St Luke Catholic Church

I've been around the world...(I'm singing the AC/DC song in my head as I type that. Some would think I should not be singing AC/DC while reviewing a church....) Been to many churches. This one is a top church.

I moved from Indianapolis (far east) to Carmel, Indiana to Charlestown, MA, to West Roxbury, MA to Burlington, VT back to Carmel, IN and now to the north side of Indy. We were looking for a church based community. And, we wanted the church to be welcoming and inviting. I hear that this church has not always had this reputation, but I wasn't around it back whenever that was.

What I do know is that my wife and I attended mass here in April 2014 and was treated with arms wide open. People knew we were not regulars at this church and they approached us, talked to us, were genuinely interested in what we had to say. We felt at home right away. We joined!

The services are traditional. 11-14 servers. It is a great mass. The priest at this location know how to engage the congregation during the sermon.

We have two small children. Sometimes they are not able to contain themselves. But, I have never felt like it an issue.

Since joining, the tide has not changed. We're still very pleased with this church. There has been donut parties, Wednesday night hotdog gatherings, emails to keep people informed of what is going on. We've just signed up for Marriage-on-Tap (check the website for info - sounds grand!). I am looking forward to the fall festival on Sept 20, 2014!

Additionally, I can add that the welcoming attitude goes beyond the adults. I have watched the kids that go to this church treat our kids with the same arms wide open attitude. I'm proud to be a member!

I went to the school from 4th to 8th grade. I was called a sad little girl when I was depressed my teachers never helped me to be honest they could care more about their paycheck than they could about the kids. There was so much homophobia it over poured. It's like I had to except Jesus or I would die. As a gay kid that was terrifying I did not like going there and I don't recommend it if your kid is part of the LGBTQ community. One day when we were outside playing with water the priest told us that we had left a black mark on their reputation. So that is my input on this hell.

By no means are we connoisseurs of Fish Fry's. We decided to attend a Fish Fry every Friday of Lent this year (2018). Today was our first one of the "fish fry season."

Today we attended the Knights of Columbus Fish Fry at St Luke Catholic Church.

Meh. Yep, meh is the best I can say. It was $12/person and the best thing I can say about the Fish Fry is that the oven baked fish was probably the best thing they served.

Fried fish: served tepid, the breading was soggy on some pieces and tough on some.

Baked fish: served tepid, good flavor.

Green beens: served tepid, good flavor

Mac-n-cheese: you guessed it...served tepid. Pasty texture and bland.

Apple sauce: the other bright spot of the meal.

On to the beverage choices. Water and Lemonade. Went with the lemonade. Mistake! Think of the worst generic powdered lemonade mix and you get the bottom of the container with too much powder in it. They do have beer and wine. We didn't partake this evening so I can't review the adult beverage choices.

Took a stroll past the $1 dessert table and it was mostly store bought. There were a couple of items that were home made...nothing that jumped out at me.

So, the funny thing is a friend of mine says he is a Catholic Fish Fry snob (note: he is Catholic) and was adamant that the St Luke Fish Fry is one of the best in town.

This is a huge church on the Northside. It's about 50 years old and has been expanded to include an elementary school. Sunday services are pretty fast (usually less than an hour) and the seating is comfortable (pews are angled toward the center so you don't have to turn your head).

Nice and comfortable church. Generally nice parishioners...most people in Indiana are friendly. Easy parking. Donuts after mass which my son loves. Associated with a school. SMRE is offered. Unfortunately, homilies aren't usually strong. They always start with the old joke and rarely make any meaningful or intellectual connections. Pastor is more likely to reference the Colts. Maybe that fits the community though. Speaking of pastor...he is more the political and judgmental type of Catholic priest...not what I am seeking any more. Today's Example: He literally wrote that having the school allow middle school kids a moment to walk out of the classroom to honor children killed by guns was "stupid." OK, this is not a football play. Even if you have different belief on this topic, that response totally lacks any empathy or intelligence. Think bigger. It could be made a teaching moment about compassionate acts. Anyways, nothing new. I am interested in going to mass to connect with God and act more like Jesus, integrating his way into my life. And also I would like a peaceful, spiritual experience. This church is old-school and not always in a good way. If you want a conservatively political church, this is it. If you seek a humble, warm, compassionate, kind priest and a more global and literate perspective, this isn't it. Hence, why I am here ready to explore other churches within my faith! So happy to see in Indy that there might be other options to fit our family.

We love this wonderful faith community and going to Mass. They also offer 24hr Eucharistic adoration in the chapel, daily mass and reconciliation service. The priests are wonderful, down to earth, authentic, and genuine. We hope you find this faith community welcoming as we have.

pls don't send your kids here we may smile through the day but that does not mean we like it here to many kids aren't listened to here