Church history Archives

Treasure hunter finds piece likely to have been part of crown of Henry VIII

Feb 9, 2021

Kevin Duckett was near a pond close to the English town of Market Harborough with his metal detector when it began to buzz like mad.

By Claire Page

Ancient fabric shows how King David may have dressed

Jan 29, 2021

A new archeological discovery may shed new light on the way King David and King Solomon dressed 3000 years ago.

By Charles Collins

Lebanese man’s decades of research helps great-uncle’s sainthood cause

Jan 4, 2021

A Lebanese Capuchin then serving in Baabdat — Father Salim Rizkallah — had been appointed vice postulator of the sainthood cause of Armenian Catholic Archbishop Ignatius Maloyan of Mardin, Turkey.

By Doreen Abi Raad

Global pandemic meets 500th anniversary of 1st global voyage

Dec 31, 2020

Disease, mutinies and uncharted waters nearly sabotaged the global circumnavigation of the expedition led by Portuguese mariner Ferdinand Magellan. Five centuries later, the pandemic looms as a Spanish navy tall ship sails to commemorate the feat.

By Christopher Torchia

Brazil’s Catholic Church yet to come to terms with slaveholding past

Dec 29, 2020

In a year the Black Lives Matter movement spread across the globe, Brazilians are beginning to focus on the role the Catholic Church played in the institution of slavery in the country.

By Eduardo Campos Lima

Bavaria to leave medieval anti-Jewish sculptures on churches

Dec 9, 2020

Authorities, churches and Jewish communities in Germany’s southern state of Bavaria have agreed that anti-Semitic statues and carvings dating back to the Middle Ages shouldn’t be removed from churches, an official said Tuesday.

By Associated Press

Pope pens letter marking 500th anniversary of first Mass in Chile

Nov 9, 2020

Although COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have shuttered public celebrations around the world, Catholics in Chile still should find meaningful ways to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the first Mass celebrated in the country, Pope Francis said.

By Junno Arocho Esteves

Daughters of Charity made the streets their cloister

Nov 9, 2020

The Daughters of Charity were a centralized and hierarchical order, under the authority of an elected superior general. This new model gave a strong unity to the sisters trained and used to act in the same way.

By Charles C. Camosy