St. Lukas

St. Lukas is a modern Roman Catholic church in Graz’s 5th district, Gries. It stands beside the busy Eggenbergergürtel road and serves as a branch of the parish of St. Andrä. The building was dedicated in 1971 after more than ten years of services in a temporary chapel. Between 1972 and 1994 it functioned as an independent pastoral centre before becoming a full parish church. The church’s interior was designed by the Styrian artist Othmar Krenn. A striking stainless-steel cross leans against the altar wall and contains sand from Mount Sinai, the Negev desert, Wadi Arava and Mount Nebo. These places recall the forty years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness under Moses. The tabernacle takes the shape of God’s tent among people, while a traffic-light eternal flame and a hydrant-style holy-water font echo the road outside. The altar is a rock partly wrapped in steel, forming the spiritual heart of the church. Blue walls are embedded with small feathers, adding to the unexpected, contemporary atmosphere. Visitors enter a space where every detail invites reflection. The Sinai sand in the cross, the tent-like tabernacle and the feather-studded walls create a quiet contrast to the city beyond. The altar rock and the angled cross dominate the view, while the traffic-light lamp and hydrant font remind passers-by of the world outside. The church offers a moment of stillness in a busy quarter, its unusual design drawing both worshippers and curious visitors.