Dear parishioners of St. Patrick parish,

My name is Father Luke Turner, OSB, and I am honored to have been assigned as Parochial Vicar here at St. Patrick- the parish I grew up in was also named St. Patrick.  July 1^st marks my first day I begin this new assignment and I’m looking forward to serving the faithful Catholic community as I return to Dallas.

I’m a Kansas native and a monk of St. Benedict’s Abbey.  In 2019, I was ordained by Bishop Kevin Vann, who played a key role in my return to monastic life.  I entered the Abbey in 1981 and discerned some years later that I was not ready for a lifelong commitment.  Before returning to the Abbey in 2010, I enjoyed a corporate career with Hallmark Cards and MasterCard International. 

I hold a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing from Rockhurst University and also an MBA and MA.  I have also taught in the School of Business at Benedictine College.  After my ordination in 2019, I was assigned as a Director of College Ministry and later served as Director of the Thompson Center for Integrity in Finance and Economics, both at Benedictine College.

In 2022, I requested a temporary assignment in the Diocese of Dallas to assist my mother.  While there, I was assigned as Parochial Vicar for St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in the Lakewood neighborhood.  In 2023, Bishop Burns appointed me to help initiate the Propaedeutic Program for Priestly Studies at Holy Trinity Seminary as outlined in the Church’s Program for Priestly Formation.  I served as the Spiritual Director for the first-year seminarians and also as the confessor for all the students at the seminary.

Currently, I carry several responsibilities for the Benedictine American-Cassinese Congregation in addition to serving on the Order’s Finance Council at the request of the Abbot Primate in Rome.

I owe a debt of gratitude to Bishop Burns, Father Arthur Unachukwu(Vicar General) and the wonderful staff her at St. Patrick for their warm welcome and assistance as I settle in here at the parish.  I count on your prayers and support as we continue the work of the Gospel.

Blessings,

Father Luke Turner, OSB