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History of St. Luke's Church
The recent history of St. Luke's begins in 1943, when a survey by the Diocese of West Texas revealed the need for an Episcopal Church in Alamo Heights. An earlier St. Luke's had been established at a downtown location from 1900 to 1927. Due to a population shift northward, that location was sold and a new one established on Cloverleaf Avenue, near the site of the present Church. The Cloverleaf location was short-lived and closed in 1928.
When interest picked up in the mid-1940s, St. Luke's reclaimed the Cloverleaf property and held services there until 1954, when the present Church was built. By 1947, the Church was quite strong, with 417 communicants and 200 children in Sunday School.
In the same year, St. Luke's Episcopal School was established with 50 students aged two to five years. The School continues as a vital component of the Parish. St. Luke's Episcopal School is an integral part of the Church's identity and ministry. The relationship between Church and School is exceptionally strong and healthy. The Chris Jones Middle School opened in the fall of 2001.
St. Luke's is blessed with a campus in a beautiful setting that offers an oasis from nearby downtown San Antonio. Situated on a hill, the church is visible from several locations in the city, and the church steeple is a landmark. Facilities include the church, Parish Hall, a renovated gymnasium, and four levels of offices, classrooms and nursery space. In 1998, a $2.5 million building was added to provide for church administration, the school library and school computer labs. A $3.2 million addition for the middle school was completed in early 2002. A new columbarium, a gift of the late A. C. Sien, in a garden setting at the east end of the church building was recently completed and dedicated to the memory of Almeda Sien.
The Diocese of West Texas comprises 92 congregations spread across 60 counties in South Central Texas. The Diocesan headquarters is located in Cathedral Park, about five-minutes from St. Luke's. The Diocesan Bishop is the Rt. Rev. Gary Lillibridge. The Diocese of West Texas is part of the 2.85 million-member Episcopal Church, USA, which itself is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion with over 75 million communicants in all parts of the globe.
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