About St. Luke · Saint Lucas, Iowa
St. Luke Parish is a small, historic German-heritage Catholic parish in the village of St. Lucas in northeast Iowa, founded in 1855 by German Catholic pioneers from Oldenburg, Indiana who settled the Fort Atkinson area after the Winnebago removal. The parish belongs to the Christ Our Hope Cluster of six Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Dubuque and is currently served by Rev. Nick Radloff, who pastors all six parishes of the cluster. Its present brick church, built 1914-1915, still houses a rare track pipe organ built by William Schuelke of Milwaukee and is known for an extraordinary legacy of religious vocations — 21 priests and 53 sisters have come from this one parish. With 244 registered families, St. Luke remains the spiritual and cultural heart of a tight-knit rural community whose parish territory spans roughly eight by thirteen miles.
- Established
- 1855
- Patron
- St. Luke the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Nick Radloff
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Dubuque
Why belong here
St. Luke offers something rare: a small, deeply rooted rural Catholic community with a 170-year heritage of faith, where parishioners still worship in a 1915 brick church housing a one-of-a-kind Schuelke track organ and where 244 families continue to sustain a parish that has produced an extraordinary 21 priests and 53 sisters. As part of the Christ Our Hope Cluster it shares pastoral and formation staff with five neighboring parishes, giving families access to faith formation, sacramental preparation, RCIA, and a Director of Evangelization while keeping the intimate character of their own parish. It is a place where German-Catholic tradition, family, and vocation are still taken seriously, and where newcomers quickly become part of the parish family.
Mass times at St. Luke
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish History
St. Luke Parish was formed in 1855 by German Catholic pioneers from Oldenburg, Indiana who had settled the Fort Atkinson area of northeast Iowa. The first Mass in their log church was celebrated on October 18, 1855, the feast of St. Luke, and the parish took his name — as did the town, which was renamed from 'Statheltown' to St. Lucas. A brick church followed in 1870 on the highest point in town, and the present church was built 1914-1915 to replace it.
- Founded 1855
- First resident pastor Rev. Ulrich Frey (1871)
- Present church built 1914-1915
- Patronal Feast: October 18
Founding Pioneers (1848-1855)
After the 1848 removal of the Winnebago from the Neutral Ground, a French missionary told three Oldenburg, Indiana farmers — George Bachel, Anton Stathel, and Frank Joseph Huber — about the rich farmland near Fort Atkinson. Six families (Bachel, Stathel, Huber, Spielman-Rausch, Meyer, and Spielman) sold their farms and set out March 1, 1849 in ox-drawn wagons. They worshipped at a log church near the Turkey River until it burned in 1854, then built their own log church in Statheltown, which Rev. Philip Laurent of Festina visited for the first Mass on Oct. 18, 1855.
- First Mass collection: $64.00 (1855)
- Pioneer families included the Bachel, Stathel, Huber, Rausch, Meyer, and Spielman clans
Christ Our Hope Cluster
St. Luke is one of six parishes in the Christ Our Hope Cluster of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The cluster — whose mission is to offer 'meaningful, fulfilling, and varied avenues of worship, Catholic education, social service, and community life for all ages' — shares pastoral and administrative staff across all six parishes. Rev. Nick Radloff serves as pastor of the entire cluster, with the pastor's residence and cluster office at the Holy Trinity Rectory in Protivin.
- Assumption BVM, Little Turkey
- Holy Trinity, Protivin
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Lawler
- St. John Nepomucene, Fort Atkinson
- St. Luke, St. Lucas
- St. Mary, Waucoma
Staff and Pastoral Team
Pastoral and administrative staff are shared across the cluster and are based at the cluster office in Protivin. Sacramental emergencies after hours can be directed to Fr. Radloff at 563-534-7298.
- Rev. Nick Radloff — Pastor
- Deacon Jim Zajicek
- Grace Arens — Pastoral Minister
- Cathy Humpal — Coordinator of Religious Education
- Teri Rosendahl — Director of Evangelization
- Terra Kuennen — Bookkeeper
- Carrie Rassman — Secretary
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious education for the cluster is coordinated through the Light of Christ Faith Formation office (3038 IA Hwy 24, Lawler, IA 52154, 563-238-5004), under Coordinator Cathy Humpal and Director of Evangelization Teri Rosendahl. The cluster also runs sacramental preparation including Confirmation and RCIA.
- Light of Christ Faith Formation
- Coordinator: Cathy Humpal
- Director of Evangelization: Teri Rosendahl
- RCIA and Confirmation preparation
Building, Organ, and Heritage Museum
The present St. Luke Church, built 1914-1915, retains its historic interior with statues of St. Luke, St. Rose, St. Elizabeth, and a Crucifixion scene on the main altar. It still houses a rare William Schuelke track organ from Milwaukee, acquired used by Fr. Schuh in 1929, one of only a few still in original condition and in regular use. The original brick school building now houses the St. Lucas Historical Society's German-American Museum.
- William Schuelke track organ (1929)
- German-American Museum in the former school
- St. Lucas Historical Society
Getting Involved and Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the cluster office Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The office handles all parish business for St. Luke. Sacramental emergencies outside office hours should be directed to Fr. Radloff's after-hours line. The cluster maintains an active Facebook presence under 'Christ Our Hope Cluster.'
- Cluster Office: 110 Commercial Ave, PO Box 205, Protivin, IA 52163
- Phone: 563-569-8259
- Office hours: Tue-Fri, 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
- Facebook: Christ Our Hope Cluster
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Philip Laurent1855 (first Mass as mission of Festina)
Pastor of Our Lady of Seven Dolors at Festina; celebrated the first Mass in the St. Lucas log church on Oct. 18, 1855.
- Rev. Conrad Schulte1870 (approx. six months)
Helped plan and finance the 1870 brick church while living at St. Lucas.
- Rev. Ulrich Frey1871-1882
First resident pastor; built the frame school and convent and welcomed Franciscan Sisters from La Crosse in 1876.
- Rev. Francis Boeding1882-1928
46-year pastorate of tremendous growth; 1883 church addition, 1905 frame school (burned 1911), present church built 1914-1915.
- Rev. Francis Schuh1928-1969
Acquired the Schuelke pipe organ; established four-year high school; built rectory, convent, school addition and gymnasium; witnessed ordination of three parishioners in 1950.