His new assignment as vice rector for student life at the Pontifical North American College in Rome takes Father Tim McKeown from Statesboro to the earthly center of Catholicism.
      He has been there before. McKeown, these last five years pastor of St. Matthew Catholic Church, studied at the Pontifical College for three years as a seminarian. He will return Aug. 8 as, in effect, dean of students for the seminary with a Vatican City address. Students preparing to serve as priests in the United States are based there but go out into Rome for classes at three different international universities.
      While some of their instructors have spent their lives studying theology, McKeown will bring 14 years as a priest in parish life to campus.
      "It's an exciting time," he said. "I think I'll have something to share with them but I also think it will be inspiring to see their zeal as candidates for the priesthood."
      McKeown grew up in Rochester, NY, and Augusta, Ga., earned a degree in English at Augusta College and was a high school teacher and basketball coach for four years before taking a path to the priesthood.
      He then attended Franciscan University in Ohio and Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Maryland before going to Rome for his Bachelor's of Sacred Theology and Master's in Spirituality.
      He returned to Georgia and was ordained in 1997. McKeown served Macon and Savannah churches in associate pastor roles before being assigned to St. Matthew's in June 2006.
      "I've had a great five years here," he said. "It's a very welcoming parish, a welcoming town, and there's a lot going on.   There's a blend at St. Matthew's. We have a large Hispanic community here and certainly the university community, so we have an active campus ministry, and we have our families. It's a very dynamic parish."
      McKeown worked to expand the campus ministry at Georgia Southern. In 2010, St. Matthew's formalized a relationship with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. FOCUS now provides four young missionaries as full-time campus ministers to GSU. They carry on the work of the local church's student organization, the Catholic Eagles.
      During McKeown's tenure, two young men from GSU have transferred to seminary to complete their education while discerning whether they will be priests. While a priest, McKeown served six years as vocations director for the Diocese of Savannah, a role held earlier by Father Brett Brannen, who now succeeds him as pastor of St. Matthew's.
      "I've been good friends with Father Brett for probably 20 years, so I'm very excited that he's going to be taking over, and I think he's going to take everything to the next level," McKeown said.