His strong 2013 finish had qualified him to run in the 2014 race, but this presented a problem for him, as he was planning to enter the U.S. Army in the next few months, where he would serve a four-year tour of duty as a military chaplain.
In January, Father Luke, now a captain assigned to the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division, began a one-year deployment with his unit to Afghanistan, where he is based at Bagram Airfield. He also travels around the embattled Southwest Asia country by land and helicopter whenever there is a need for his ministry.
Inspired by the courageous "Boston Strong" stories of those whose lives changed forever on Patriot's Day 2013, Father Luke aspired to make his base an official extension of the Boston Marathon.
"I had an idea to bring the Boston Marathon to Afghanistan," he said, noting how he first approached the base commanding general, Major General Stephen J. Townsend, with his idea.
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Major General Townsend green-lighted Father Luke's idea, and the chaplain petitioned the Boston Athletic Association for permission to host a Boston Marathon outside of the Bay State.
The organization granted only one entity - the Combined Joint Task Force-10 and Regional Command-East, based at Bagram Airfield - permission to host such a marathon.
The race was advertised strictly through word of mouth, again to maintain operational security. It took only a few days for more than 600 soldiers and civilians serving all over Afghanistan to sign up to take part in the marathon, which was held last Friday, instead of jointly on the same day of the Boston Marathon.
"As we run the first Boston Marathon since last year's bombings, we "Run as One" with the people of Boston. Like the U.S. Army's slogan, "Army Strong," the people of Boston have shown they are tough, they are resilient; they have shown the world they are "Boston Strong!" Major General Townsend said in a statement issued Friday to the runners of the Bagram Shadow Marathon and the people of Boston.
Father Luke, who apparently had enough energy left in his tank after completing the 26.2-mile event Friday to do some pushups at the finish line, to the delight of the crowd that gathered at sunrise, said he is comfortable in his new role with the military, although there is still much to learn.
"So far, everything is going really well; everything is new to me," he said. "I'm still learning how to be a chaplain and how I fit in."
On a day-to-day basis, his ministry entails "lots of counseling," including suicide prevention and resiliency trainings to help soldiers cope with their missions and prepare for their eventual return to civilian life, as well as hearing confessions and offering Masses. While celebrating the Easter Vigil Mass at the base, he baptized nine soldiers into the Catholic Faith.
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"It was a very powerful and moving moment for them and me. It was a great journey leading them to this moment," Father Luke said.
He said his ministry both challenges and humbles him every day, as he does his part to make the world a better place.
But his assignment is not without risk.
"Every so often, we get powerful reminders that we are still at war. You get hit with rockets and shot at while you fly."
Living and working under such conditions is another reason why offering those in harm's way even a slice of the life they left behind in the States through activities such as the Boston Marathon Afghanistan is so very important.
Dr. David King, a 1991 graduate of Mount Saint Charles Academy who went on to become a trauma surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital and who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan as a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army, rushed to save the lives of victims of last year's Boston Marathon bombings barely an hour after running the race himself.