St. Luke’s Parish in Maple Ridge has turned 75 years old.
The parish community celebrated the milestone with two special events: Mass with Archbishop J. Michael Miller Oct. 5 and a 1940s-themed dinner-dance Oct. 19.
“Today is a day of great celebration,” said Archbishop Miller during his homily at Mass.
“We gather to thank the good Lord for the graces that have been poured out on this parish community for the past 75 years. Indeed, praise and thanksgiving should be our response for the gift of having a stable place of worship, sacramental celebration, and community outreach for three quarters of a century.”
He said St. Luke’s was first built in 1944 as a mission church for Catholics in Maple Ridge who would otherwise have to walk five kilometres to St. Patrick’s. It was dedicated to “the most pure heart of Mary,” and only renamed as St. Luke’s in 1964.
The first Mass was celebrated at the mission church on St. Patrick’s Day in 1944, though the church was still without doors and windows. Three years later, the modest building was destroyed by fire and had to be rebuilt.
In 1990, the third and current church was built.
“We honour the past best not just by nostalgia but by carrying on the work begun by our ancestors in the faith,” said Archbishop Miller. “Yours is a parish community which lives up to its motto as one which ‘welcomes, inspires, and unites.’”
