and guidance to share with others or reread oneself.
Fr. John officially retired from assisting at St. Peters in January, 2016. Less than a month later he entered eternal life with Our Lord. A beautiful funeral mass with a packed church. Sadly, his wonderful sermons ended and until resurrected from the Leising Family and those found, gathered together here. We hope you enjoy it.