About St. Luke the Evangelist · Ankeny, Iowa
St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Des Moines serving the northwest side of Ankeny, Iowa. Founded in 2010 by Bishop Richard Pates and led since 2019 by Father Ken Halbur, the parish grew out of the booming Ankeny community and worships at a combined church-and-school campus at 1102 NW Weigel Drive. It runs a K-8 Catholic school (opened 2015), an active faith-formation program for children and adults, and offers weekend Masses in English plus daily Mass, reconciliation, and Eucharistic adoration throughout the week.
- Established
- 2010
- Patron
- St. Luke the Evangelist
- Rector
- Father Ken Halbur
- Diocese
- Diocese of Des Moines
Why belong here
St. Luke's is a young, growing parish with the energy of a community that built its own church and school from the ground up in just a few years — from 40 families in 2011 to a packed combined campus today. Members can attend daily Mass, weekly Eucharastic adoration (including an all-day First Friday vigil), and multiple weekend Masses that are livestreamed on YouTube; send their children to an on-site K-8 Catholic school recognized as an Iowa Honor Plus school; enroll them in Spirit of Truth religious education, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, the Family of Faith program, or two-year Confirmation prep; and gather for adult study groups like That Man Is You! and Deacon Fred's mid-week faith discussions. It's a parish where newcomers, young families, and longtime Ankeny Catholics are clearly being welcomed, catechized, and sent out together.
Mass times at St. Luke the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- Saturday 3:30 PM (before the 4:30 PM Vigil Mass)
Adoration times
- Thursday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- 1st Friday of each month 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM (sign up for 30 minutes or more)
Our Story — From 40 Families to a Full Campus
St. Luke the Evangelist is one of the newest parishes in the Diocese of Des Moines, born in December 2010 out of the rapid growth of west-side Ankeny. In just a few years it went from 40 families meeting in a school auditorium to a dedicated $8.2 million church-and-school campus with hundreds of registered families and a K–8 school. The founding pastor, Father Larry Hoffmann, retired in 2018; Father Adam Westphal succeeded him, and Father Ken Halbur has led the parish since July 2019.
- Dec 17, 2010 — Bishop Richard Pates announces the new parish at OLIH, with 35 acres donated by Fern Ringgenberg and a $2M pledge from Don and Charlene Lamberti.
- Jan 31, 2011 — First Organizing Committee meets in the OLIH rectory basement (~40 families).
- Mar 13, 2011 — First Mass held at Ashland Ridge Elementary School.
- Apr 10, 2011 — Father Larry Hoffmann officially installed as first pastor.
- Sep 18, 2011 — Weekend Mass moves to Northview Middle School auditorium.
- Jun 20, 2015 — Dedication Mass of the new church, celebrated by Archbishop Jerome Hanus with Fr. Hoffmann and Deacon Dan McGuire; 310 registered families.
- Aug 2015 — St. Luke's Catholic School opens with 42 K–3 students; Steve Wieneke named first Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus Father Gubbels Council 15603.
- Jul 2018 — Fr. Hoffmann retires; Fr. Adam Westphal becomes pastor.
- Jul 2019 — Fr. Ken Halbur arrives as the current pastor.
- Aug 2021 — Phase II Growing Together Capital Campaign expansion completed.
- Apr 2022 — Fr. Halbur leads a parish pilgrimage to Italy.
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's K–10 faith formation program aims to develop a personal relationship with Jesus, help students participate in the parish's sacramental and prayer life, and form a moral conscience rooted in Gospel values. Parents are recognized as the first and foremost educators of their children, and St. Luke's offers several complementary models to fit different families — including a classical Montessori-style atrium option.
- Spirit of Truth — weekly K–8 classes (4:30 PM or 6:00 PM for K–5; 7:15 PM for grades 6–8).
- A Family of Faith — parent-led home model with monthly parent meetings the first Wednesday, 6:30–7:30 PM.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd — Level 1 (ages 3–6) and Level 2 (ages 6–9).
- Confirmation Preparation — two-year program starting in 9th grade.
- Director: Mary Jo Schechinger ([email protected]).
