Fr. Luke Robertson, TOR

Professor of Social Work

Field Coordinator

Franciscan Friar of the Third Order Regular

[email protected]
(740)-284-5790

Master’s degree in Ecclesiastical History, the Washington Theological Union, Takoma Park, Washington D.C. Thesis Title: Catholic Presence in the 1965 Selma Civil Rights Campaign. Graduation Date: June 1998

Master’s degree in Divinity, the Washington Theological Union, Takoma Park, Washington, D.C. Clinical Pastoral Education at Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC. Internship: Assistant Campus Minister at Trinity College, Washington, DC. Graduation Date: June 1998

Master’s degree in Social Work, the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. Practicum experience: Legislative Aide to State Representative Ernesto Scorsone in Frankfort, KY. Social Work Intern at the Veterans’ Administration long-term psychiatric hospital in Lexington, KY. Graduation Date: December 1986

Bachelor’s degree with Honours in English and American Literature, the University of Warwick, Coventry, West Midlands, U.K. Graduation Date: May 1980

Director of Field Education, Social Work Program, and Assistant University Chaplain, the Franciscan University of Steubenville, June 2018 – Present.

Responsibilities include: teaching the Field Education Seminar; student advising; liaison with field agencies; coordinating athletic chaplains; and other sacramental and administrative responsibilities.

Pastor, St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church, Arlington, TX, August 2015 – June 2018.

Responsibilities included: sacramental duties; supervision and assessment of the parish staff team; facilitating directors’ and all-staff meetings; budget preparation, management, and oversight; liaison with the Diocese of Fort Worth and local parishes; and supervision of the school principal.

Director of Pastoral Ministry, the Franciscan University of Steubenville, assigned to the Gaming, Austria campus, August 2012 – May 2015.

Responsibilities included: sacramental duties; membership on the administrative core team; supervision and evaluation of pastoral ministry staff; behavioral assessment of students in consultation with the campus Wellness Center; crisis intervention and education; and supervision of SWOP students.

Associate Pastor, St. Andrew Catholic Church, Fort Worth, TX, June 1999 – January 2002 and April 2010 – June 2012.

Responsibilities included: sacramental duties; supervision and consultation with the school’s principal, faculty, and staff; religious education; counseling and crisis intervention in the parish middle school; and spiritual direction.

Lead Caseworker, the Catholic Charities of Fort Worth Street Outreach Services (SOS) Program, Fort Worth, TX, September 2007 – April 2010.

Responsibilities included: program start-up and ongoing development; grant writing; program assessment and quality control; hiring, supervision and evaluation of program staff; liaison with other community social service agencies; supervision of BSW and MSW students from the Texas Christian University, the University of Texas at Arlington, and Tarleton State University; adjunct faculty member, the Texas Christian University; and providing quality intervention services to the unsheltered homeless population of Fort Worth.

Secretary for Mission Outreach, the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, Altoona, PA, June 2004 – September 2007.

Responsibilities as Director of the Diocesan Catholic Charities Agency included: program start-up and ongoing development; budget formulation and supervision; fund-raising and development; quality control; hiring, supervision, and evaluation of program staff; liaison with the agency’s Advisory Board; purchase and installation of a new, comprehensive, cloud-based client record-keeping system; liaison with other community service agencies; grant-writing; supervision of BSW students from St. Francis University.

Pastor, St. Mary, Our Lady of Grace Church, St. Petersburg, FL, January 2002 – June 2004.

Responsibilities included: sacramental duties; liaison with the Diocese of St. Petersburg; hiring and supervision of staff; liaison with the parish’s finance and parish Councils; financial oversight; and religious education.

Administrative Director and Clinical Therapist, the Family Intervention Crisis Services, Bellefonte, PA. January 1987 – September 1991.

Responsibilities included: program start-up and development; liaison with local and state agencies and schools; quality control; hiring and supervision of program staff; grant writing; supervision of BSW interns from the Pennsylvania State University; providing counseling services to children, youth, and families; expert court testimony; and crisis intervention.

Fr. Luke Robertson has attended and contributed to many conferences and workshops on such topics as: the etiology of homeless populations; effective leadership; hiring and supervision of staff; current mental health practice; legal issues in Social Work; financial management; computer skills; and quality control practices, among others.

Ordination Date: May 1999

Solemn Profession Date: August 1997

Profession Date: May 1994

Formation Dates: August 1992 – May 1999

Local Minister, Holy Spirit Friary, the Franciscan University of Steubenville: June 2018 – Present