Howard Laurence Sparks was born on December 18, 1905, in Mattoon, Illinois, the youngest of the two sons of James H. Sparks and Mary M. Kolb. He attended St. Joseph Grammar School in Mattoon and then Mattoon Public High School. After graduation from high school he spent two years at Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island (1921-23) and on August 15, 1923, he entered the Dominican Novitiate at St. Joseph Priory, Somerset, Ohio, where he was given the religious name Timothy to which he devoutly added the name of Mary, the Mother of God.

After completing his novitiate year Brother Timothy made his first profession of vows on August 16, 1924, and was sent to St. Rose of Lima Priory, Springfield, Kentucky, to begin his philosophical studies. A year later he was sent to St. Thomas Aquinas Priory, the newly completed House of Studies in River Forest, Illinois, where he finished his philosophical studies and was awarded an A.B. degree. He was then sent to Immaculate Conception Priory, Washington, D.C., for his theological studies (1927-31) where he obtained the Lectorate in Sacred Theology and was ordained a priest by Archbishop Michael Curley on June 16, 1930.

Following his initial studies Father Sparks was sent to the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome ("Angelicum") where he completed his Ph.D. in philosophy. Upon returning to the United States he was assigned to St. Thomas Aquinas Priory, River Forest, Illinois, to teach philosophy and theology (1933 -1946). For a time he served the community as Master of Lay Brothers (1933-37). It was also during this time that he was a Moderator of the General Studium of the Order (1940-46) and, when a Pontifical Faculty of Philosophy was established there in 1943, became one of its administrators (1943-46). On December 17, 1944 the degree of Master of Sacred Theology was conferred upon him by the Order. In addition to his principal ministry Father Sparks found time to teach in the Department of Philosophy, De Paul University, Chicago ; conducted a weekly seminar at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish for the students of the University of Chicago; was chaplain to a Third Order Chapter of Dominican Laity; was a lecturer in the Thomist Association (1938- 46) which he helped to establish ; and became active in the National Liturgical Movement.

In 1946 he was called by the Master of the Order to be the Socius for the North American Provinces in the General Curia of the Order in Rome, a ministry which he faithfully carried

out for nine years. He also returned to his Alma Mater, the University of St. Thomas Aquinas, to teach theology; served as a member of the Commission to Revise the Constitutions of the Order; worked diligently to assist many American congregations of Dominican Sisters and monasteries of Dominican Nuns; and was Secretary General of the General Chapter of Washington, O.C. (1949).

After nine years in the General Curia of the Order Father Timothy returned again to River Forest, Illinois, and taught on the Pontifical Faculty of Philosophy (1955-60). In addition to his teaching he again served as a lecturer for the Thomist Association, taught theology at Rosary College (now Dominican University), was a professor in the summer Institute of Spiritual Theology and became the national chaplain for the Secular Institute Caritas Christi.

In 1960 he was asked to become a chaplain at the Dominican Motherhouse at Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, a ministry which he fulfilled for twenty years. He continued to serve the Province as a member of the Provincial Council (1969-73), as Promoter of Causes and as a member of the Coordinating Committee of the Self-Study of the Province conducted in 1964-65. In 1966 he became Vice-Postulator for the Cause of Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, O.P., and was rewarded in his efforts by seeing Father Samuel declared Venerable.

After twenty years as chaplain at Sinsinawa, Father Sparks once again returned to St. Thomas Aquinas Priory, River Forest, Illinois, where he served as Assistant Provincial Archivist (1 980-83) and then As Archivist of the Province (1983-85). He was responsible for having space in the Priory set aside for the Archives and for developing the library there. He continued his research on St. Joseph, a topic which had occupied many hours of personal study and wrote a series of monographs on Dominican theologians and their contribution to Josephology. He became the United States coordinator of the Cause of Blessed Margaret of Castello and was always available to assist those who were promoting the causes of other holy men and women.

As Father Sparks entered upon his nineties, his health which had always been fragile began to decline. For some time he was cared for at the Juan Macias Center at St. Thomas Aquinas Priory, but as his general condition began to require more constant medical care, he was moved to Resurrection Life Center, Chicago, Illinois. In late March 2001, his condition became more acute and he was admitted to Resurrection Hospital, Chicago, where he died late on the afternoon of March 27th. A funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Thomas Aquinas Priory on March 30, 2001, and burial was in the Dominican Plot at All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, Illinois.