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31 BC
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The empire enjoyed prosperity and provided citizens with a variety of entertainments. These ranged from baths to theatres, to stadiums for sport and amphitheaters for big events, merriment, and spectacles. People were seeking answers to their human heart questions.
People were attracted to Christianity because of the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. They were also attracted by the power of the love Christians showed both towards each other, and to all the other people, a love flowing from the Spirit.
The Christian persecutions starting in 64 AD. Persecution of Christians was intermitten. Emporer Septimius Severus (193-211 AD) issued an edict which forced prominent governors across the whole Empire to persecute anyone who would not worship the Roman gods. Then came the Emporer Trajan Decius (249-251 AD), a harsh persecutor who condemned all suspected of being Christians, unless they also worshipped pagan gods. People died from enduring tortures, while others denied they were christian on in fear that they would be tortured.
Constantine was the emporer of the west in 312 AD. He had a vision of a cross put together with the words, 'With this sign you will conquer.' This was before the battle of the Milvian Bridge.
30 AD
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On Pentecost Day the Apostles gathered. When they had gathered tongues of fire appeared and filled them with the Holy Spirit. They then started to speak different languages. They were amazed that they could understand them in their native language. Some of them were wondering what it all meant while others laughed it off and said 'They have been drinking too much new wine'. Once this had happened they accepted what he said and were baptised. About three thousand were added to their number. Jesus had given the Apostles the power to work miracles so that people would listen to them. After this 5,000 men came to believe and were baptised.
33 AD - 68 AD
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The first person to die for the Christian faith was Saint Stephen. Someone who is a good example of conversion is Philip. Three examples of his work are when he proclaimed the gospel to people, he worked miracles and he drove unclean spirits from people.
Saul's journey on the road to Damascus.
Saul saw a light from heaven surround him. He fell to the ground and he heard a voice say, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' The man traveling with Saul stood there speechless, for he heard the voice but could see nothing. Saul was lead by someone's hand. For three days he was blind and didn't eat nor drink anything.
46 AD - 58 AD
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Paul went through modern Cyprus, Turkey, and Syria. During his first journey, he healed a cripple in Lystra. He also stopped the people from thinking he was a god.
Paul's second journey included him being imprisoned in Philippi when an earthquake occurred, he preached to his jailer and his family, and he received the jailer and his family into the Church.
During Paul's third journey he preached and taught God's laws in the synagogue, he cast demons out of people ad while in his journey more people were converted to Christ and became members of the Church.
The Jewish leaders tried to assassinate Paul, so the Roman authorities moved him to Caesarea.
410 AD
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The Western half of the Roman Empire came under the pressure from the Franks, the Alemanni, the Vandals and the Visigoths. In 378, the Goths massacred Roman imperial forces, and the Emperor Valens was killed in the battle. Rome was sacked, captured, plundered and looted in 410 AD.
In 486 AD a Frank leader, Clovis, defeated the ruler of northern Gaul and established himself as king of all Gaulloc territory north of the Loire River.
In 590 AD, Pope Gregory 1 was elected. A monk himself, he sent out monks to establish monasteries throughout rural Europe, as country areas were the refuge of urban people fleeing warring tribes.
In 771 AD, a Frank King, Charles came to his throne. Known now as 'Charlemagne' (Charles the Great), he was crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III on Christmas day, 800 AD.
The story of Christendom is about a Church suffering at the hands of military conquerors on the other hand, while spreading the Gospel as followers of Christ, especially monks, moved around unstable former Roman Empire. The Spirit moved them, especially the popes, to carry out the command of Jesus to preach his Gospel 'to all nations'.
1848 - 1948
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China:
St Francis Xavier died in 1552 on his way to China. The Church did not reach China until 1581 when a number of Jesuits led by Fr Matteo Ricci arrived. Christianity grew rapidly, and there nearly two million Catholics in 1922. The end of WW2, the Church in China had 20 archdioceses and 79 dioceses. The persecution of Christians began again in 1950 with the Communist conquest of China. Hundreds of thousands of Christians lost their lives, some were imprisoned. In 1958, the Communist Government set up a 'Catholic Patriotic Church'.
Australia:
The Church in Australia began with the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. There were 316 Catholics out of 1,044. In 1820 priests arrived to minister to Catholics in the colony. In 1838 the Sisters of Charity were the first religious order to set up communities. In 1920's about 1 in 5 Australians claimed affiliation with the Catholic Church. By the end of the century over one-quarter of the population was Catholic. The Church in Australia today is made up of people from different cultures and is actively involved in many ministries.
1848 - 1914
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The Holy Spirit guided Christ's followers to carry the good news beyond Europe to new communities.
Africa:
In 1849, David Livingstone, demonstrated that it was a suitable place for migration. Missionaries became interested in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. In 1868, the Society of Missionaries of Africa, or White Fathers, was founded. They first went to Uganda. The Church In North, East and West Africa rapidly expanded with millions of new members over the twentieth century. The Church in Africa still has the strongest growth rate of the whole Church.
The United States:
Three dioceses were established in North America as early as 1511. Missionaries went to Central & South America. The earlier missionaries in America (Jesuits, Franciscans, Capuchins) were to proclaim the Gospel to Native American Indians. The influence of these missionaries extended from Florida to California in the modern US. In 1790, after the American War of Independence, Fr John Carrol, a Jesuit priest, was appointed Bishop of Baltimore. Within 50 years, there were 16 American dioceses in 13 states. The Church continued to expand, particularly with the immigration of Catholics from the countries.
Asia:
Missionary movements were stirred by the Spirit to go to Asia. This started with the arrival of the Portuguese in India and Goa became the missionary centre. In 1542, one of the most famous of all missionaries. St Francis Xavier landed in Goa. He preached, baptised and converted multitudes.
Japan:
In 1549, St Francis Xavier landed at Kagoshima in Japan. In 1853, an American naval squadron led by Commodore Perry arrived in Edo Bay in Japan. A treaty of friendship was signed between Perry and the Japanese ruler in 1854. Catholic missionaries began preaching in Japan. In 1855, missionaries were surprised to notice a small group of Japanese showing devotion in the mission chapel in Nagasaki. These people were descendants of the persecuted Catholics of 1638. There were 10,000 of these people. As a result of world opinion stirred by the media of the time, persecution ceased in 1889 and religious freedom was granted. The growth of the Church in Japan has been slow. In 1945, 8,500 Catholics were killed by the Atomic bomb dropped over Nagasaki. Today, the Church in Japan is led by Japanese bishops and priests.