St. Luke's Church celebrates 50 years in Carol Stream

CAROL STREAM – “St. Luke is my family and an extension of my home,” said Linda McHale-Cort, a member of St. Luke Catholic Church, which recently celebrated half a century of worship.

She has attended St. Luke since childhood, when the church first opened its doors.

Today, Cort and her family continue to call St. Luke home.

Smiles, hugs and memories were shared during the church’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Nov. 3.

The day began with the Knights of Columbus ushering in the Rev. Joseph L. Imesh, a bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, and St. Luke’s pastor, the Rev. Danilo Soriano, for the 11 a.m. Mass. After the service, 150 community members entered the church hall for a celebratory luncheon.

“It was so wonderful seeing so many people enjoying themselves in our parish again,” said church secretary Mary Lou Rosch, a 24-year member.

Known as “the country parish in the heart of DuPage,” the church, located at 421 Cochise Court, began as a mission of St. Isidore Parish in Bloomingdale in 1960 with St. Isidore’s pastor, the Rev. John Klasses, presiding. In 1963, the Rev. John Sullivan became St. Luke’s first pastor.

The new parish included a school with eight grades, a rectory located in a nearby rented home and a convent.

By 1970, 204 families were registered. Today, St. Luke’s has 500 member families.

Many things have changed at St. Luke’s over the years.

The walls of the school’s classrooms came down to make way for a large meeting space and various parish events came and went, but its strong sense of community has remained.

On June 10, 1986, a farewell Mass was held for members joining Carol Stream’s new Catholic Church, Corpus Christi, located on the west side of town.

When church pastor the Rev. Thomas Schutter suddenly passed away April 2, 2011, hundreds of teary-eyed members, friends and dignitaries packed the church to say their farewells.

Several families who have been members from the start still count themselves as part of the St. Luke’s community today, along with their children and grandchildren.