St. Luke’s Marks Two Years Since Fire as Construction Moves Forward
This year marks two years since the fire that destroyed St. Luke’s church building, an event that forever changed the parish’s story. While the loss was profound, it also revealed something enduring. The heart of St. Luke’s has never been contained within walls.
In the months that followed the fire, the parish continued to gather, worship, and serve, leaning on faith, generosity, and one another. What could have been a season defined by grief instead became a testament to resilience and shared commitment. Through prayer, leadership, and trust in God’s presence, St. Luke’s lived into the truth that the Church is made of people.
As the parish marks this two-year anniversary, the journey has reached a hopeful turning point. After months of planning, meetings, prayer, and quiet behind the scenes work by the Vestry, Building Committee, and Capital Campaign Committee,construction is now visibly underway.
Fr. Bryan Owen, rector of St. Luke’s, reflected on what it means to see rebuilding finally take shape. “After so much preparation, it’s almost breathtaking to watch the work actually begin,” he said. “Seeing construction happening reminds us that God has been guiding this parish every step of the way.”
Fr. Owen pointed to the promise from Isaiah, “See, I am doing a new thing… I am making a way in the wilderness” (Isaiah 43:19), noting that the words feel especially real in this season. “Watching a new church rise from the ground makes that promise tangible,” he said. “It’s hopeful and reassuring, a visible sign that we are moving from loss into new life together.”
Reflecting on the past two years, Fr. Owen expressed deep gratitude for what the St.Luke’s community has walked through together. “The fire took away spaces filled with memory and meaning, but it did not define us,” he said. “What it revealed was the strength, love and hope that were already present in this community.”
That shared experience has shaped the parish’s vision for the future. The commitment remains strong to create spaces that reflect God’s beauty, strengthen worship and fellowship, and pass on a living, vibrant faith to future generations. The challenges faced did not merely shape the past. They continue to guide what lies ahead.
Fr. Owen also shared gratitude for the faithful work of the church staff and parishioners who continue to support St. Luke’s with their time, talent, and treasure. “That dedication is something we feel every time we gather for worship in Witter Hall,” he said. “It’s a powerful reminder of our unity and shared purpose.”
As St. Luke’s moves forward in its Capital Campaign and construction progresses, the parish stands on the threshold of a new chapter.The Capital Campaign Kickoff on March 21 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. will be a time to celebrate how far the parish has come and to step forward together into the future God is building.
As St. Luke’s honors its past, it gives thanks for the faith that sustained it. As it rebuilds its future, the parish does so with hope, gratitude, and trust in the work God continues to do among His people.