History and Background: St. Luke’s Knight of Columbus Council
By James J. Haag
K of C Council 12455 was formed May 19, 1999 by Knights of Columbus Supreme. At least 30 Knights are required to form a council and these Charter Members are listed on the charter document posted in the Knights Room in St. Luke’s downstairs educational area. Several Charter Brothers transferred from neighboring St. Francis of Assisi parish K of C Council 9709. Formation of the St. Luke’s K of C was encouraged by Pastor Fr. David Brockman, (now Monsignor) as well as by Knights in Raleigh and State K of C Officers.
At that time, St. Luke’s was a relatively new parish of about 400 families. Parishioners attended mass, spiritual and educational programs and social functions in our then multi-parish facility. Our formative Knights understood that the K of C does a lot of good in parishes and they wanted to have a council at St. Luke’s.
From this beginning the Council actively engaged in parish efforts and community service. Knights arranged parish picnics, social events, and worked to serve parish needs. To raise funds for council and parish charitable efforts, we volunteered at Hardees, staffed beer booths at the Canes’ Hockey games, ran BBQ cookouts, and other activities. We helped set up and maintain the outside grotto area and the Stations of the Cross trail. Note the grotto walkway inscribed bricks from parish and Knight families. One of our Council activities is Adopt-a-Highway, started in 2001. This is our twentieth year for AAH.
Council organized yearly Lenten soup suppers, Keep Christ in Christmas sales (cards and nativity displays), and supported youth activities including burger bashes, teen education and competitions, and fund-raising activities. Brother Knights serve on the parish Pastoral and the Financial Councils.
Individually Brothers do parish spiritual growth ministries, including RCIA, choir, cantor, greeting and usher ministries, Journeymen and “That Man is You” programs, as well as participate in Church study groups and Ignatian Retreat weekends, Rosary before weekend masses, and perpetual and hourly adorations of the Blessed Sacrament.
Diocesan wide: Brothers financially support and volunteer at Catholic Parish Outreach’s distribution of food and winter coats for the needy; assemble and disassemble the Diocesan Center creche; annually facilitate the Bishop’s Annual Chrism mass, preparing and distribution of holy oils; join with other K of C councils to raise monies for the intellectually handicapped (Operation Lamb); participate in Right to Life and Birth Choice prayer and support activities; help run the annual Special Olympics; and support Habitat for Humanity house building projects.
In the early 2000s our parishioners financed and rebuilt St. Luke’s separate worship, educational and office facilities. The new sanctuary accommodated about 300 and an attached hall and kitchen area made parish social events easy, popular, and delightful. The hall/kitchen enabled parishioner breakfasts, lunches, dinners, receptions, dances, and other evening festivities. Events sponsored by Knights included parishioner socials, big band dances and other charity fundraisers.
Tragedy stuck in 2014, as vandalization and fire destroyed our relatively new Sanctuary and Church. The hall area became our temporary church sanctuary and masses, and spiritual activities took place there, during a lengthy period of discerning future steps to repair or rebuild.
We rebuilt, and in 2018 Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama dedicated our new church and sanctuary and gathering space. Council Knights and other parishioners helped in fundraising, architectural design, and landscaping deliberations. Brothers Kosinski and Knudson assisted Pastor Fr. Robert Staley in construction financing, scheduling, and oversight matters.
The new St. Luke’s church facility is a beautiful spiritual witness, a joy to parishioners, and a holy site for masses, prayer, and spiritual growth. Council 12455 was privileged to be able to donate the cross above the main church entrance.
During the Pandemic 2020-2021, interaction among Brothers and engagement in the parish and community understandably was curtailed. However, we continued to meet, organize, and serve the parish with proper distancing and masking.
Weather permitting, we gathered outside and continued feasible and needed projects. During 2020, we designed and implemented a brand-new Council webpage, continued to publish the Council Newsletter, assisted in moving, remodeling, clean up or arranging facilities. We remain at the service of our Pastor and Council Chaplain Monsignor Jeffery Ingham.
These Knight activities and involvements are rewarding, and often fun times — Brothers, working with parishioners and others serving parish, diocese, and the Raleigh community.