Adult Faith Formation
St. Luke's frames adult faith formation around three relationships — prayer, study, and evangelization — and offers both parish-based groups and pointers to diocesan resources. Men, women, and young adults all have dedicated entry points.
- Faith with Deacon Fred — Wednesdays 12:30–2:30 PM; contact Deacon Fred Cornwell at [email protected] / 712-779-0094.
- That Man Is You! — men's faith and fellowship program.
- Ascension Press study groups — start your own with friends; contact Mary Jo Schechinger.
- Young Adult Groups and Events.
- RCIA / Order of Christian Initiation for Adults — for those becoming Catholic.
St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic School
St. Luke's parish school opened in August 2015 with 42 students in kindergarten through third grade, adding one grade level per year until reaching K–8. It is the newest school in the Diocese of Des Moines, recognized by the Iowa Department of Education as an Honor Plus school for its Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program, and it educates roughly 275 students with a 15.6:1 student-teacher ratio on the same campus as the church.
- Grades: K–8, coed, ~275 students.
- Principal: Misty Hade ([email protected]).
- Assistant Principal/Technology: Sara Hazel.
- Administrative Assistant: Kendra Jorgensen.
- Phone: 515-985-7074.
- School website: slte-school.org.
- Member of NCEA; affiliated with the Diocese of Des Moines.
Worship & Liturgical Ministries
The Worship / Liturgical Ministries pages invite parishioners to serve at Mass and to support funerals and other parish liturgies. A dedicated Music Ministry, led by Director Cari Higgins, supports the sung prayer of the parish.
- Liturgical Ministries scheduling for weekend and weekday Masses.
- Funeral liturgy coordination.
- Music Ministry — Director Cari Higgins ([email protected]).
Parish Life & Outreach
St. Luke's organizes its communal life through regular publications, an online parish calendar and events page, and a weekly bulletin (also available online for those who miss the printed copy). Father Ken's Quill blog keeps parishioners current on the parish's life and season — from RCIA enrollment to religious-education volunteer needs.
- Weekly parish bulletin (also posted online).
- Parish Calendar and Parish Events pages.
- Father Ken's Quill — pastor's blog and weekly letters.
- Photo Gallery of parish life.
- Knights of Columbus Father Gubbels Council 15603.
Our Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Father Ken Halbur with Associate Pastor Father Ryan Andrew (arrived July 2022) and four deacons — Fred Cornwell, Fred Pins, Don Shannon, and Matt Halbach. A dedicated lay staff runs the parish office, faith formation, music, business, and school operations.
- Pastor — Fr. Ken Halbur ([email protected]).
- Associate Pastor — Fr. Ryan Andrew (arrived July 2022).
- Deacons — Fred Cornwell, Fred Pins, Don Shannon, Matt Halbach.
- Business Manager — Jeremy Swim.
- Parish Coordinator — Kayla Boyle.
- Director, Faith Formation — Mary Jo Schechinger.
- Director, Music Ministry — Cari Higgins.
- School Principal — Misty Hade; Assistant Principal/Technology — Sara Hazel; Admin Assistant — Kendra Jorgensen.
Contact & Visit
St. Luke's combined parish and school campus is on the northwest side of Ankeny. Visitors are encouraged to attend any weekend Mass, stop in for Thursday adoration, or simply reach out to the parish office to register as a new member.
- Address: 1102 NW Weigel Drive, Ankeny, IA 50023.
- Parish office: 515-289-0295 (inferred from parish contact listings).
- School office: 515-985-7074.
- New Member Registration available through the Introduction page on slte.org.
- Livestreamed Masses: youtube.com/@slte-ankeny.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Larry Hoffmann2010–2018
Founding pastor; installed April 10, 2011 at Ashland Ridge Elementary; retired July 2018; celebrated 50th anniversary to the priesthood at St. Luke's in August 2021.
- Father Adam Westphal2018–2019
Announced as associate pastor in May 2017 while completing canon law studies in Washington, D.C., serving also as canonical advisor to Bishop Pates; became pastor July 2018 and was succeeded July 2019.
- Father Ken Halbur2019–present
Arrived July 2019 from Holy Spirit Parish in Creston; led a parish pilgrimage to Italy in April 2022; oversaw completion of the 2021 Growing Together expansion.