Biography:
Luke Roberts was born at Streaky Bay on July 19, 1915. He was ordained priest by Archbishop Killian on February 6, 1938. His first appointment was as Assistant priest at Naracoorte, and later at Lower North Adelaide, Murray Bridge and then the Cathedral parish.
Involvement in Jocist movements
While assistant priest in the Cathedral, Luke involved himself in the Jocist movements of Catholic action (the Young Christian Workers, National Catholic Girls’ Movement) and was appointed as director of the Adelaide Diocesan Secretariat of Catholic Action.
He enjoyed young people and was known for the way he would spend time listening to them and their problems. He was appointed Director of Catholic Action in the diocese in 1945.
Luke’s pioneering spirit showed up earlier in his ministry. One former boarder at Sacred Heart College (now Fr Kevin O’Loughlin) remembers well when Luke as College chaplain in 1949:
Fr Luke used to celebrate Mass with the brothers and boarders each morning at 7am. At least that was the theory. Fr Luke rode a motorbike and lived at Archbishop’s House at West Terrace in the city... He must have had a heavy job because he was often late for Mass. One hundred and fifty boys aged between 12 and 16 sat waiting half asleep in the chapel. When we began to get a bit restless the brother in charge of the boarders would come up to the front and make us file outside to where we waited in the fresh air for Fr Luke to roar in on his Matchless and dash into the sacristy. I considered him to be a cool dude. He looked like Orson Welles in the film The Third Man.
In 1948 he undertook a course in Social Science at Adelaide University and he was appointed Director of the Catholic Social Services Bureau (later Catholic Family Welfare Bureau and then Centacare). It was here that he made his mark on the Church’s involvement in social issues.
Pioneer in Social Welfare
Luke’s work in Catholic Welfare and his concern for migrants later led him to establish the National Catholic Welfare Committee in 1957 with Frs Eric Perkins and Frank McCosker. The NCWC expanded in the 60s, 70s and in 1974, Fr Terry Holland became its first chair. Fr Clem Kilby, who took over its chair from Terry, noted how Terry and Luke ‘were active in founding of the Catholic social work services in Australia. They were as much pioneers as the early founders of our church in this country, and the value of their work is yet to be assessed.’
Assistance to migrants
One new arrival to Australia in the late 1940s, Ante Sikic, remembers well Luke’s kindness and the way he showed practical help to immigrants. Luke obtained credit from the Commercial Bank of SA for Ante and his young family to begin building a home. Ante recalls, "Fr Roberts always showed interest in the immigrants and tried to help where he could, understanding how hard it is to start a new life in a foreign country."
At the same time, Luke’s pastoral care over recently arrived migrants blossomed into establishing a social evening and dance every Friday evening in the Cathedral hall, and a Sunday afternoon get together which attracted those recently arrived from Poland and Lithuania.
Fr Luke is remembered as a priest who pioneered new ways of ministry, locally and nationally. He was blessed with a touch of simplicity, kindness and humour that permeated his ministry. These continued in his parish appointments as he combined his social work skills with an ecclesiology well in advance of his time.
Many examples of Luke’s kindness, humour and simplicity abound in the memories of those who knew him or encountered his ministry, either in the parishes in which he ministered, or through his Diocesan appointments, especially in his role as the first priest director of the Catholic Social Services Bureau (later known as the Catholic Family Welfare Bureau).
Luke served on a number of Diocesan committees: Marian Procession, Marian Congress, Diocesan Charities Appeal, Catholic Radio & Television, College of Consultors and Council of Priests.
Luke was also a pioneer in many other ways. He was the first priest to serve on the National Safety Council, the National Fitness Council and the South Australian Council of Social Services.
Luke’s membership on this last mentioned Council was met with horror by one of its social workers who exclaimed, ‘a priest couldn’t possibly be expected to visit some of the places and get mixed up in some of the situations we deal with here!’ There is no record if Luke ever did, of course.
Parish Priest
On January 20, 1959, Fr Luke was appointed Parish Priest of Tranmere, a relatively new parish. Here too he left his mark with the building of a new Church and presbytery, opened in 1965, and further developments at the Parish School.
Luke’s practical spirit of generosity never deserted him. When Luke was parish priest of Tranmere, the bike of one of the altar servers was stolen during Saturday morning Mass. The server later recalled as an adult how straight after Mass Luke drove him around the neighbourhood in the vain attempt to spot the stolen bike. Then Luke gave him $20 towards a new one.
He remained Parish Priest of Tranmere until 1976 when he was appointed to the parish of Dulwich-Burnside where he served for 10 years.
Years of ministry took their toll
Luke’s enthusiasm for new ventures and his commitment to what he took on came at a cost. At times he suffered from over-work and a deep anxiety related to the burden from his various ministries. Luke recalled when, at 53 years old, his doctor insisted that he take time off. He had not taken annual leave for two years. Eleven years later, as he was beginning to contemplate retirement, Luke further realised that he had never taken advantage of long service leave.
In 1986 he sought permission to resign as parish priest of Dulwich-Burnside parish and take long service. He then enjoyed a substantial period of leave and finally retired seven years later, at the age of 70, to his own residence in Dulwich – formerly the home of his mother.
Final years and failing health
After the death of his beloved Mrs Linhart who looked after him for almost 40 years, Luke’s health deteriorated. In 1989 he moved from his own residence to the Francis Murphy Villa, North Plympton. From here he continued light pastoral duties, including spiritual director of the Legion of Mary. With the onset of dementia which slowly became more pronounced, he was finally moved to the nursing home attached to the Villa in 1994.
A gentle graciousness remarkably surrounded him throughout his dementia and this last stage of his life, until four and a half years later, after 84 years of life and 62 of ordained ministry, Luke died on February 19, 2000. He requested in his Will that he be cremated and that the complete funeral be conducted in a Church, not a cemetery or crematorium.
Even in death, Luke’s creative spirit continued to display itself. His Funeral Mass was celebrated in St Joseph’s Church, Tranmere – the church he had built in 1965. His ashes were interred in his parents’ grave at Centennial Park Cemetery.
Requiescat in Pace.
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