By Linda Busetti
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 4/4/02)
As Northern Virginia’s Catholic population grew in the 1960s, the Diocese of Richmond created new parishes, including St. Luke in 1961. In June 1979, the parish was divided into St. Luke and St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Great Falls.
Father Martin McGuill, the current pastor, came to St. Luke in 1992.
Because Catholic education was so important to the parish, the school was built before a church. Felician Sisters staffed the school, which opened in 1962, starting with 50 students in first through fifth grades. When the sisters departed, the convent was converted to a parish center. In 1985, a wing was added to house the kindergarten and an enlarged library. Remodeling the gym and addition of music and art rooms and administrative offices followed in 1991. Construction of a new middle school wing, a science lab and multipurpose room began in fall 1997.
"St. Luke is a wonderful place to be" with very supportive parents, Principal David DiPippa said. DiPippa sees "the spiritual, academic, personal, social and physical development" of St. Luke’s 240 students as the school’s primary mission.
Although DiPippa is proud of St. Luke’s "top-notch" science and computer labs, he stresses the importance of teaching students "Catholic values and traditions that will supersede anything else that they learn here. Those are going to be lifelong values."
Mass was celebrated in the school gym for 20 years until St. Luke Church was dedicated in 1982. The church’s modern architecture complements contemporary liturgy. The sloping interior design gives the congregation an unobstructed view of the altar. A 25-foot-high white oak pipe organ was added in May 1998.
St. Luke Parish is quick to share its blessings. Parishioners have supported the inner city Fishing School in Washington for three years with tutors and a Christmas party for about 100 children, Jim Lebherz said. St. Luke also supports SHARE, an ecumenical effort that provides holiday food baskets, furniture and financial assistance to the needy.
About 60 members of the parish Living Rosary Team pray for the intentions of fellow parishioners, Joan Maurer said.
Carol Mournighan is full-time director of St. Luke’s children’s and adult religious education. Patti Brennan serves as coordinator. The children’s program, which includes 700 pre-school to high school students, is "bulging at the seams," Mournighan said. She describes religious education at St. Luke as "a dynamic program. … We are always looking for ways to use social justice in our classrooms."
The Children’s Liturgy of the Word is celebrated for kindergartners through fifth grade, Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and at 9 a.m. Mass on Sunday. Children leave the congregation and go to the chapel where adults guide them through the Order of the Mass and a homily "on their level," Mournighan said, before they return for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
The parish "burning hearts," the group that guides adult faith formation, plans a monthly speakers series on faith issues, Mournighan said. Ann Marie Mack leads a weekly Bible study that meets across the hall from Mournighan’s office. A mothers-at-home group gets together for mutual support and prayer. The parish also has a SPRED program, religious education for developmentally delayed adults.
Mary Blake has been full-time youth minister since June 2000. High school students meet on Sundays and for a monthly Youth Mass. On alternate Wednesday evenings, the youth office is open for teens who just want to drop in. Parish youths participate in service projects through SHARE, coordinate the Advent Tree, buy gifts for the Fishing School party and made St. Patrick’s Day hats and cookies for the parish seniors group. "The Knights of Columbus took my high school kids bowling. So everyone kind of does things together," Blake said.
About 27 St. Luke teens plan to participate in the diocesan WorkCamp this summer. They are also involved in Youth of Faith, a McLean interfaith group, Blake said, and plan to have a Seder meal together. Establishing a young adult ministry at St. Luke is one of Blake’s goals.
Paul Skevington has directed the parish music ministry at St. Luke since 1993. He also directs the RCIA program.
"The adult choir is a very committed group who love to sing," Skevington said. A contemporary choir sings primarily folk music. Fourth through eighth-grade choristers sing at the 5:30 Vigil Mass once a month and ninth- through twelfth-grade string and woodwind players, who comprise St. Luke’s Instrumental Ensemble, play at the 5:30 Vigil Mass once a month.
St. Luke has become a popular venue for sacred music concerts because of the wonderful organ and "very fine acoustics" in the church, Skevington said. "We try to emphasize the sacred music that could not be done at a Sunday liturgy, but is still inspirational from a spiritual standpoint. I think it is important for the Catholic Church, as stewards of the arts, to keep alive this sacred music," he said.
"There’s a lot going on at St. Luke," Skevington said. "It’s exciting. In its early stages, the parish was known primarily for its social outreach…but the school, the religious education program and now the music have brought other dimensions to the parish. A lot is due to Father McGuill and his leadership. He has a way of drawing everybody in, helping everybody to work together."
For more information go to the parish Web site at www.saintlukemclean.org.
St. Luke Parish at a Glance
St. Luke Catholic Church
7001 Georgetown Pike
McLean, Va. 22101
703/356-1255
Pastor: Fr. Martin McGuill
Parochial Vicar: Fr. Thomas P. Ferguson
In residence: Fr. Curtis Clark
Mass Schedule:
Saturday: 9 a.m., 5:30 p.m. (Vigil Mass)
Sunday: 7:30, 9, 11 a.m.
Weekdays: 6:45, 9 a.m.
School: 7005 Georgetown Pike
Principal: David DiPippa
703/356-1508
Parish Founded: 1961
Parishioners: 4,807
Parish Web Site: www.saintlukemclean.org
Parish Boundaries: Beginning at the southeast boundary of Great Falls Park — East and southeast along the Potomac River to the Arlington County line — Southwest on the Arlington County line to Chain Bridge Rd. — West along Chain Bridge Rd. to Dolley Madison Blvd. — West along Dolley Madison Blvd. to Chain Bridge Rd. — southwest on Chain Bridge Rd. to the Dulles Access Rd. — West on the Dulles Access Rd. to Leesburg Pike (Rte. 7) — Northwest on Leesburg Pike to Towlston Rd. (Rte. 676) — Northeast on Towlston Rd. to Georgetown Pike to the Potomac River.
Copyright ©2002 Arlington Catholic Herald. All rights reserved.
Return to back issues
Return to main
page