You don’t have to look very far for Greatness!
Many of us spend a lot of time and money traveling to see beautiful churches and other Catholic sites not realizing that there are spectacular places right in our own backyard.
As I sat at Mass in my local parish, I realized that perhaps this was one of those spectacular places. I met with my pastor, Father Paul and asked if I could feature St. Luke church in one of my blogs. I then found myself rummaging through the church vault and scouring through old photos.
There are 7 Roman Catholic dioceses in Florida. My parish – St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church – is a part of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg. There are over 90 parishes in this diocese.
On several occasions, especially Christmas and Easter, when the church is so beautifully decorated, many of the “old timers” would comment that the church looks so much better than it used to. Since I am new to the parish, I never got to see the blank canvas before all the decorations were added. This is similar to visiting a newly constructed house. Although it may be a beautiful structure, the house does not become a home until personal touches are added.
As I searched through the church vault for pictures of the beginning of church life at St. Luke parish, I found its history and the steps taken by those who had a vision for expanded church life. It is easy to sit in the midst of beauty and not realize the sacrifices made by those before us who made the beautiful structure possible.
The history of St. Luke begins in 1974 when over eight acres of land was purchased for the building of this church. In 1985, as a mission seedling, St. Luke parish was connected to the well-established parish of St. Ignatius of Antioch in Tarpon Springs as our mother church. Shortly after, a Building Committee was formed and Sunday Mass began for local residents at the Presbyterian Church, the Baywood Village Clubhouse, and a number of other venues. By the middle of 1985, over 400 Catholic families were registered with St. Luke church. The Sisters of St. Clare joined the parish and announced that daily Mass will be held at their convent for all St. Luke members. The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes for the youth of the parish also began in 1985 with over 250 students in attendance. All this wonderful activity occurred as the Building Committee submitted their final plans for approval to the Diocesan Building and Planning Committee.
It is amazing how God works in the hearts of people. This took a lot of work and dedication to set up Mass in strange places, to recognize the need for Catholic community, and to commit wholeheartedly to establishing a spiritual place for God’s children.
Finally, it was time for groundbreaking and construction of the new facility. However, the first phase of this project did not include the church building. It was common practice then to build the parish hall first and then to build the church building. The parish hall is important because it is the place where all community activities can take place – including Mass. However, the parish hall is only a temporary setting for Mass.
When our current pastor, Father Paul arrived in July 2010, the congregation had already conducted a survey to determine whether the people wanted to build a separate church structure. The people were satisfied with the current church setting and decided it best to renovate what they had rather than build something new.
With this in mind, Father Paul set out to build a new parish hall to accommodate community needs. It was also time to upgrade the temporary church setting and make the structure a home.
All Catholic Churches have a tabernacle for the Eucharist. The Eucharist is Jesus – body, soul, and divinity. Even though the church is named after St. Luke the Evangelist, everyone involved in this endeavor understood that the church was being decorated to honor the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as well as the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Original church setting before initial renovations.
Current church setting. The transformation is stunning!
Thanks to the dedication of the members of St. Luke parish and the leadership of our pastor, Father Paul, we now have a new parish hall. With this in place, Father Paul has embarked on the final renovation of the church building that will begin in the summer of 2023. I am looking forward to continued beauty displayed in this building as I keep in mind who it is being built for – the Triune God and my St. Luke parish family.
You really don’t have to look very far for greatness! I am sure you have a beautiful church right in your own neighborhood. I encourage you to take the time to visit and soak in all the beauty. God is everywhere! Enjoy!
God Bless and Remember - Sharing is Caring!
