HISTORY OF ST LUKE THE EVANGELIST
St. Luke (Feast day: October 18th and others) was one of the 70 Apostles (Luke 10). He is the author of the Gospel according to Luke. St. Luke was a physician and the first iconographer.
The relics of St. Luke have an interesting history. Crusaders stole the relics and brought them to the Church of St. Justina in Padua near Venice, but over time they were forgotten. The Greeks had record of where they were and in 1992 Metropolitan Ieronymus requested St. Luke’s relics for his Church. The clergy at St. Justina didn’t believe the relics of such a notable Saint could be in their Church. An investigation took place and to their delight the relics were found.
DIRECTIONS
I took a train from Venice to Padua and expected the trip to take a couple of hours. I assumed that Padua was small and that the Church would be easy to find. Well, I was completely wrong, not that it was hard to find (though in my case it was!), but because I was not prepared. This guide is to help you find the Church housing St. Luke’s relics easily.
Step 1.
The Abbey of Santa Giustina houses the relics of St. Luke the Evangelist.
Step 2.
Exit South from the train station.
Step 3.
Locate the road Corso del Polpolo, which is directly South of the Train station. Essentially, you want to take this road South until you get to the Church. Unfortunately, the name changes, which may confuse some, but I will show a step-by-step guide on how to navigate this road. On the plus side, it is a beautiful walk bustling with markets and old architecture.
Step 4.
Continue on Corso del Polpolo. When you cross a river, the name will change to Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi. Continue south.
Step 5.
Continue on Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi until a road veers off southeast from it called Riviera del Ponti Romani. Continue on Riviera del Ponti Romani south.
Step 6.
Continue on Riviera del Ponti Romani south. Eventually it will turn into Riviera Tito Livio. Continue along Riviera Tito Livio south.
Step 7.
Continue on Riviera Tito Livio south. It will turn into Riviera Ruzante, take it and continue heading south.
Step 8.
Continue on Riviera Ruzante. It will turn into Riviera Businello, take it and continue heading south.
Step 9
At this point you should see Prato della Valle, a giant compass like island with water and bridges around it. It is a good indicator that you are close to the relics since the Abbey is a little southeast of it. Continue on Riviera Businello until you get to Via Andrea Briosco, take it and continue south.
Step 10
Take Via Andrea Briosco to Prato della Valle and from there you will see the Abbey more clearly and can head to it.
Getting to the Church is easier then this guide reads. The path is one long road for the most part where its name changes constantly.
THE ABBEY OF SANTA GIUSTINA
The Abbey of Santa Giustina has a lot to see. Not only will you find the relics of St. Luke the Evangelist, but the Abbey also has the coffin they found him in, as well as the relics of St. Matthias the Apostle, St. Giustina (Justina), St. Prosdocimus, and the Well of Martyrs.
Note: I haven’t come across an Orthodox Calendar of Saints commemorating St. Justina or St. Prosdocimus even though they are early Church martyrs. St. Fortunatus mentions St. Justina in some of his writings when he says, “her name makes Padua illustrious, as Euphemia Chalcedon, and Eulalia the city Emerita. And in his poem on the life of St. Martin, he bids those who visit Padua, there to kiss the sacred sepulchre of the blessed Justina, on the walls of which they will see the actions of St. Martin represented in figures or paintings.”
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