Getting To Know Fr. Lukas Drapal
by Roisin Spitzig
I recently had the opportunity to meet with our parish’s new Associate Pastor, Fr. Lukas Drapal! By now, many of the parishioners of All Saints have probably seen Fr. Lukas, and maybe chatted with him after Mass, or saw him on the Youth Float in the Whoop-Up parade. You might be interested to know a little more about this interesting young man who has come to serve in our parish!
Fr. Lukas was born in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) but, having escaped communism with his family, came to Canada when he was six years old. He, along with his parents and three other siblings, settled in Calgary, where his family still lives. Fr. Lukas is the third oldest of the Drapal family, with two brothers and three sisters. His youngest two siblings were born in Canada. Family, along with his faith and education, are the things that he holds dear.
After high school, Fr. Lukas spent a year studying engineering. It was at the World Youth Day in 2000 that he began to feel that God was calling him to the priesthood. His journey of discernment led him to St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario, where he spent eight years studying and preparing to answer God’s call to the priesthood. He gave his “Yes” to God and was ordained three years ago, in 2012. He has found that being a priest is “much more than I thought, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else! You must ask God if you want to know what will make you happy. What is His plan for you?” Since being ordained, Fr. Lukas has served at Ascension Parish in northwest Calgary for one year, at St. Bonaventure Parish in southeast Calgary for a year and a half and St. Peter’s Parish in northwest Calgary for six months.
I asked Fr. Lukas what gifts God has given him that he brings to All Saints Parish and his immediate reply was “Love for the Lord!” He would like to connect with the young people in our parish, to be able to teach us and help us grow in our faith, and he has a love of music and a musical background (he sings very well!). As well, he feels that a sense of humor and his personable nature will stand him in good stead! So what does Fr. Lukas need from us, his new parishioners? He asks for prayers and support, for us to have an eagerness to learn about our faith and to always have an open heart for the Lord.
Here are a few tidbits about Fr. Lukas: he loves to eat and likes most food! He enjoys travelling and someday hopes to see the Holy Land and maybe Africa. He has surfed in California and would like to try it again! All sports are on his list of things he likes to do, and he also enjoys reading and watching movies. Exploring and being open to having new experiences are important to him as well.
To finish up our conversation I asked Fr. Lukas to try to sum up what he would like to be able to do in our parish of All Saints. “To use God’s gifts to bring people closer to Christ!” Amen to that!
Fr. Lukas was born in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) but, having escaped communism with his family, came to Canada when he was six years old. He, along with his parents and three other siblings, settled in Calgary, where his family still lives. Fr. Lukas is the third oldest of the Drapal family, with two brothers and three sisters. His youngest two siblings were born in Canada. Family, along with his faith and education, are the things that he holds dear.
After high school, Fr. Lukas spent a year studying engineering. It was at the World Youth Day in 2000 that he began to feel that God was calling him to the priesthood. His journey of discernment led him to St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario, where he spent eight years studying and preparing to answer God’s call to the priesthood. He gave his “Yes” to God and was ordained three years ago, in 2012. He has found that being a priest is “much more than I thought, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else! You must ask God if you want to know what will make you happy. What is His plan for you?” Since being ordained, Fr. Lukas has served at Ascension Parish in northwest Calgary for one year, at St. Bonaventure Parish in southeast Calgary for a year and a half and St. Peter’s Parish in northwest Calgary for six months.
I asked Fr. Lukas what gifts God has given him that he brings to All Saints Parish and his immediate reply was “Love for the Lord!” He would like to connect with the young people in our parish, to be able to teach us and help us grow in our faith, and he has a love of music and a musical background (he sings very well!). As well, he feels that a sense of humor and his personable nature will stand him in good stead! So what does Fr. Lukas need from us, his new parishioners? He asks for prayers and support, for us to have an eagerness to learn about our faith and to always have an open heart for the Lord.
Here are a few tidbits about Fr. Lukas: he loves to eat and likes most food! He enjoys travelling and someday hopes to see the Holy Land and maybe Africa. He has surfed in California and would like to try it again! All sports are on his list of things he likes to do, and he also enjoys reading and watching movies. Exploring and being open to having new experiences are important to him as well.
To finish up our conversation I asked Fr. Lukas to try to sum up what he would like to be able to do in our parish of All Saints. “To use God’s gifts to bring people closer to Christ!” Amen to that!