PROFILE

Meet Our Own: Brother Tim Opferman, CM

Brother Tim Opferman, CM, didn’t set out to be unusual, but looking back now on his 30 years as a Vincentian, his path has been unique.

“I’m a ‘lifer.’ That is, I went to the seminary right after grade school and I have been with the Vincentians for 38 years,” he says. Although that might make it sound as though his path was planned, Bro. Tim says, “It wasn’t until my senior year at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Lemont, Illinois, that I thought the Vincentian life might be something I was called to do.”

He decided to explore the possibility, and attended the internal seminary in Santa Barbara, California, for formation. He grew more attracted to the Vincentian way of life, and distinctly recalls realizing as a novice that he was interested in becoming a brother. A brother is formed in the same Vincentian tradition as a priest and takes vows, but follows a different path of service.

“We are all Vincentians, and offer our talents to the church, community and the poor,” says Bro. Tim. “There are many ways of serving.”

After seminary, Bro. Tim was open to ideas about how he would serve the Vincentian Community. He attended DePaul University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in education, and later attended St. Mary’s College in Winona, Minnesota, where he earned a master’s degree in theology. He began his career as an elementary teacher at St. Patrick’s grade school in LaSalle, Illinois, and with a few interruptions, has been teaching youngsters for 25 years.

“In the beginning, teaching was an interest, but it wasn’t for a few years that I realized I may have some talent in this area,” says Bro. Tim. In the course of his career, he has taught the children of the poor and working poor in rural areas and inner cities. He currently is teaching first grade at St. Michael’s Grade School on the southeast side of Chicago.

As a Vincentian and as a male, he is in a definite minority as a primary-grade teacher, but he is confident he has found his niche. Although he taught junior high school for three years, he discovered the younger grades were more exciting. “First grade is one of the best years because the kids learn so much. It’s amazing to see what impact you can have on children in 176 days (the length of the school year),” says Bro. Tim.

“The most important thing I teach them is how to interact with the world, through things like reading, math, learning time, calendars, signs and directions. They love to learn, and every day is different. In fact, every year is different – right now I have 16 girls and nine boys, which makes for an interesting mix! It’s a lot of fun,” he says.

The children may be fun, but Bro. Tim holds his own in that department. In his 11 years at St. Michael’s, he has earned a reputation for his sense of humor. He likes to tell jokes in class, which students often repeat at home. Upon meeting him, parents exclaim, “Oh, you’re the one…!”

Bro. Tim has a way of bringing people together and establishing community. This strength was recognized when he was made Superior of the Rosati House, where he lives with eight other Vincentians. He is the first brother to act as a Superior in the history of the Congregation of the Mission, a role that only a priest can hold according to their constitution. The Congregation of the Mission received special permission from Rome to make the appointment.

Bro. Tim takes the honor in stride, saying simply, “They needed somebody to do it.” It’s just another distinction in his long and fruitful life as a Vincentian.