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The Illuminated Manuscript shown above (right) is the first letter of the first word "Quoniam" of the
Gospel of St. Luke as depicted in the Book of Kells at Trinity Library in Dublin, Ireland.
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When founded in the early part of the 20th century, the Guild voted on a Constitution and By-Laws. Over the years this has been expanded, changed and amended. On September 5, 2018, with the assistance of Beirne Lovely, General Counsel for the Archdiocese of Boston, the Guild was incorporated as the Guild of St. Luke of the Archdiocese of Boston, Inc. and Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
In 1910, 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 handwritten 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.
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 400s and 500s. In the early 1970s, membership began to diminish and meeting attendance declined. By 1975, even the White Masses were discontinued and the Guild became dormant.
In 1989 and 1990, physicians were inquiring about what had happened to their Guild. With the enthusiastic support of Cardinal Law, it was revitalized. The Guild now endeavors to continue the effort to educate, provide spiritual resources and offer fellowship within our professional lives, helping to inform us with the Gospel and teachings of the Church.
In 2019, our Guild is now a chartered member of the Catholic Medical Association and a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization under the umbrella of the Archdiocese of Boston and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Annual Events The White Mass: Each October on or near the feast of St. Luke, our patron saint, the Guild of Saint Luke hosts a program featuring Mass celebrated by His Eminence, a reception and dinner, followed by a speaker of national or local prominence. His Eminence, Seán Cardinal O'Malley, O.F.M., and his predecessor, His Eminence Bernard Cardinal Law, have been most supportive of this endeavor. Generally, this event has the greatest attendance of physicians, and their spouses and is very popular with the medical students as well. It is a grand opportunity for them to see that Catholicism and Medicine are perfectly compatible entities and complement each other well. Past speakers have included:
1990 - Edmund Pelligrino, M.D.
Select past recipients of The St. Martin de Porres Award presented by the Guild of St. Luke:
- Gerald Corcoran, M.D. (presented a statue of the Saint by Cardinal Law)
Select past recipients of The St. Luke Award presented by the Guild of St. Luke: - John Barravecchio, M.D. | |||||
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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Upholding the Principles of the Catholic Faith in the Practice of Medicine in the Archdiocese of Boston
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Last Updated September 2026 |
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