The Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist
/On 18 October 2018 the St. Luke Foundation celebrated the feast of its patron saint, St. Luke the Evangelist. The day started with a celebratory mass lead by Fr Rick and Fr Hugo. Red and white balloons, flowers, and large decorative hats, decked the chapel at the St. Luke Hospital and the joyful singing of a dozen men accompanied by a keyboard and conga drum filled the church. During the mass, Fr Rick shared about St. Luke the Evangelist—how he was a physician, historian, painter of icons, whose Gospel is centered on God’s mercy, care for the poor, the importance of a joyful spirit and deep prayerfulness--a gospel where salvation is meant for all people. This is why St. Luke is the patron saint of the St. Luke Foundation for Haiti. His life was spent in healing, in teaching, and following God in all things. These are all values that the St. Luke Foundation hopes to embody.
After mass, St. Luke Hospital staff celebrated with a small reception, serving traditional pumpkin soup (known as soup joumou), cake, pastries, and other tasty treats. However, the celebration did not stop there! Rachelle and Yolette, both from the hospital’s social services team, delivered pastries and sandwiches to the family members of St. Luke patients.
Although the 18th of October was a special day, the foundation makes every day special by following the example of great people like St. Luke—and great progress has been made by doing just that! Since its establishment in 2000, The St. Luke Foundation for Haiti has grown tremendously. The foundation provides medical care for 50,000 patients a year at two different hospitals, education for 16,000 students in various locations of the country, and employs more than 1,000 people. And this is only the beginning! As the foundation continues to reach more people, inspiring them too to live in such a way—loving their neighbors and caring for the poor, Haiti will never be the same.