Hubbard pastor to receive award at Statue of Liberty

By Linda Linonis

It is the highest nonmilitary award granted to citizens.

HUBBARD — The Rev. Timothy H. O’Neill, pastor of St. Patrick Church, 367 N. Main St., lives by this mantra: “Unselfish giving equals happiness.”

A priest for 42 years and at St. Patrick’s for 17 years, he said he believed his job — his calling — is exactly what he is doing. “It comes naturally to me,” he said.

Father O’Neill said he is drawn to helping “people on the fringe of society.” He’s well-known in the community for his humanitarian work.

This weekend, he will receive the 2009 Ellis Island Medal of Honor. The 23rd annual ceremony will take place Saturday at the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York City.

The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is given to individuals who nurture ethnic heritage in America and who build bridges between people of ethnic, racial and religious groups. It is the highest nonmilitary award granted to American citizens. Each year, 100 people are selected to receive the medal and are chosen from more than 10,000 nominations.

“This is a good thing for Youngstown,” he said of getting the award.

Father O’Neill, 69, was nominated by Anthony Lariccia of Boardman, a 2008 Ellis Island medalist. “Father Tim is of Irish descent and very proud of his heritage, but he puts no barriers between himself and people of other backgrounds. He just wants people to believe in God. He also wants them to feel good about themselves; race, color and creed are not issues,” Lariccia said.

Father O’Neill said his good friends, Dr. Martin and Sally Pallante, also had a hand in the nomination.

Though he is proud to be an Irish Catholic, Father O’Neill said the heritage of the church and his own background “isn’t the story.”

His work “building bridges” as a co-founder of The Difference Makers, a charitable nonprofit organization, may have been the reason he was selected for the award.

Sixteen years ago, Father O’Neill met with Pat Sebastiano, an attorney; Dennis Pascarella, a certified public accountant; and Harry Wollet, a stockbroker. “We met for breakfast and started to get things organized,” said Father O’Neill.

Difference Makers, founded in 1993, is dedicated to helping those in need, especially children, regardless of race, religion or nationality. The Difference Makers opened a food pantry May 21, 2008, at St. Lucy and St. Rose of Lima parish hall in Campbell, and it provides food to about 125 families each week.

The Difference Makers does make a difference in many other lives. Father O’Neill said among activities are taking city children to a day at Geneva-on-the-Lake, sponsoring 70 children to attend the circus annually, building ramps at homes of the disabled, providing clothing, food and gift certificates to families in need and paying for flu shots.

“We buy many gift cards for people,” he said, noting that the organization gets names from churches and agencies.

“Whatever comes in goes out,” Father O’Neill said of the funds that come from donations and grants. “There’s no administrative cost.”

Father O’Neill said his interest in social concerns was sparked during the 1960s. Born and reared on Youngstown’s West Side, he attended Ursuline High School. Father O’Neill was ordained May 27, 1967, and served at St. Michael Church in Canton and St. Paul the Apostle in New Middletown. He has a master’s degree in counseling and has volunteered since 1970 at the Neil Kennedy Chemical Abuse Recovery Center in Youngstown.

Father O’Neill said he will leave Friday for the event and return Sunday. He said there is a reception after the ceremony on Saturday. Guests at his table will be Tom and Bernadine O’Neill, his brother and sister-in-law, of Cleveland; cousins Pete and Eileen Renson of Connecticut; Victor Buck, who supervises the Difference Makers Inc. food pantry at St. Lucy/St. Rose of Lima parish center in Campbell, and his guest; and Pascarella of The Difference Makers.

About 2,000 Americans including six U.S. presidents have received the medal since 1986. Other Mahoning Valley medal recipients are Edward J. DeBartolo; Judges Peter C. Economus and John J. Leskovyansky; Frank Manios and John A. Payiavlas.

In June, Father O’Neill will receive the 2009 Great Communicator award from Youngstown Hearing and Speech Center. The speaker will be Ray “Boom-Boom” Mancini, the former lightweight boxing champion of the world, who was a student at Cardinal Mooney High School when the priest taught there.

For more information, visit the Web site www.neco.org.