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“I ought Born with the name Valentine Felixovitch Voino-Yassentsky on [[April 27]], 1877 in Kerch (east Crimea), his family members were civil servants to tell you Lithuanian and Polish Kings. The family was impoverished over time but Saint Luke remembers that what God did to me as amazing and incomprehensible…he received his religious inheritance from his pious father. My pursuing surgery completely satisfied His first true understanding of the goal I always had to serve Christian faith came from the poor and the suffering, [[New Testament]] given to dispose all my strength for the comfort of their pains, and to help them in their needshim at his high school graduation by his principal.”

These are some of ===Education===He had an outstanding secular training. Having exceptional drawing abilities, he graduated the introductory comments from the memoirs Kiev Academy of Saint Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol that was kept by his secretary, EFine Arts.P<ref group="note">[http://naomaedu. Leikfeldru/ National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture]. His words are not vainglorious but </ref> He decided however against pursuing art in favor of a commentary on how Gods plan was fulfilled through the life career where he could help people who suffer, and example of Saint Lukechose to be a physician.

Living in In 1903 at the Ukraine during the oppressive period age of communism26, he graduated from Great Prince St. Luke stood out among his fellow physicians both as Vladimir Medical School at the [[w:Kiev University|University of Kiev]], and for a surgeon and long time worked as a Christianlocal district physician. An extraordinary medical student, he excelled at anatomy. Even the communists coveted His superior knowledge of anatomy served him throughout his talents for healing the bodysurgical career.

Born with Out of compassion to the name Valentine Felixovitch Voino-Yassentsky blindness that beggars were experiencing due to [[April 27w:Trachoma|trachoma]], 1877 in Kerch (east Crimea), his family members were civil servants to Lithuanian and Polish KingsSaint Luke studied ophthalmology at the Kiev ophthalmologic clinic. The family was impoverished over In a very short time but Saint Luke remembers that he received his religious inheritance from his pious fatheracquired a significant amount of ophthalmologic training. His first true understanding knowledge of the Christian faith came from the [[New Testament]] given to this subspecialty helped him at treat not only his high school graduation by his principaltrachoma patients, but many other serious eye conditions as well.

He ===Marriage===Another important event in Valentine’s life was the marriage to his wife Anna, a nurse. They had an outstanding secular trainingfour children. Having exceptional drawing abilitiesThe family was transferred frequently to various regional health care facilities and from the very beginning Valentine never requested funds from his patients, nor would he graduated the Kiev Academy turn anyone away because of Fine Artshis ethnic background or personal beliefs. (When consecrated Bishophis wife died, he was given God in setting the name Luke after path for Valentine’s Sainthood provided the Apostle, family with Sofia Sergeevna who in addition to being a physician and evangelist was a talented iconographer). He decided against pursuing art in favor of doing service in helping people who suffer and chose to would be a physician. An extraordinary medical student, he excelled at anatomy. His superior knowledge the joyful surrogate mother of anatomy served him throughout his surgical career. Out of compassion to the blindness beggars were experiencing due to trachoma Saint Luke studied ophthalmology at children during the Kiev ophthalmologic clinicharsh times ahead. In a very short time he acquired a significant amount of ophthalmologic training. His knowledge of this subspecialty helped him treat not only his trachoma patients but many other serious eye conditions as wellValentine never remarried.

Another important event in Valentine’s life was the marriage to his wife Anna, a nurse. They had four children. The family was transferred frequently to various regional health care facilities and from the very beginning Valentine never requested funds from his patients, nor would he turn anyone away because of his ethnic background or personal beliefs. ===Career===During his early career he published many scientific treatises and eventually became the head surgeon and professor of surgery at the hospital in [[w:Tashkent|Tashkent ]] in March 1917. In October, Lenin took over the government and civil war erupted in Tashkent in January 1919. To complicate matters his wife died. God in setting the path for Valentine’s Sainthood provided the family with Sofia Sergeevna who would be the joyful surrogate mother of his children during the harsh times ahead. Valentine never remarried. Lenin’s government disfavored any religious witness. Valentine was under constant threat, especially when treating party members but he refused to operate under any circumstances without the Icon of the [[Mother of God]]. His results were outstanding.  <blockquote>“I ought to tell you that what God did to me as amazing and incomprehensible...My pursuing surgery completely satisfied the goal I always had to serve the poor and the suffering, to dispose all my strength for the comfort of their pains, and to help them in their needs.”</blockquote> These are some of the introductory comments from the memoirs of Saint Luke, that were kept by his secretary, E.P. Leikfeld. His words are not vainglorious, but a commentary on how God's plan was fulfilled through the life and example of Saint Luke. Living in the Ukraine during the oppressive period of communism, St. Luke stood out among his fellow physicians both as a surgeon and as a Christian. Even the communists coveted his talents for healing the body. ===Ordination and Persecution===Despite the dangers from the Lenin regime he fearlessly attended theological discussions arranged by [[Archpriest]] Mikhail Andeev. At During this time period when [[clergy]]men and pious people would prove their faith in [[blood]], providence led the Archpriest to invite Valentine to the [[priest]]hood. Thus in 1921 at the age of 44 Valentine was [[Ordination|ordained]] a priest. For two years, this exceptional individual was active not only in his pastoral work but in public and scientific activity.

