Who are the Hospitaller Knights?
The Hospitaller Knights (the Order of the Knights of the Hospital of St. John) is a Catholic lay religious order officially established in AD 1113 that continues today as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The Hospitaller Knights are involved worldwide in medical, social, and humanitarian work, especially in war-torn areas and places hit by…
Who was the Venerable Bede?
Bede (673–735) was a Catholic monk in England; he is known as the Father of English History and was one of the most learned men in Europe at the time. Bede’s tomb in Durham Cathedral contains an inscription giving him the title “Venerable,” meaning that some officials in the Roman Catholic Church had found his…
What were the Christian crusades?
The crusades have provided some of the most frequent arguments against the Christian faith. Some Islamic terrorists even claim that their terrorist attacks are revenge for what Christians did in the crusades. So, what were the crusades and why are they viewed as such a big problem for the Christian faith? First of all, the…
What were the Dark Ages?
The “Dark Ages” are commonly considered to be the early part of the period known as the Middle Ages. Often the term Dark Ages refers to the initial five hundred years following the fall of Rome in 476. It is thought of as beginning around A.D. 450 and continuing till A.D. 1000. During this time…
Who was Catherine of Siena?
Catherine Benincasa was born in Siena, Italy, on the Day of Annunciation in 1347. Catherine was the youngest or second-youngest of over 20 children (exact numbers vary depending on the source) and survived a twin who died shortly after birth. Her father was a wool dyer and housed extended family in an estate that stands…