The Monks

Prior Timothy Horner

An acclaimed Classicist, Cricketer, and soldier, Father Timothy’s adventurous life has taken him around the world, from Pakistan (where he was born) to Oxford (where he took a “First” in Classics) to Burma (where he fought alongside the legendary Gurkhas) to Saint Louis, Missouri (where he helped found our monastery and school). He is also a direct descendant of Little Jack Horner (remember the nursery rhyme?).

Still, for a man of such far-ranging talents and interests, Father Timothy describes his vocation in surprisingly simple terms: “If this life could produce men like the many I knew at Ampleforth, it would be all right for me.” Years into his vocation, Father Timothy would provide a similar witness to others, as it was his reputation that established credibility for the newly founded Priory School at America’s most prestigious universities. Surely, their logic must have been similar to his: “If these students have a mentor like this, then they are all right by us.”

Of the three founding monks, Father Timothy’s special gift was leadership. He was the founding Headmaster of the Priory School, setting its course for excellence from the beginning, and guiding it through its first two decades. When Abbot Luke was Prior, Father Timothy served as Sub-Prior and Vocations Director. In their long-term planning they set and achieved the five-year goal of attracting and retaining five young men as monks. The present Abbot and Prior are two of them. He was also the first monk-pastor of Saint Anselm Parish, a flock he led through witty, scholarly (and occasionally stern) homilies for 14 years. On the side, he also served as translator for the most widely read edition of the Rule of Saint Benedict (now known simply as “The RB 1980”). He also led Timothy Tours to the Holy Land, Greece, Italy, England, and a wide range of exotic countries, never missing an ancient site or cathedral. Upon retirement from the parish, he became the abbey’s historian, recording the story of its foundation in his book “In Good Soil.”

One of the brothers once commented to this erudite elder that he felt certain Father Timothy must be a connoisseur of everything that required an appreciation of subtle virtues. To which Father Timothy quickly retorted: “But I am not an expert in virtue.” Remarks like this, however, are not enough to dissuade us from saying he has a pretty good start in that area too, especially considering that we all come to God with empty hands, begging His mercy. The Abbot President of our Congregation bestowed upon Father Timothy the honorific title of Prior of Ely Cathedral.