<blockquote>“I cut people to save them. You, Mr. Public Prosecutor, why do you cut their heads off?”</blockquote> Certainly the charges were never proven but since the Party had to be infallible Fr. Valentine was convicted to sixteen years imprisonment.  ===Doctor, Scientist, Bishop, Imprisonments===Noting Fr. Valentine’s spiritual gifts, prior to his departure from Tashkent (arrest and exile to Siberia), in 1923 Bishop Andrey Ufimsky administered [[monasticism|monastic]] [[tonsure]] and facilitated his consecration as [[Bishop]].<ref group="note">When consecrated [[Bishop]], he was given the name [[Apostle Luke|Luke]] after the Apostle who similarly, in addition to being a physician and [[evangelist]], was a talented [[iconographer]].</ref> Almost immediately Saint Luke was sent to the first of his three imprisonments.  Due to his talent as a surgeon there would always be placement at a remote medical facility where the attending colleagues would be astounded that a professor with such impeccable academic credentials would be subservient to the whims of the local civil authorities. Despite the criticisms of lesser surgeons Saint Luke would practice his medical skills. With the grace of God he amazed his colleagues with excellent medical outcomes in ophthalmologic and surgical cases that others deemed incurable.  In 1926, Bishop Luke returned to Tashkent, but in 1930 was again arrested and sentenced to three years of exile.  Upon his release, he once again returned to Tashkent, and spent his time in medical practice. As a physician and professor he trained many students and colleagues in the art of surgery, and as a scientist he found the time to publish many articles. A fruit of this work was the appearance in 1934 of his book ''"[http://medlib.ws/hirurgiya/197-ocherki-gnojjnojj-khirurgii.html Notes on Purulent Surgery]"'',<ref group="note">''“[http://medlib.ws/hirurgiya/197-ocherki-gnojjnojj-khirurgii.html Essays on the Surgery of Pyogenic Infections],”'' or ''“Purulent Surgery Essays,”'' published in 1934.</ref> which laid the foundation for an entire medical specialty. For that work, Bishop Luke was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medical Science in 1936, and his work continues to be used in medicine to this day. This monograph and the subsequent revisions was the “gold standard” reference for his colleagues at the time.  As a capable [[hierarch]] he strengthened the [[parish]]es and supported priests and church councils. As Saint Luke’s surgical and pastoral popularity would increase, the communist authorities would transfer him. When blatant injustices would be committed against Christians and fellow political prisoners he would initiate hunger strikes. In 1937, Vladyka was arrested, and spent more than two difficult years undergoing tortuous interrogation and humiliation.<ref group="note">On [[December 5]], 1937, after being sleep deprived and interrogated for three weeks he broke down in a state of hallucination and signed a confession that he was a counterrevolutionary.</ref> Nonetheless, resting his hope in the Lord, he courageously endured those trials, not only refusing to agree to false accusations against him, but engaging in active protests – refusing to eat, and sending complaints to the highest authorities against the prosecutors’ illegal actions. He would say to his fellow prisoners, <blockquote>“They demand that I remove my ryassa. I will never do so. It, my ryassa, will be with me to my very death… I help people as a physician, and I help them as a servant of the Church….”</blockquote>

Certainly the charges were never proven but since the Party had The people who met him during his ordeals bore witness to be infallible Frhis true character. Valentine As a physician he was convicted to sixteen years imprisonment. Noting Fr. Valentine’s spiritual gifts, prior to his departure from Tashkent, [[Bishop]] Andrey Ufimsky administered [[monasticismSaint titles|monastic]] [[tonsureUnmercenary]] and facilitated never asked for money treating all his consecration as Bishop. Saint Luke realized that he would be cutting ties patients with family and friends for Greater Gloryimmense love. “He who loves He shared his father patients’ pain and mother more than Me is not worthy anguish for he saw each person as an image of Me; God, unique and he who loves son and daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37)unrepeatable.

Almost immediately Saint In 1940, Bishop Luke was sent sentenced to five years of exile in the first of his three imprisonmentsKrasnoyarsk area. Due to his talent as a surgeon there would always be placement at a remote medical facility where At the attending colleagues would be astounded that a professor with such impeccable academic credentials would be subservient to the whims beginning of the local civil authorities. Despite the criticisms of lesser surgeons Saint Great Patriotic War (World War II), Bishop Luke would practice his medical skills. With offered the grace of God he amazed authorities his colleagues with excellent medical outcomes services as a doctor, and in ophthalmologic and surgical cases that others deemed incurable. As a capable hierarch he strengthened 1941 was appointed consultant to the [parish]]es and supported priests and church councils. hospitals of As Saint Luke’s surgical and pastoral popularity would increase the communist authorities would transfer him. When blatant injustices would be committed against Christians and fellow political prisoners he would initiate hunger strikesKrasnoyarsk.

