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10 Things to Know About Rev. Timothy Mouton, C.S.C.
Meet the Holy Cross priest hitting it out of the park with his work on Stonehill’s First-Year Experience Program.
Rev. Timothy Mouton, C.S.C., serves as the director of first-year experience at Stonehill College.
Before he decided to don his Roman collar, Rev. Timothy Mouton, C.S.C., came close to putting on a badge instead.
“I originally planned to become a park ranger,” he said. “As I was moving down that path, I realized that wasn’t what I wanted to do.”
The Texas native ultimately went into the seminary after a period of deep reflection.
“At the time, I had never been to a seminary and had never seen one,” he said. “I quickly realized it was just a bunch normal guys trying to answer questions about life. It was amazing. It was where I met my best friends. I grew in my faith tremendously. It was exactly the right step for me.”
As the director of first-year experience (FYE) and leadership development, Fr. Mouton helps new students discern the path that is right for them while they acclimate to life at Stonehill College. Here are 10 things to know about the Holy Cross priest.
Fr. Mouton is also the school's athletic chaplain.
1. He wants students to get the most out of their experience. Fr. Mouton has overseen the College’s FYE courses since 2020. Capped at 18 people, these classes introduce first-year students to higher education by helping them understand their role in the Stonehill experience. Students not only participate in discussions about college life, but also visit destinations across campus so they can gain a better sense of Stonehill’s history and operations. "During one class, for example, we take them to the Stonehill Grotto," Fr. Mouton said. “A lot of people might drive by it without ever knowing what it is unless they have an interest in religion.”
2. He relies on community support. FYE courses are facilitated by volunteer faculty and staff, who partner with returning students to teach the classes. Fr. Mouton encourages interested employees to sign up for the program. “It not only gets us out from behind our desks but is also a great way to get to know the people we are here to serve,” he said. “I believe working with students in this capacity and learning from their experiences helps make us better at what we do.”
3. He believes patience is a virtue. Through his work, Fr. Mouton sometimes encounters first-year students worried about measuring up to their peers. He always tells these young people to be patient with themselves. “That can be a hard thing to do when you come to college,” he said. “It can feel like you’re losing if you don’t find success right away, but the truth is that we’re all on the same team. We just need to recognize that and keep caring for each other. If we keep thinking that we should be doing something different to rise above each other, we’re only going to fail.”
4. He likes great conversations. Fr. Mouton appreciates that his job allows him to connect with a variety of community members. “I feel pretty lucky that I get to represent the institution to people like our first-years and their families,” he said. “I get to meet so many interesting people and have such great conversations.”
5. He supports our student-athletes. In addition to managing the FYE program, Fr. Mouton is also Stonehill’s athletic chaplain. This job involves serving as a sounding board for student-athletes across the College’s 23 varsity programs. “Being a student-athlete is a lot,” Fr. Mouton said. “The physical, academic, mental and spiritual challenges they face are heightened. My role is to be there to help them find a place to put those struggles. I’m not a counselor, so I’m not going to have answers to all their questions, but I’m someone who can help get them where they need to be.”
Having grown up in Texas, Fr. Mouton is a big fan of the Houston Astros.
6. He is a reverse Rudy. Fr. Mouton’s work with student-athletes is informed by his own experiences. In high school, he played baseball and ran track. While attending the University of Notre Dame, he joined the club baseball team at nearby Holy Cross College. “It was a reverse Rudy story,” Fr. Mouton said, referencing the hit sports flick. “Rudy went to Holy Cross and transferred to Notre Dame to play football. I went to Notre Dame and played baseball at Holy Cross.” Later, when Fr. Mouton first began working at Stonehill, he served for a time as an assistant coach for the men’s baseball team.
7. He is an Astros fan. While growing up, Fr. Mouton admired Craig Biggio, a Houston Astros Hall of Famer. “His faith is very important to him,” the priest said. “Everyone in Houston knew which church he went to. They’d see him there on Sundays, sitting in the pews like everybody else before heading off to play baseball. He was really inspiring to me.”
8. He wears his love of baseball on his sleeve. If you walk into Fr. Mouton’s office, you will immediately notice a retro Houston Astros jacket hanging from the door. It was a gift from the family of Trisha Brown, Stonehill College women’s basketball coach. Her brother, Larry Brown, played for the Astros back in the early 1980s. “Trisha’s family has become my adopted family here in Massachusetts,” Fr. Mouton said. “They remind me so much of my loved ones.”
9. His Holy Cross roots run deep. Fr. Mouton’s family has a long legacy of serving the Congregation of Holy Cross. As a young man, his father spent a year in the seminary. Though his dad, who was one of 16 children, ultimately found a vocation outside the priesthood, other members of Fr. Mouton’s family answered this calling. His maternal uncle is Rev. Jeffrey Allison, C.S.C., former Stonehill College registrar. His great-uncle is Rev. Daniel Panchot, C.S.C., who currently lives and serves in Chile.
10. He recently went on a special pilgrimage. In his free time, Fr. Mouton likes to golf. “It’s a bit more my speed than baseball these days,” he said. He also enjoys travelling. Just before the pandemic began, he visited the Holy Land. “It was amazing,” he said. "I got to say Mass where Jesus walked, and where he rose from the dead."