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The Guild of Saint Luke of the Archdiocese of Boston is an organization of Catholic physicians of the Archdiocese who meet several times each year to discuss issues of moral and ethical significance in healthcare.  It serves as a resource to its members for knowledge in these areas, as well as providing a forum for discussion and a source of spiritual sustenance

  Constitution and Organization

The Illuminated Manuscript shown above is the first letter of the first word "Quoniam" of the Gospel of St. Luke as depicted in the Book of  Kels at Trinity Library in Dublin
When founded in the early part of this century, the Guild voted on a Constitution and By-Laws.  Over the years this has been expanded, changed and amended.  It is currently being studied by a committee which  will be bringing forth a recommendation on how much of the original should be retained and what new parts should be added. 

History of the Guild    

Beginnings
In 1912, William Cardinal O'Connell gathered several of the most prominent Catholic doctors of that time in his living room in downtown Boston. The records of that meeting, and subsequent ones, are hand-written in leather-bound journals in the Archives of the Archdiocese. The Cardinal spoke of the value of a Guild of Catholic physicians and appointed three of those doctors as officers, charging them to initiate and promote such an organization. He also appointed a Chaplain to offer guidance and counsel.

Early History
 This effort kept the Guild alive and running for the next six decades. The archives are replete with reports of this thriving organization over the years. Noted among its accomplishments were black-tie dinners and dancing at the Statler, large scientific meetings at St. Elizabeth's and membership figures in the 400's and 500's. In the early 1970's, membership began to diminish and meeting attendance declined. By 1975, even the White Masses were discontinued and the Guild became dormant.

Later History
In 1989 and 1990, physicians were inquiring about what had happened to their Guild. With the enthusiastic support of Cardinal Law, it was revitalized. Currently, there are over 150 members and it is continuing to grow. It is our goal to recapture and surpass the membership numbers of the earlier years.