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Jesus Calling Peter
At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus is walking on the shores of the Sea of Galilee before encountering two fisherman, Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. He tells them to stop fishing and to follow Him. This is significant because Simon Peter and Andrew were fisherman for all of their lives, and it isn't easy leaving all that you know behind and following a stranger. Jesus, however, struck them so much that they dropped their nets immediately and followed Him. -
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Early Christian Church
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Pentecost
Three days after Jesus died on the cross, he came back and appeared to his disciples saying that he will be leaving soon. None of the disciples knew what to do without Jesus there to help them, but he assured them that he would send a helper. After Jesus' ascension into heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit down as the helper. This day is referred to as Pentacost, or birthday of the church. -
St. Paul's conversion to Christianity
On the road to Damascus, St. Paul, who was then known as Saul, had a conversion experience. He saw a bright light that knocked him off his horse. He was blinded by the light and was spoken to by God. God said that he was to go to Damascus and find a certain inn keeper. After that he was to spread the Word of Jesus Christ and he would be named Paul. -
Martyrdom of St. Peter
St. Peter was called by Jesus the "rock" of the church. While preaching in Rome, he was arrested for his treason. It was earlier prophecied by Jesus that Peter's death would bring glory to God. In John 21: 18-19, Jesus says "…when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and take you where you do not want to go." Peter ended up being cruxified upside down because he didn't feel worthy to die in the same way of his savior. -
Catacombs
Catacombs were a huge asset to early christians. Initially, they were used for tombs, but christians turned them into places to hold mass. While Christianity was being persecuted in the Roman empire, the catacombs gave the christians a safe place to worship and to hold mass. Also, glyphs found in the caves suggested some pagan activity, so it was mainly used as a religious place all together. -
Christian persecution
Peter who tried to spread the word in the heart of the Roman empire were brutally put to death. Finally, the Jewish people, who considered a divine Jesus blasphemy, persecuted the christians as well. A good example of the Jewish persecuting christians is St. Paul, who before his conversion was killing christians. -
Martyrs
(Acts 7:55-57) 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him -
Great Fire of Rome
During the night of July 18, 64 AD, fire broke out in the merchant area of the city of Rome. Fanned by summer winds, the flames quickly spread through the dry, wooden structures of the Imperial City. Soon the fire took on a life of its own consuming all in its path for six days and seven nights. When the conflagration finally ran its course it left seventy percent of the city in smoldering ruins. The fire was blamed on the christians -
Trajans Rescript
Emperor Trajan of the Roman Empire's letter to Pliny (Roman Governor) which stated that if a Christian renouned their faith and offered sacrifice to the Roman gods, they would be allowed to live in spite of their past Christian life. Basically, this gave Christians an ultimatum, death or apostasy (the renouncing of religious beliefs) -
Justin Martyr
Saint Justin, was an early Christian apologist, and is regarded as the foremost interpreter of the theory of the Logos in the 2nd century. He was martyred, alongside some of his students, and is considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, and the Eastern Orthodox Church -
Perpetua and Felicity
Saints Perpetua and Felicity (believed to have died 7 March 203) are Christian martyrs of the 3rd century. Perpetua was a 22-year old married noblewoman and a nursing mother. Her co-martyr Felicity, an expectant mother, was her slave. They suffered together at Carthage in the Roman province of Africa, during the reign of Septimius Severus. -
Constantine
Constantine was a Roman Emperor in circa 300 AD. He was important to the Catholic Church because he issued the Edict of Milan, which allowed Christians o freely express their religion. The story of his conversion is that he was once a soldier in the Roman army when he saw something spectacular. When the odds were against them, he saw a buring cross in the sky and the next day, they won their battle. He believed it to be a sign from God and he converted. -
Chi Ro
The Chi Rho is one of the earliest forms of christogram, and is used by some Christians. It is formed by superimposing the first two letters chi and rho of the Greek word Christ in such a way to produce the monogram. Although not technically a Christian cross, the Chi-Rho invokes the crucifixion of Jesus, as well as symbolizing his status as the Christ. The Chi-Rho symbol was also used by pagan Greek scribes to mark, in the margin, a particularly valuable or relevant -
