Meet Luke Krumwiede





A Dark Night of the Ordinary Soul: A Lenten Witness



The Offertory goes ONLINE during Holy Week! Join the real-time Facebook Watch Party for a shared viewing experience at 7:00 PM Wednesday, April 8th.

Luke is a student-teacher for the Bethel School District. He is a graduate of Bellarmine Preparatory Catholic High School, an alumni of Western Washington University and former Newman Campus Peer Minister, and has a Masters in Criminal Justice. He grew up in Lakewood at St. John Bosco Church and currently resides in Puyallup. He attends Mass at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Tacoma and recently joined the music ministry for the evening Mass playing guitar and singing.





Tell us a bit about yourself.



My name is Luke Krumwiede. Even though I was born and raised Catholic with a family that went to Mass every Sunday, I still reached a point in which I had to choose whether or not I wanted to practice my faith. It is that choice which has defined who I am; it defines who I want to be.


After years of selling luxury items, such as diamonds and fancy watches, I have decided to expand my education and obtain my teaching certificate with hopes of having my own classroom this coming Fall. I love working with kids; and I love sharing everything I learn with others. The Offertory has become another amazing opportunity for me to share with others - things I have lived, things I have experienced. I hope you can find something to take away with you.



Who or what are influences in your faith journey?



I would have to say that my biggest influences in my faith journey are friendships that I have made through the Church. Every time I have gotten involved with my local parish in a variety of ways, it has been through the invitation of friends. I remember in high school, at the first youth group event I ever attended, a friend from school invited me to come. That is how I got involved in youth group. In college, it was friendships that encouraged me to study and expand my faith. It was a friend from college that invited me to Mass Consumption; and it was friend I made at Mass Consumption that invited me to participate in The Offertory.



Name a time that was challenging in your faith.



Right out of college was a tough time for me faith-wise. I had a very strong faith community and going back home I greatly missed that community. I kind of went into a spiritual slump for awhile without a strong community to help anchor me in the faith. Yeah, I went to church and everything, but without community it is hard to feel as if you are truly living your faith. Most of my college friends lived elsewhere, and I saw them seldomly so it made working and being home difficult. I was fortunate when a friend invited me to a young adult group, although I feel like it was a year or so before I actually showed up. I made some pretty amazing friendships through that group, friendships that helped reinvigorate my faith.



What aspects of the Catholic Faith have helped you most to connect with your own personal story?



I would have to say community, and the universal Church as a whole. I love the sense of community that springs up around our Catholic Faith. I love that no matter where I am, the Church is still the Church. It doesn’t matter if I am in a different city, or state, or even a completely different country, our Faith unites us.

I remember being in Germany and going to church and feeling like I was home. Even though I couldn’t understand the language, the Mass was still the same - the same order, the same feel - and I knew exactly what was going on. Afterwards everyone was so warm and inviting and wanted to talk. Another time was when I was on a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Poland, then traveling around Europe, we had Mass in an airport terminal. During the Mass we started out with just our group but slowly travelers from all over the world stopped and joined us, and we all had Mass together - it was amazing. Our Catholic face is truly universal and no matter where I go, the Catholic Faith is a constant.



In the symbolism provided by the offertory portion of the Mass, we see ourselves giving the work of our hands over to God to be transformed on the altar of His sacrifice. What is your life's work as a gift of self for God and His people?



Like I mentioned above, I love to share things I have learned, experienced, lived; and I see that as my life’s work. Everything I have done, good or bad, is my gift I want to present to God - the gift I want to share with His people. Whether or not it is a good gift, or whether or not it is useful, I don’t know the answer to that; but I hope that one person may find something that is of value, and it is that one person who makes it worth giving.



+ Let us pray together for Luke and join in his prayers to our God.





Follow Luke // @luke.krumwiede