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After Jesus was taken up to heaven, the Apostles, Mary and other disciples, gathered together in Jerusalem to await the promised coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came down on the gathering on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost (50 days after Passover). It sounded like a very strong wind and looked like tongues of fire.
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The Early Church was a period of rapid expansion despite persecution. Christians were persecuted by local Jewish leaders because their beliefs challenged social and national trends within the empire. Christianity spread from Jerusalem, across Judea, to Rome, throughout the Empire and beyond. Leaders of the early church challenged and encouraged other Christians to live as Jesus taught.
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Originally named Saul, Paul the Apostle was a leader in the persecution of Christians. On the road to Damascus, Jesus came to him in a bright light from heaven. Jesus asked him, “ Saul, why are you persecuting me?” For three days, Saul did not eat or drink
After this encounter, Saul became Paul and converted to Christianity
His responsibility was to lead gentiles to Christian faith. He travelled the Roman Empire spreading the gospel until he martyred in Rome. -
Constantine was ruler of the far western portion of the Roman Empire. In October 312 AD he marched against his rival Maxentius who held Rome. Before they met for battle outside Rome it is said Constantine had a vision. He was told he would win the battle under the sign of Christ. Constantine’s army won a decisive victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. He stopped the persecution of christians although he was only baptised on his death bed.
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Constantine was ruler of the far western portion of the roman empire. In October 312 AD he marched against the rival Maxentius who held Rome. Before they met for battle outside Rome it is said he had a vision. He was told he would win the battle under the sign of Christ
Constantine's army won a decisive victory at the battle o the Milvian bridge.Although Constantine was not baptized until he was on his deathbed, from the time of this experience he acted to protect and promote Christianity -
Roman Emperor Constantine saw a vision of the cross in the sky before a great battle, and so became Christian
The following year, he ended the persecution of Christians with the Edict of Milan. This lead to Christianity becoming the official state religion of the Empire.
The roman empire began to split into two parts- the Greek speaking Eastern roman Empire and the Latin speaking western part of the Empire
With this split of the empire, the church also began to split -
Over time, church leaders began to take on a more direct role in government , with some church leaders using and abusing their positions. Powerful political forces in the west had a significant influence on who could be elected as pope, which caused serious problems and lead to an abuse of power in the church. However, in response to these challenges renewal in the western church came rom the monasteries and new religious orders.
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Pope urban II called for a military expedition to relieve eastern Christians and regain the holy land. At first, many who responded were peasants who caused havoc among fellow Christians. A following wave o trained knights and soldiers had more success and in a brutal and bloody campaign captured Jerusalem. In all there were nine major crusades but the first crusade of 1096 was the most successful. Crusades maintained a tenuous presence in the holy land for the next 200 years
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Joan of arc was a girl living in France who believed that God had chosen her to lead France to victory in its war with England. Joan lead the French Army to victory over the English. In 1430, the king ordered Joan to confront a Burgundian assault. In her efforts , she was captured. Joan was accused of witchcraft and dressing like a man. In 1431, Joan signed a confession denying that she had divine guidance. On the morning of May 30, 1431, at the age of 19, Joan was burned at the stake in Rouen
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Some Christians reacted to times of upheaval and challenge in the church by leaving the catholic church and forming new expressions of western Christianity. The Reformation spread through northern Europe and to England resulting in division and conflict. The Catholic Church reacted with its own process of renewal. The events of the Reformation and the Catholic Counter Reformation played a major role in shaping the attitudes and thoughts of the Church for nearly five hundred years.
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Martin Luther was a priest and lecturer in Germany. He was disturbed by church corruption.When indulgences were sold to raise money for the building of a St Peter’s Basilica in Rome he protested by publishing a list of arguments. His protest reached Rome and he was ordered to recant (withdraw his protest). He refused. Luther had powerful friends who protected him and the support of many sympathetic people. Luther’s ideas were able to spread quickly and so the Protestant Reformation took off.
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The church came to realise that changes had to be made.
The council of Trent corrected corrupt practices.The council formalised doctrines that had been disputed by the Protestants. Sacraments were defined and rituals to be used when administering them were fixed. The Church sent missionaries to win back those who had joined protestants. The society of Jesus formed in 1540 was effective in the missionary field. There was renewal of spirituality amongst Catholics, especially in religious houses. -
After the reformation, the world changed with scientific discoveries and advances in technology. These changes brought challenges for Christianity. With these new developments, some turned away from the church. The period also saw the beginnings of new religious orders to meet the various social needs of communities. Pope John XXIII identified that in order to engage people, the church needed to interact with the world, so he called an ecumenical council.
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The industrial revolution began around 1760. Steam power, machines and the factory system increased productivity, especially in textiles. Working conditions were awful and there was terrible poverty. The population of Britain increased, including the Catholic population, as Irish workers migrated. The often slave-like conditions of the workers, including children, would eventually stir the Catholic Church to demand workers rights including the right to own property and the means of production
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Mary Mackillop is the first Australian to be proclaimed a saint by the Catholic Church.
Mary felt called to serve God and with Fr Julian Tennyson Woods founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart with the prime intention of educating the poor, especially in outback Australia.
The order flourished and by the time of Mary’s death in 1909 there were over 400 sisters ministering in Australia and New Zealand.