Edict of Milan
The document known as the Edict of Milan is found in Lactantius' De Mortibus Persecutorum and Eusebius of Caesarea's History of the Church with marked divergences between the two. In February 313, Emperor Constantine I, who controlled the western part of the Roman Empire, and Licinius, who controlled the Balkans, met in Milan and, among other things, agreed to treat the Christians benevolently. Whether or not there was a formal 'Edict of Milan' is debatable. -
Battle of Milvian Bridge
The Battle of the Milvian Bridge took place between the Roman Emperors Constantine I and Maxentius on 28 October 312. It takes its name from the Milvian Bridge, an important route over the Tiber. Constantine won the battle and started on the path that led him to end the Tetrarchy and become the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. Maxentius drowned in the Tiber during the battle. -
First Council of Nicaea
A council of Christian bishops that convened in Nicaea under the Roman empire that was first established in 325 A.D. It was the first effort to attain a consensus for the Church through an assembly. -
St. Athanasisus
Saint that lived from around 300 AD - 373 AD and is widely known for arguing with a pagan and taking an assertive stand in his faith. His feast day is May 2nd. -
St. Ambrose
Saint that lived from around 340-397 AD and is the patron saint of Milan. He is one of the four original doctors of the Church, and is also known for his influence on St. Augustine. His feast day is December 7th. -
Emperor Theodosius I
Roman emperor that was the last person to rule both over both the western and eastern parts of the Roman Empire. He also issued decrees that made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. Lived from 347-395 and ruled from 379-395. -
St. Jerome and the Latin Vulgate
The Latin Vulgate is the Latin translation of the Bible. St. Jerome was the person that was largely responsible for translating the bible, however, just how much work he is responsible for completing is unclear. Lived from 347-420. Feast day is September 30th. -
St. Augustine of Hippo
Interestingly this saint is from the modern-day country of Algeria. He is well known for his writing and contributions to Christianity, especially the field of philosophy. Notable works include: Confessions of St. Augustine, City of God, and On Christian Doctrine. Lived from 354-430. Feast day is June 15th. -
Heresies
A heresy is defined as a belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (esp. Christian) doctrine. The term was first used by Emperor Theodosius in 380 for anything that contradicted Orthodox Christian beliefs. -
Visigoths
The Visigoths were part of the Visigothic Kingdom that occupied southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula. They were formed in 418 and lasted until the year 721. Eventually, in the late 500s this empire became a Christian empire. -
Atilla the Hun
Attila the Hun was the ruler of the Huns from 434-453 and was the leader of the Hunnic Empire. He was feared as a powerful military leader and was seens as a huge threat to the Roman Empire. There are many theories of how he died in 453. -
Council of Epheseus
This was a council of Christian bishops that convened under Epheseus in 431 AD under the ruler Emperor Theodosius II (the emperor after Theodosius I). They confirmed the Nicene Creed, which is still a prayer said today. -
Council of Chalcedon
This was a church council held from October 8th to November 1st in 451 AD in Chalcedon, a city in present-day Turkey. This council signified the turning point in many debates, which led to the demise of the Western Roman Empire. -
St. Benedict
St. Benedict was the founder of many Italian monastery communities, twelve to be exact. He is also known because he is the patron saint of Europe and of students. Benedict is also the founder of “The Catholic Order of St. Benedict.” Lived from 480-543 in Italy. Feast day is July 11th. -
Muhammad
Muhammad is known as the founder of Islam. Islam is one of the three major monotheistic religions that mentions Jesus Christ. He was born in 570 in the Muslim, holy city of Mecca. He wrote the Qu’ran, which is the equivalent to the Christian Bible, except Muslims believe this is the word of God. -
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of nine major wars that were fought by Christians to take back Holy Land, that was owned by other religions. Pope Urban II promised people pardon for sins in exchange for battle services. It was ended finally after the ninth crusade had come to a truce. Warriors were known as CRUSADERS. From late 1000s to 1200s. -
Martin Luther
This is Martin Luther, not Martin Luther King Jr. a civil rights leader. Martin Luther was a former Catholic priest that was a major leader in the Protestant Revolution. He published the Ninety-Five Theses and argued against many beliefs of the Catholic Church. Today his followers are known as Lutherans. Lived from 1483-1546.
