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About Fr. Timothy Johnson
Expertise
A Traditional Catholic Priest, validly and licitly ordained, incardinated legally and canonically in the Diocese of Fargo, and in good-standing with my Local Ordinary (Bishop) on active assignment at a rural Tri-Parish. I can provide honest and balanced answers to questions on topics pertaining to Traditional Roman Catholicism of the Latin Church (Councils of Trent and Vatican II)and a lot about the Eastern Catholic Churches, including the Sacred Liturgy, Sacred Scripture, Church History, the use of the Latin language, the tradition of Sacred Music, and current events in the Catholic Church from a traditional, historical and balanced perspective.

Experience
I have been ordained a Roman Catholic Priest since June 2001, and so am entering into my 7th year of Sacred Ministry.

Organizations
Knights of Columbus; Church Music Association of America (CMAA)

Education/Credentials
Ordained Priest, 02 JUN 2001; Ordained Deacon, 27 JAN 2001; MA - Dogmatic/Systematic Theology; MDiv - Professional Degree from Seminary; 2-Years formation with Canons Regular of Premontre including studies and experience in Sacred Liturgy, Chant, Latin, Sacraments, Spirituality. BA - Scholastic/Thomistic Philosophy; BA - Liberal Arts; AA - General Studies.

Past/Present Clients
I serve 3-small, rural Parish Communities in Easter North Dakota
I converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1981, at the age of 15. Over the years I have done work as an organist, cantor, and choir director for the Latin Rite (English & Latin) Mass (Liturgy of the Eucharist), and even for the Hours of the Divine Office. I have worked as a cantor for a Melkite Byzantine Catholic Church. Presently my pastoral and administrative duties as a Catholic Priest do not allow me as much time as I used to have to devote to Sacred Music; but for my weekend Masses and Solemnities within my Tri-Parish, I offer High Sung Mass in English. Weekday Mass is typically Low Mass (recited Mass) in English, though on occasion I will offer the "Tridentine Mass" in Latin, which I usually offer on my "Day Off", as well. And now, in light of the "Motu Proprio" by his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI placing the extraordinary usage of the Roman Rite back into the mainstream of the Catholic Church, I have been offering a regularly scheduled SUN, 2:00 PM Tridentine Latin Mass with a community of the faithful that has a stable existence.

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Catholics - Christmas

Expert: Fr. Timothy Johnson - 10/25/2009

Question
Father, how does the Church know that Christ was born on exactly Dec. 25th?

Answer
Hi, Gene:

Wow - it seems that you must have encountered some Jehovah's Witnesses or something, not just run-of-the-mill protestant sectarians. The Catholic Church does not know EXACTLY that Jesus Christ was born on the date of Dec. 25th; all that she knows and teaches authoritatively is that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary on one day out of a year, back at the time in history that He was truly born. The choice of Dec. 25th seems to have developed out of replacing the pagan holiday of the birth of Apollos with the birth of Christ in the newly Christian western Roman Empire at some point in the early centuries of the Church.
I am sure that you can find detailed anlysis on this matter in complete and extensive articles posted on the web. Check in particular: www.catholic.com

Fr. Timothy Johnson

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