St. Luke’s bids farewell to beloved pastor

Father Bob Hawkins has served parishes for more than four decades

BY JOAN D. WARREN
Posted 6/21/18

Robert Hawkins, Pastor of St. Luke’s Church, is sailing off into the sunset — literally. 

Father “Bob” as he is affectionately known to his more than 2,000 …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


St. Luke’s bids farewell to beloved pastor

Father Bob Hawkins has served parishes for more than four decades

Posted

Robert Hawkins, Pastor of St. Luke’s Church, is sailing off into the sunset — literally. 

Father “Bob” as he is affectionately known to his more than 2,000 parishioners, is retiring after 13 years as leader of the Catholic parish on Washington Road. He hopes to be a chaplain aboard a cruise line and travel to far and exotic places, a very different lifestyle than being a parish priest.

“I started my ministry 43 years ago, the same year the Boston Red Sox almost won the World Series. That was 1975 and I am still a huge Sox fan,” he said.

Father Bob, a native of Cranston, has been the leader of a variety of parishes throughout the state, in such towns as Central Falls, Warwick and at the University of Rhode Island. He spent five years in Belgium and has had the good fortune to travel around the world.

“I have had many different experiences as a parish priest. I have focused my ministry on outreach and education and can retire from active ministry knowing I did my best,” he said.

One of his greatest accomplishments at St. Luke’s has been the mission trips the church organizes — the annual pilgrimage to Blessed Assurance Orphanage in Jamaica and to the H.O.M.E. mission in Orland, Maine, a nonprofit organization founded in 1970 dedicated to keeping and enhancing the quality of life for low-income and homeless families.

Both trips are organized by volunteers and teenage members of the parish.

“These trips have meant a great deal to me," said Father Bob. "‘To whom much is given, much is expected’ is something I believe in. Many of the kids who choose to go on mission trips have a lot of blessings and it’s nice to create opportunities for them to go out of their comfort zones and help others."

Teenage missionaries Ethan Ames and Rachel Cross went on the Jamaica trip twice and also volunteered on the Maine trip. They said they are thankful for the experience they gained and the leadership provided by Father Bob.

“He’s very relatable and always there to talk and laugh with us missionaries,” they said.

Father Bob has a knack for remembering names. He said his parish family is ever evolving, from baptisms, sacraments of communion and confirmation, weddings and funerals — he gets to know his parishioners and help celebrate their joys and sorrows.

“I am fortunate to be a part of their lives in so many ways and get to know them well. Week after week I see their faces at Mass and know their habits — which Mass they attend and where they sit. It helps when trying to remember their names,” he said.

Amy Ames, a long-time parishioner at St. Luke’s, said she will miss Father Bob as she and her family have grown to know him well.

“Father Bob has been a tremendous source of comfort for our family over the years. He will be extremely missed. His homilies always set me on the path for a good week of living out my faith in daily life,” she said.

Point of pride

Father Bob said he is proud of his accomplishments with St. Luke School — the kindergarten through eighth grade blue ribbon parochial school is in its 60th year.

“Keeping the school sustained has been rewarding, especially in a town like Barrington with such good public schools," said Father Bob. "The school is well-regarded and enrollment is good. I am happy to leave it in good standing."

Running a vibrant parish like St. Luke’s is more than a full-time job. A typical day for the priest starts at 5:30 a.m. with a 3-mile run followed by presiding over the daily Mass at 7 a.m., then office work, a trip across the street to the school to meet with the principal and attend a school function, an afternoon home visit to an ailing parishioner, and then back to the rectory to cook dinner.

“I love to cook — pasta, chicken, veal, fish. I like to cook healthy meals,” he said.

Then it’s back out to a meeting. This has been his routine for the past 43 years and although it is his calling and very rewarding, it’s time to steer his ministry in other directions, he said.

Last weekend, the parish community had the opportunity to honor him and say their good-byes in receptions after Masses. It was an emotional time for Father Bob, his staff and the thousands of parishioners who have come to love their spiritual leader.

On July 1, his first day of retirement, he will go on retreat to Miramar Retreat Center in Duxbury, Mass., then a family vacation to Block Island. Next is a cruise to Canada with a retired priest friend and then, perhaps a new “gig” traveling the world and guiding vacationers in prayer as they cruise to far and away locations.

Father Varghese arrives in Barrington

Reverend TJ Varghese has been named new rector of St. Luke's Church. Father Varghese was most recently pastor of St. Eugene's parish in Chepachet. He graduated from the Papal Seminary in Pune, India, where he was ordained in 1995. Born in India, Father Verghese was adopted and raised by an American family in Rhode Island. He is presently Chaplain for the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the RI State Police. Each year Father Varghese facilitates the Special Olympics Torch Run and on most Friday evenings he is seen helping the homeless in downtown Providence. He begins his ministry at St. Luke's on July 1.

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.