The Feast Day of St Luke and the College.
Today, the 18
October, is the feast day of Saint Luke and the official start of the College
year. St Luke is best known as the author of one of the Gospels and the Acts of
the Apostles, but he is also the patron saint of physicians, surgeons and
artists.
Luke’s own writings,
as well as the works of early Christian historians give some details of his
life. He was a Greek speaker and
probably lived in the Greek city of Antioch in Ancient Syria; it also seems
likely that he was a Gentile (not Jewish). Luke’s place as patron saint to
physicians and surgeons come from his own profession, as he was a physician.
Scholars have identified him as ‘Luke, the beloved physician’ mentioned by St
Paul in Colossians 4:14.
As the feast day of the patron saint of medicine, St. Luke’s Day has been the most important date in the College’s calendar for centuries. As early as 1676 the College’s accounts show a dinner to celebrate St. Luke’s Day, a tradition which still continues today.
The Royal
Charter granted to the College in 1692, and still our governing document,
specifies that the College must;
‘On the ffeast day of St Luke next ensueing
the date hereof & on the morrow of that ffeast day yearly or within three
days next ensueing forever after assemble & meete together in the Comon hall of the said
Colledge or other Convenient place within the said Citty of Dublin’
In short, the College must meet every St Luke’s Day. This meeting, the Annual Stated Meeting of the College, still takes place on 18 October. Reports of the progress of the College are read, power is devolved to the College’s Council for the next year and election results for Fellows on Council or College Officer are announced. This year, the ballot for the President Designate will be opened at the meeting, the President Designate will take up the office of President on St Luke’s Day 2017.