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Celebrating Fr. John Blum’s Ordination Anniversary: “A Tug at His Heart”
Our pastor, Fr. John Blum, was 8 years old when he first felt a tug at his heart and the initial stirrings of a vocation to the priesthood.
“The seeds of a vocation were planted when I began serving at the altar, and they grew steadily over the years,” Fr. Blum says. “In high school, you begin to think about careers, to think seriously about what you’ll do with your life, and I felt compelled to discern the priesthood.”
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This year we’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of Fr. Blum’s ordination to the priesthood. The oldest of eight children, he was raised in a big Catholic family where they actively lived the faith in their home.
“Having the faith nurtured at home in so many wonderful ways is a big part of my vocational story,” Fr. Blum says. “There was a strong connection between parish life and family life through Catholic devotions, especially the Rosary and fidelity to Sunday Mass.”
It felt natural for Fr. Blum to become a diocesan priest. So, he attended seminary at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami and then studied theology at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton Beach. He was ordained May 18, 1996, at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle in St. Petersburg.
“What I have most enjoyed about the priesthood is being able to administer the sacraments, especially the Eucharist,” Fr. Blum says. “All my pastoral assignments have been great blessings in their own ways. I also had the opportunity to serve as vocations director for the diocese and work with our seminarians on their journeys to the priesthood.”
Over the years, Fr. Blum has also been blessed to lead several pilgrimages, and he has traveled with faith community members and families to France, Spain, Portugal, and the Holy Land.
Fr. Blum’s Ordination Mass, 1996
“The pilgrimages have been grace-filled experiences,” Fr. Blum says. “Twice, I was able to walk the Camino de Santiago. In the Holy Land, we visited all the places you read about in the Scriptures. It was incredibly memorable.”
Fr. Blum served 13 of the past 25 years at St. John Vianney in St. Pete Beach — a significant and special part of his priestly ministry and life.
Bishop Gregory Parkes called Fr. Blum on March 24, 2020, a week into the COVID-19 lockdown, and asked him if he would be willing to leave St. John and come to St. Timothy.
“It was a simple call, and I had a simple answer,” Fr. Blum says. “I said I will go where you need me to serve. I felt that God had a plan and purpose for me and for St. Tim’s, and I had to be open to that plan, even under challenging and surreal circumstances.”
Fr. Blum at the Mass of Thanksgiving reception with his family
Fr. Blum celebrating Mass in Jerusalem near the upper room, 2011
Since joining St. Timothy’s, Fr. Blum has deeply appreciated the community’s warmth and hospitality.
“This is a wonderful faith community with such a spirit of giving,” Fr. Blum says. “They are living a life of faithful stewardship. The parishioners understand what it means to be good stewards of their gifts, talents, and time. Seeing this has been edifying for me.”
The past 25 years of Fr. Blum’s priesthood have been filled with great joys and blessings, and he looks forward to experiencing more joys and blessings with the faith community at St. Timothy.
“God has called me to begin a new chapter here with you at St. Timothy,” Fr. Blum says. “Thank you for the many ways that you faithfully serve this parish family and for witnessing to the Catholic faith and the Gospel.”
