A Life of Service and Fulfillment

Fulfilling a life of religious devotion and aspirations.

As a young boy, Fr. Fred Timp, SVD was intrigued by the idea of religious life, but the daily schedule of parish priests seemed too boring and predictable for him. Young Fred wanted to serve God in a more exciting and adventurous way. With guidance from his uncle, a Divine Word Missionary Priest, a young boy connected with a Vocation Director and entered the seminary in 1959, dreaming of working in China. Although his first assignment was teaching at a seminary, he valued the formation experience and later engaged in vocation work and community pastoral activities. In 1983, he fulfilled his overseas mission aspirations with a 40-year assignment in Ghana.

A New Land

Fr. Fred's initial assignment in Ghana was in the rural Afram Plains, a diverse farming region needing primary evangelization despite many Christians already present. Enjoying his role, he didn't initially plan to leave, but after five years, he became the dean of SVD major seminarians in Tamale, overseeing 25 seminarians in stages of philosophy and theology studies. He found the position challenging yet rewarding, witnessing seminarians' growth, with several becoming influential leaders, including provincials and a bishop.

Translating the Word

Five years later, Fr. Fred was tasked with a new mission in Chereponi, part of the Archdiocese of Tamale, where he spent a decade focused on the primary evangelization, he had always desired. In a parish comprising four tribes with diverse languages, most members were from just two tribes.

Fr. Fred collaborated with an assistant who managed one major language group while he concentrated on the Komba language. Their task was to translate vital religious texts into Komba, as little had been translated at the time. This included essential Bible passages, Mass prayers, and common Catholic prayers.

After his assistant's transfer, Fr. Fred worked with an Anufo catechist to continue translations. Over ten years, they successfully translated Sunday readings, Solemnities, and key Mass prayers, while advancing evangelization efforts. These years brought many joyful baptisms in previously unreached villages.

Fr. Fred described his time in Chereponi and later Saboba as his most fulfilling, developing deep connections with the locals. In Saboba, with its more developed church, Fr. Fred continued evangelizing and celebrated numerous baptisms, benefiting from his predecessors' groundwork. With the local language related to Komba, Bible translation was mostly complete, but the Missal needed work. Fr. Fred and his team finalized these translations before he received a new assignment.

Administrative Work

During his time in Chereponi, the Diocese of Yendi was formed from the Archdiocese of Tamale, and Fr. Fred was appointed as its Chancellor while continuing his parish work. As part of the diocese's many committees and commissions, he also served as secretary to several.

In 2008, he faced a difficult decision when asked to be Province Secretary, leaving his beloved primary evangelization. Grateful to the Society for nearly 50 years of support, he accepted the role, serving for eight years before assuming the position of Province Treasurer, a role he initially felt unprepared for but successfully managed. Later, he became the Province Archivist and then the treasurer for his Ghanaian community, where he remains today at 78, still considering it home.

Reflections

Looking back, Fr. Fred says all of his roles were fulfilling in one way or another but the relationships he formed with people who he served and worked alongside were perhaps the greatest achievements of his life. It wasn’t always easy, but he treasures the experiences that life as an SVD has afforded him. “The most challenging aspect of being a missionary has been to let go of my own cultural ways and customs and accept those of the people I was working with,” he said. “Letting go of one’s sense of cultural superiority is not easy, but unless people can live the Gospel according to the best of their own cultural values, they will never become the best Christians they can be.” 

To find out how you can continue to support our missionary work, click below

 Ways to Give

Back to Divine Stories