St. Luke Byzantine Catholic Church

Saint Luke is the patron of our parish. He was born in Antioch of pagan parents. In his youth, he excelled in his studies of Greek philosophy, medicine and art. During the  ministry of the Lord Jesus on earth, Luke came to Jerusalem, where he saw the Savior face to face, heard his saving teaching and was witness to His miraculous works. Coming to belief in the Lord, Saint Luke was numbered among the Seventy Apostles, and was sent our to preach.  With Cleopas, he saw the resurrected Lord on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24). After the descent of the Holy Spirit, Luke returned to Antioch and became a most beloved companion of the Apostle Paul and traveled to Rome with him, converting Jews and pagans to the Christian Faith. Luke, the beloved physician,...greets you, writes the Apostle Paul to the Colossians. (Colossians 4:14). At the request of Christians, he wrote his Gospel in about the year 60 where he diligently arranged what Jesus did and taught. He also wrote the Acts of the Apostles where he told the beginning life of the Church up to the time of the first visit of Paul to Rome. Following the martyrdom of the great Apostle Paul, Saint Luke preached the Gospel throughout Italy, Dalmatia, Macedonia and other regions. He painted three icons of the Most-holy Theotokos and icons of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Hence, Saint Luke is considered to be the founder of Christian iconography. In old age, he visited Libya and Upper Egypt. From there he returned to Greece, where he continued to preach, and convert many with great zeal despite his old age. Luke was eighty-four when the wicked idolaters tortured him for the sake of Christ and hanged him from an olive tree in the town of Thebes. The miracle-working relics of this wonderful saint were transported to Constantinople in the reign of Emperor Constantius , the son of Constantine.   

Liturgy:

Sunday, October 17 - Festal Vespers at 7:00 pm

Monday, October 18 -  Divine Liturgy at 7:00 pm

Troparion (Tone 3):

Let us praise the holy and glorious apostle Luke with sacred chants; he is the radiant writer of the Gospel of Christ and the scribe of the Acts of the Apostles, for he is a living doctor who heals human weakness, the ills of souls and the sickness of nature, and is praying unceasingly for our souls. 

Kontakion (Tone 5):

Let us praise the divine Luke, a star of the Church, a true preacher of piety, and the orator of the ineffable mysteries. The Word who searches all hearts chose him and the wise Paul to be teachers of the Gentiles.