He In 1942, Vladyka was submitted elevated to humiliation the rank of [[Archbishop]] and torturesappointed to the Krasnoyarsk kathedra, which at the time did not have a single church. In factThrough Archbishop Luke’s efforts, on in 1943 a church was opened in a suburb of Krasnoyarsk. He wrote to Patriarch [[December 5Sergius I (Stragorodsky) of Moscow|Sergius]]:<blockquote>“All of Eastern Siberia, 1937from Krasnoyarsk to the Pacific Ocean, after being sleep deprived and interrogated for three weeks he broke down gave no sign of church life…If churches in a state various parts of hallucination and signed the Krasnoyarsk area are not opened in the near future, there is a confession risk that he was a counterrevolutionarythe people will lapse into religious savagery. The people who met him during his ordeals bore witness to his true character. As a physician he was Unmercenary and never asked for money treating all his patients with immense love. He shared his patients’ pain and anguish for he saw each person as an image of God, unique and unrepeatable. ”</blockquote>

As a physician and professor he trained many students and colleagues in In 1944, the art of surgery. As a scientist he found the time archbishop was appointed to publish many articles including his monograph “Essays on the Surgery of Pyogenic Infections” published kathedra in 1934. This monograph and the subsequent revisions was the “gold standard” reference for his colleagues at the time. In 1944 he received the “Stalin Award” for all his scientific publicationsTambov.

As a Bishop he preached incessantly not only about In 1946, for outstanding scientific work in the need to live Orthodoxy but against the perils area of medicine, he was awarded the “[[Living Churchw:USSR State Prize|Stalin Award]]”. The latter was a defiled heretic sect propagated by the communist regimefor all his scientific publications. He is credited with 1250 sermons over thirty-eight years donated almost all of priesthood and episcopal service the money to help children who had suffered as the result of which 750 were preserved in twelve volumes. When he practiced surgery from this point on he wore his bishop's cassock in the operating room and refused to perform surgery without an iconWar.

Also in 1946 Vladyka was appointed to the kathedra of Crimea, where at first he combined archpastoral service with medical assistance to the people, but later dedicated himself to Church service, zealously working to build up Christ’s vineyard, something that, under the conditions of life under Communist authorities, then demanded great courage and faith. As a Bishop he preached incessantly not only about the need to live Orthodoxy but against the perils of the “[[Living Church]]”. The latter was a defiled heretical sect propagated by the communist regime. He is credited with 1250 sermons over 38 years of priesthood and episcopal service, of which 750 are preserved in twelve volumes. When he practiced surgery from this point on, he wore his bishop's cassock in the operating room, and refused to perform surgery without an [[icon]]. As the regimes of Lenin, Stalin, and Khrushchev regime came and went , Saint Luke’s persecutions and frequent transfers only increased his popularity. Despite public slander , he was known as an unselfish, loving, physician and spiritual father. This posed a great propaganda threat to each regime and towards the end of his life Saint Luke was restricted in his travels and his medical responsibilities to remedial services. The latter This also was also in God’s plan , as toward towards the end of his life Saint Luke lost his vision to glaucoma. He could now devote his time exclusively to matters of faith. He performed many healing [[Miracle|miracles ]] and had many spiritual children.

Toward Towards the end of his life he was worried if it would be permitted to chant “Holy God” at his funeral. He last liturgized celebrated the [[Divine Liturgy]] on the feast of the [[Nativity ]] of Christ in 1960 , and his last sermon was on Forgiveness Sunday. His repose was [[June 11]], 1961, the day of commemoration for “All Saints who shone forth in the Land of Russia”.

The government made every effort to make Saint Luke’s funeral as inconspicuous as possible. Busses Buses were provided to hurry the funeral procession along the side-streets to the gravesite so there would be little fanfare and recognition.God had different plans for Saint Luke and a popular uprising occurred at the funeral. The faithful refused to be hurried. They boldly ignored, at peril to life and limb, the roadblocks to the central corridors. The mayor was angered because of the roses spread on the roads, and flung a basket away claiming that the roses were litter and trash on the streets.<ref group="note">He soon after had a very ugly death.</ref> To the dismay of the government and to avoid an uprising, they conceded to allow the funeral to proceed for three and a half hours without interference. The roads were full and cars stopped everywhere. People had climbed on balconies, onto rooftops of houses. Such a funeral was a tribute of honor. The authorities wanted a silent event. It was witness to God’s Glory that throughout the walk there was a constant chant of ''“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy on us”.''

God had different plans for Saint Luke and a popular uprising occurred at the funeral. The faithful refused to be hurried. They boldly ignored, at peril to life and limb, the roadblocks to the central corridors. The mayor was angered from the roses spread on the roads and flung a basket away claiming that the roses were litter and trash on the streets. (He soon after had a very ugly death). To the dismay of the government and to avoid an uprising, they conceded to allow the funeral to proceed for three and a half hours without interference. The roads were full and cars stopped everywhere. People had climbed on balconies, onto rooftops of houses. Such a funeral was a tribute of honor. The authorities wanted a silent event. It was witness to God’s Glory that throughout the walk there was a constant chant of “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy on us”. Saint Luke’s prayers to have Holy God “Holy God” chanted at his funeral during the atheistic times were answered!