St. Luke Catholic Church

Msgr. John J. Birch Chalice

In Memory of One of Our Founding Priests...
The dedication and love of Christ's message has been evident in the actions and words of each priest who has passed through the doors of St. Luke Church. One of the founding priests of our church, who is no exception to this, is Monsignor John J. Birch.

His example of serving our Lord continues to carry on. Monsignor Birch's presence and fond memories are as strong today as his days here. On May 27, 1984 the marquee outside the rectory was dedicated to Monsignor Birch on the anniversary of his 50 years in the priesthood.

Also, our parish hall was officially named the Monsignor John J. Birch Memorial Center.

Monsignor John J. Birch's chalice was recently discovered in the sacristy of the Church. Our pastor, Father Donald Grasha, had the chalice restored and wanted to make the chalice a visible symbol of Monsignor Birch's contribution to the Church.

A prayer chain was begun in his honor to pray for vocations to the holy life. Each week a family or parishioner is presented with the chalice at Mass and is asked to continue the prayers for vocations.

The chain has continued periodically since October 1999 and we invite any parishioners who are interested with being blessed by having Monsignor John J. Birch's chalice in their home to contact the PAC Office (626) 291.5900.
The power of prayer is evident in our everyday lives. God Bless.