The Beloved Physician

My oldest son Daniel and I flew to Newfoundland this month to explore this beautiful Island for nine days.

The first place we stayed at was a small town called Trinity on the Bonavista Peninsula, which is a three hour drive from the capital city of St. John's.

Trinity's harbour was first used by fishing ships around the 16th Century.

A Portuguese explorer named this location Trinity because he arrived there in 1501 on the day of Trinity Sunday.

During the 18th Century Trinity was settled by merchants from Poole, England who exported cod, train oil and seals from the abundant shores of Trinity.

Trinity also became an important medical research centre. In 1798, John Clinch, a clergyman-physician, gave the first smallpox vaccine to the New World in Trinity. He was born in Cirencester, England, but died in Trinity in 1819. Like Luke in the Bible, John Clinch was a beloved physician.

"Luke, the beloved physician."

Colossians 4:14 (NASB)

In 1826, the hymn, "We Love The Place O Lord", was written specifically for Trinity when St. Paul's Anglican Church in Trinity was consecrated.

Bob Flower, an Olympic runner who competed in the Olympic Games in 1904 and 1906, was born in Trinity. He set the world record for the fastest time in a marathon race at New York.