BELMONT -- Watertown resident Del Furbish credits his involvement in his parish -- St. Luke’s in Belmont -- with a simple walk.

On warm nights, Furbish would often see Father Gerard Petringa, pastor of St. Luke’s, taking a walk around the neighborhood, speaking to residents and getting to know his neighborhood.

“That fact -- that here was a priest who would actually walk around the neighborhood and be a sign of the church to others -- was enough to have me look into becoming a parishioner there,” he recalled.

Together with his wife, Cindy and their two children, the Furbish family have not only become parishioners at St. Luke’s, they have become active members of the parish in the community.

In the five years the Furbish family has been at St. Luke’s, they have taught religious education, Cindy has become a Eucharistic minister, they have been involved in the parish’s sacramental preparation for First Communion, Del has helped with the parish’s newest venture -- a children’s liturgy specially geared for children to understand the weekly readings of the Mass, and one of their children has recently become an altar server.

“I’ve been a part of different parishes before, but I’ve never felt so strongly that I am a real part of the church,” Del stated. “I really feel that I am a part of a family.”

Cindy echoed the sentiment, noting that her faith “means more to me than ever before now that I am a parent.”

“I really like the fact that my children have an extended family in the parish community,” she said. “And I like the fact that there is something out there that is watching over me, over us.”

Both the Furbishes believe that what motivates them to be so active in their parish is the dedication they find in Father Petringa and in the pastoral associate, Sister Kathleen Moran, CSJ.

“[They] do so much,” Del said. “They are both so welcoming and are such really great people.”

Cindy agreed. “What they do is so much, what we do pales by comparison.”

According to Cindy, Father Petringa is a “great role model” who is “very down to earth.”

“He really does everything he can to make every parishioner feel like he is part of a family,” she said.

Both the Furbishes are originally from Waltham. High school sweethearts who married 13 years ago, both are cradle Catholics. However, Del, a sales manager for a local fastener company, credits his Catholic upbringing to his mother. Although she was not Catholic -- his father was -- his mother always insisted he go to Mass every week.

“Over the years, my faith has meant a lot of things at a lot of different times in my life, but it is something that has always been -- and will always be -- a part of who I am,” Del said.

St. Luke, Belmont

Year established -- 1919

Pastor -- Father Gerard Petringa

Pastoral Associate -- Sister Kathleen Moran, CSJ

Religious Education Director -- Robert Flaherty

Music Director -- Todd Theriault

Parish Secretary -- Claire Collins