Faithful Friday: St. David of Wales
By Ian Wilson … St. David’s life can be summed up by his last words: “Be joyful, keep the faith, do the little things you have seen me do”.
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Faithful Friday: Reginald Heber
By Ian Wilson … There have been many hymn writers in the history of the Christian Church, but few have been as influential on church music as Reginald Heber. Heber was born on April 21st, 1783, to a wealthy and educated family, who were able to afford to give Reginald a good education. He was something of a child prodigy, translating Latin classics to English at only seven years old.
Read MoreFaithful Friday: Polycarp
By Lyn Wilson … Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (in Asia Minor), was a disciple of Jesus Christ and the Apostle John. God in his mercy gave Polycarp eighty-six years on this earth before his death as a martyr. Why is Polycarp important to us today?
Read MoreFaithful Friday: Philip Melancthon
By Ian Wilson … The Lutheran Church’s first systematic theologian was born on February 16th, 1497, in Bretten, Germany. He was given the name Philip Schwarzerdt, but at the urging of his uncle, Johann Reuchlin, he changed it to the Greek name, Melanchthon, to reflect his status as a scholar.
Read MoreFaithful Friday: Cornelius the Centurion
By T.K. Wilson … When Cornelius’s messengers arrived, Peter immediately went with them. When they arrived in the Centurion’s home, he preached the gospel to all who were there. All in the house believed his word, received the Spirit, and were baptized.
Read MoreFaithful Friday – St. Timothy
Lyn Wilson St. Timothy the Evangelist was born in Lystra, a city in Asia Minor. He was born to a Jewish mother, Eunice, a devout follower of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 1:5). His father was Greek. The Apostle Paul discipled St.Timothy, who, by all accounts, was a devout young man. He was praised for his […]
Read MoreFaithful Friday: Macarius the Great
By Sarah Levesque … Macarius the Great, also known as Macarius the Egyptian or Macarius the Elder, was one of the Desert Fathers of the early Church. He was born around the turn of the fourth century in Egypt, the son of a Christian. Originally a camel driver, Macarius was ordained a priest and became a hermit, following the words of an angel that appeared to him twice.
Read MoreFaithful Friday: Tatiana of Rome
By Ian Wilson … The wicked minister Ulpian had the saintly lady arrested and brought to the temple of Apollo, attempting to force her to sacrifice to the false god. Instead, Tatiana prayed, and the idol of Apollo shattered with a terrible noise. Some witnesses claimed they saw a shadowy being fleeing from the statue.
Read MoreFaithful Friday: Great Martyr Anastasia
By T.K. Wilson … The Great Martyr Anastasia was born in Rome, the daughter of a pagan and a secret Christian. During the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian, she ministered to those in prison, slipping out in disguise, keeping this from her pagan husband. She used her wealth to free the captives and also, using her skill as an herbalist, cured many wounds and diseases, hence her title Deliverer from Poisons, as she knew how to reverse poisonings.
Read MoreFaithful Friday: Hieromartyr Hilarion
by Ian Wilson … A brilliant theologian and defender of the Russian Orthodox church, Archbishop Hilarion was born Vladimir Alexievich Troitsky around the year 1885 in the Russian village of Lipitsa. He was born into a family of clergy and theologians, and followed in his father’s footsteps.
Read MoreFaithful Friday: St. Bernadette
By Sarah Levesque … St. Bernadette was born Marie-Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France, on January 7, 1844. She was considered a sickly child, and had asthma. Whether due to ailments or other difficulty learning, Bernadette was unable to read, write, or learn her catechism lessons properly as a child, which delayed her First Communion. At the age of fourteen, over the course of six months, she had eighteen visions of Mary, Mother of God…
Read MoreFaithful Friday: Edmund Campion
By Caroline Liberatore … Edmund Campion is notably remembered and celebrated yearly with a feast day on December 1st. Although there are many components of his later life which we annually recall and commemorate, his entire life was remarkable upon examination.
Read MoreFaithful Friday: Andrew Dung-Lac
By T.K. Wilson … Beginning in the 1600s, the Catholic Church was violently persecuted by the Vietnamese government, but that did not stop the church from growing. One of the main heroes of the Vietnamese church was Andrew Dung-Lac.
Read MoreFaithful Friday: St. Gregory of Tours
By Sarah Levesque … Gregory of Tours was likely born in the Merovingian kingdom (now France) around the year 539. He had many important relations, which likely eventually helped secure his appointment to the bishopric. Be that as it may, Gregory was appointed bishop of Tours during the reign of King Sigebert and Queen Brunhild of East Francia in 573.
Read MoreFaithful Friday: Martin Luther
Faithful Friday: Martin Luther by Ian Wilson … Perhaps the most controversial figure in Western Christianity, Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Saxony. His father had become prosperous in the copper industry, and made enough to give young Martin a good education.
Read MoreFaithful Friday: Princess Anna Vsevolodna
In the early 9th century, Princess Anna Vsevolodna was born into prominent status as the daughter of Kievan Great Prince Vsevolod Yaroslavich and granddaughter of the Byzantine Emperor.
Read MoreFaithful Friday: St Narcissus
St. Narcissus’ origins are lost to history, but he was born at the end of the first century and was appointed as the thirtieth bishop of Jerusalem around 180AD. He was known for his many virtues and his dedication to his office. During his episcopacy, there was a year that the church ran out of lamp oil.
Read MoreFaithful Friday: John Ball
An obscure man from an obscure parish who was content to be forgotten, John Ball was born in Cassington, Oxfordshire, in October 1585.
Read MoreFaithful Friday: Theodore Beza
Theodore de Beze was born on June 24, 1519, in Vezelay, France. He studied to be a lawyer then set up practice in Paris, where he also wrote poetry. At one point he became very ill and, once he recovered, he sought out the famous reformation leader John Calvin, who was living in Geneva, Switzerland. There, Beza became a professor of Greek, then he travelled Europe preaching the Protestant cause.
Read MoreFaithful Friday: Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto was, in many ways, the pivotal moment of this ongoing strife. There was much at stake, particularly as the number of Christian hostages had accumulated astronomically over the years.
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