Saint Luke the Evangelist

Saint Luke the Evangelist (1st century AD) was one of the Seventy Apostles, a physician, and the author of the Third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. He was a close companion and fellow laborer of the Apostle Paul, accompanying him on his missionary journeys and remaining with him during his imprisonment in Rome.

Saint Luke is also venerated in the Orthodox Church as the first iconographer, having painted the earliest icons of the Most Holy Theotokos from life, with her blessing. His Gospel is distinguished by its tenderness, its attention to the poor and the marginalized, and its beautiful accounts of the Nativity and the Resurrection appearances, including the road to Emmaus.

After the repose of the Apostle Paul, Saint Luke continued to preach the Gospel in Italy, Gaul, Dalmatia, and Macedonia, and is venerated as a martyr. His feast day is October 18. He is the patron saint of physicians, surgeons, and artists. Browse our handcrafted Orthodox icons and devotional items honoring Saint Luke the Evangelist, made in our Ohio workshop using traditional Byzantine embroidery techniques.