About Saint Luke [San Lucas] · Bronx, New York
Saint Luke Parish (San Lucas) is a bilingual and multicultural Roman Catholic parish in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx, serving English, Spanish, and Ghanaian Catholic communities under the Archdiocese of New York. Established in 1897 by Father John J. Boyle — who celebrated the first Mass in a barn belonging to the Sadlier family — the parish is today administered by Father Eric Cruz, who also serves as regional director of Catholic Charities for the Bronx. Now in its 125th year, St. Luke's remains anchored in the immigrant life of the South Bronx and continues its long tradition of welcoming newcomers, catechesis, and Eucharistic adoration.
- Established
- 1897
- Patron
- Saint Luke the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Eric Cruz (Parish Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
Why belong here
St. Luke's is one of the most ethnically diverse parishes in the Bronx, where the same building has welcomed Irish, Italian, Latino, Caribbean, and West African Catholics for more than 125 years. Sunday Mass is offered in English, Spanish, and Ghanaian (Akan), and a Saturday-evening Spanish vigil and a Tuesday-through-Saturday evening Mass keep weekday life in the parish. The parish runs an active catechumenate and is currently recruiting new catechists, devotes hours each week to Eucharistic adoration, hosts a Chaplet of Divine Mercy devotion on weekdays, and is the parish home of Father Eric Cruz, who links the congregation directly to Catholic Charities' food pantries, eviction counseling, immigration services, and case management across the Bronx.
Mass times at Saint Luke [San Lucas]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 5:30 PM to 6:45 PM
- También por citas en horas de oficina (and by appointment during office hours)
Adoration times
- Blessed Sacrament Adoration / Adoración al Santísimo Sacramento: Friday 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Weekday devotions (Chaplet of Divine Mercy): weekdays 3:00 PM–3:30 PM
Parish History
Saint Luke Parish traces its origins to July 4, 1897, when its founding pastor, Rev. John J. Boyle, celebrated the first Mass in a barn belonging to the Sadlier family on East 137th Street in what was then a mostly Irish Mott Haven. The parish was carved out of St. Jerome's, with about 200 Catholic families. Archbishop Michael A. Corrigan came to dedicate the new stone-basement church on February 27, 1898. The current upper church on East 138th Street was completed in 1919 and remains the visible anchor of the parish block, with the former school (608 East 139th Street) behind it.
- Founded 1897; first Mass July 4, 1897 in Sadlier family barn
- Stone-basement church dedicated by Archbishop Corrigan, February 27, 1898
- Present church completed 1919
- School opened 1909–1910; staffed by Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt
- 125th anniversary celebrated October 22, 2022 with Cardinal Dolan
Sacraments
Confessions are heard in the church on Saturday afternoons before the vigil Mass, with appointments available during office hours. The parish also runs a catechumenate / faith-formation program and is publicly recruiting new catechists for both English- and Spanish-language sessions.
- Reconciliation: Saturday 5:30–6:45 PM, and by appointment during office hours
- Faith Formation / Catechumenate: register at the parish (call 718-665-6677)
- Volunteer catechists urgently needed in both English and Spanish
Faith Formation and Catechists
Saint Luke's runs an ongoing catechumenate and religious-education program serving children and adults in English and Spanish. The official website carries a public appeal in both languages: "We are in need of Catechists / Estamos necesitando catequistas." Interested volunteers are asked to call the parish at 718-665-6677.
- RCIA-style catechumenate for adults
- Ongoing faith formation for children (English and Spanish tracks)
- Open call for new volunteer catechists
Charitable Outreach and Catholic Charities
Because Father Eric Cruz also serves as regional director of Catholic Charities Community Services for the Bronx, the parish is closely linked to a wide network of social services. The work, in his words, is "part of the very fabric of the Church," and includes case management, eviction counseling, food pantries, housing needs, and immigration legal services for South Bronx families.
- Food pantries
- Eviction prevention and housing counseling
- Immigration legal services
- Case management and social-services referrals
- Hispanic and Latino outreach for the Archdiocese of New York
The Ghanaian Catholic Community at St. Luke's
St. Luke's is a home for the West African Catholic community in the South Bronx, with a regular Sunday Mass celebrated in English and Ghanaian (Akan). Cardinal Dolan noted at the 125th anniversary that "a large number of parishioners hail from the West African country of Ghana," and the anniversary Mass itself was conducted in English, Spanish, and Ghanaian.
- Sunday Mass — 4:00 PM in English/Ghanaian
- Welcoming hub for West African Catholic immigrants in the South Bronx
The Former St. Luke's School
The parish school at 608 East 139th Street opened in 1909–1910 and was built of brick with stone trimmings at a cost of $80,000 — twice what founding pastor Fr. Boyle had projected. From its first day it was staffed by the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt (originally living on the third floor), joined later by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart for the older boys. By 1945 the staff numbered 31; enrollment peaked at about 1,200 pupils. The school closed in 2020 as part of the Archdiocese of New York's consolidation plan.
- Opened 1909–1910 (cost $80,000)
- Staffed by the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt for 110 years
- Enrollment once reached 1,200; a leading parish for vocations in the 1940s–1950s
- Closed in 2020 (archdiocesan consolidation)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John J. Boyle1897–1914
Founding pastor; celebrated first Mass on July 4, 1897 in the Sadlier family barn; built the stone-basement church (dedicated 1898), the rectory, and the school.
- Very Rev. Msgr. Daniel J. McMackin, D.D., Ph.D.1916–1922
- Rt. Rev. John J. Mitty, D.D.1922–1926
- Rev. Patrick J. Minogue1926–1931
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. Robert B. Mulcahey, D.D.1931–1966
Second-longest tenure (35 years); the parish also saw the ministry of Rev. Miguel Juan, T.O.R., in 1960.
- Rev. Msgr. Gerald J. Ryan1966–2013
Longest-serving pastor (47 years); died in office on April 11, 2013.
- Rev. Steven Markantonisappointed 2015
Appointed pastor per Catholic New York (Aug. 5, 2015); reported as the appointment that halted a proposed merger with St. Jerome's.
- Rev. Eric Cruzcurrent
Appointed Parish Administrator while continuing as director of Catholic Charities Community Services, Bronx Regional Center.