Father Tim Hasenecz says he tried much of his early life to avoid answering a call from God – in many ways, unsuccessfully, he quips.

Fortunately for the countless people Hasenecz has ministered to, God eventually got his full attention and captured his whole heart.

In addition to serving as pastor of Holy Trinity Orthodox Catholic Church in North Catasauqua, Hasenecz also works in pastoral care at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest.

As long as he can remember, Hasenecz said he felt a push and nudging from God to enter the priesthood.

"I always knew, since I was a kid, I wanted to be a priest," he said in an interview with The Press recently. "It never left me."

Although Hasenecz was raised in the church and the call to enter the priesthood existed, for a long time, he said, he avoided taking the plunge. Throughout his 20s, he worked in a print shop and at other odd jobs in the Lehigh Valley.

It was not until he received a mailer from a seminary in eastern Pennsylvania that he was convinced his purpose in life was to minister to people, both in and out of the church.

"I knew that God was speaking through this," he said. "I knew then I was supposed to go into the priesthood."

Dropping everything in his early 30s, Hasenecz enrolled in St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, Wayne County, to begin a five-year spiritual journey.

The educational experience sharpened both his mind and desire to serve others, he said.

At Holy Trinity, Hasenecz's service is much appreciated by the parishioners.

In September, at a special service to bless the church's newly refurbished dome, the parish presented Hasenecz with a gold cross pendant with three bars in appreciation for his dedication to them.

The wearing of the gold cross represents the bishop and church giving Hasenecz their final stamp of approval and fully accepting his ministry skills.

"I was stunned," he said. "It was a beautiful gesture."

Until then, he had been wearing a borrowed cross.

During the surprise presentation, Parish Council President James O'Brien presented Hasenecz with his own gold cross purchased by the church's ladies' guild and given by the entire parish.

While churches across the Lehigh Valley, state and nation try their best to adapt to the changing times and boost enrollments, Hasenecz is convinced Holy Trinity is the place to be.

"We are a very small church, but we're a very friendly church" he said. "All are welcome. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is open to all."

It was a winding road that led him to the North Catasauqua church on Fifth Street.

Upon graduating with bachelor of arts and master of divinity degrees, Hasenecz began searching for opportunities in pastoral care, ultimately landing at Phoebe Home Nursing, Bethlehem.

After spending a few months there, he accepted a one-year pastoral care residency position in a hospital in Saginaw, Mich.

"I wanted to learn how to minister to someone who is dying and who is sick," he said.

After spending a year in Michigan, he returned to the Lehigh Valley where he taught theology and religion for two years at St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic School, Northampton.

In the middle of his second year of teaching, Hasenecz decided to accept ordination.

He then pastored at a church in McAdoo, Schuylkill County, for two years. He said while pastoring there, a friend informed him of a pastoral care opportunity at Lehigh Valley Hospital. He applied and was accepted.

Hasenecz said he loves ministering to those in the hospital setting. Pastoral care fulfills his purpose in life.

"This is my calling, there's no doubt about that," he said.

The variety of the day is what Hasenecz loves about his job.

"Every day is different," he said. "I get to minister to people of all denominations. You walk alongside that patient to help bring the patient and their family comfort."

While not working in the hospital, he looks forward to serving his parish, giving them his undivided attention and love.

"I'm grounded again," Hasenecz said of serving as pastor. "I'm back with my own people and my own faith."

While not serving those inside the hospital and church, Hasenecz loves gardening, reading and studying theology and ancient and church history.

Although busy responding to the needs of others, Hasenecz said he considers himself very fortunate to be doing something he loves and in service to God.

"I feel I have the best of both worlds," he said. "I truly feel blessed."