On Friday, St. Peter’s Catholic Church of LaGrange celebrated the Rev. Timothy Gadziala’s 25 years of service to the Catholic church and the difference that he has made in the community in the time that he has been in LaGrange.

Gadziala has served at a wide variety of locations since he was ordained, but church members said he has impacted the LaGrange faith community, even beyond St. Peter’s.

“Father Tim is one of the most giving priests that you could ever imagine,” said Pat Kelly, a member at St. Peter’s. “He befriends himself in such a short time to everyone in the parish and outside the parish in the community. He is actively involved. He is so outgoing, so gregarious and so loving that he just draws people to him, and with that, he really inspires them and loves them, and they love him, and they follow.”

Gadziala has been part of several community-wide events, including the celebration of the Marquis de Lafayette’s 261st birthday on Lafayette Square last year, services to honor local first responders and offering a prayer at a LaGrange City Council meeting.

“I’ve enjoyed it,” Gadziala said. “The people are wonderful, and I’ve enjoyed being a part of the community. I am in Rotary Club and working in the community a little bit as well as in our faith community.”

Gadziala has served the LaGrange community for two years, and he served in Jamaica prior to coming to LaGrange.

“I’ve been from Blairsville to Cleveland,” Gadziala said. “Down here has been a wonderful administrative experience of faith. I’m from Georgia, so I have enjoyed it.”

During his time with the church, Gadziala said that he has seen growth within the Catholic church in Georgia. Meanwhile, members of St. Peter’s Catholic Church of LaGrange said that they have seen the local congregation grow under Gadziala’s leadership.

“Our parish is growing, but not just in members,” Kelly said. “It is growing in love and in involvement of everybody in all the different ministries.”

With 25 years under his belt, Gadziala said that he wants to continue to help the local faith community grow.

“[I hope to] continue to be involved in the different ministries of LaGrange and be amicable with other churches,” Gadziala said. “We are pretty established here, and we’ll see what we can do to help our church continue to be a better liaison of serving Christ and one another.”