Skip to main content
St Saviour's Catholic Church
St Saviour's
St Saviour's Catholic Church
St Saviour's

Loading...

Please wait while we load the content

St Saviour's Catholic Church LogoSt Saviour's

A welcoming Catholic parish community in the heart of Lewisham, serving our neighbors with faith, hope, and love since 1889.

Visit Us

  • Mass Times
  • Contact Us
  • Streaming
  • Events

Parish Life

  • About Us
  • The Sacraments
  • Parish Groups
  • News

Resources

  • Learning Hub
  • Prayer Hub
  • Daily Readings
  • Gallery

Catholic Church

  • Archdiocese of Southwark
  • Vatican News
  • Catholic Bishops Conference
  • Universalis

Contact

  • 175 Lewisham High Street
  • London SE13 6AA
  • 020 8852 2490
  • lewisham@rcaos.org.uk

© 2026 St Saviour's Catholic Church, Lewisham. Registered Charity No. 1173050. Diocese of Southwark.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Safeguarding

The Lives of the Saints

Discover the men and women whose heroic virtue has illuminated the path to holiness across two thousand years. From the earliest martyrs to the saints of our own time, their lives inspire and guide us still.

Explore by EraBack to Learning Hub →
  1. Home
  2. Learning Hub
  3. The Lives of the Saints
Cloud of Witnesses

Two Thousand Years ofHoly Lives

The saints are not distant figures from a bygone age - they are our brothers and sisters in Christ, members of the same Body to which we belong. Their lives demonstrate that holiness is possible in every age and circumstance, from the arenas of ancient Rome to the streets of modern Calcutta.

In this section, you will encounter martyrs who shed their blood for the faith, missionaries who carried the Gospel to the ends of the earth, mystics who plumbed the depths of divine love, and ordinary men and women who found extraordinary grace in the duties of daily life. Each saint reveals a unique facet of the inexhaustible riches of Christ.

Whether you seek models for your own spiritual journey or simply wish to learn the stories of those who have gone before us, these resources will introduce you to the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us.

At a Glance

Martyrs and Confessors
Meet those who witnessed to Christ through suffering - from the early martyrs to the victims of modern persecution.
Mystics and Doctors
Discover the contemplatives and teachers whose writings continue to guide souls towards union with God.
Founders and Missionaries
Learn of those who established religious communities and carried the faith to new lands and peoples.
Featured Content

LatestArticles

St Rafqa: Faith As Self-Sacrifice
saints
St Rafqa: Faith As Self-Sacrifice
Some people suffer and suffering defeats them. Others? Well, they rise above it. Nelson Mandela, in a letter to his wife Winnie from Kroonstad Prison in 1975 wrote: "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." St Rafqa (sometimes called St Rebecca) is the epitome of Mandela's quote; someone who, in the face of seeming insurmountable odds, just kept on trying. Not only that, but she also called suffering upon herself, in order to be closer to God and honour the Passion of the Christ.

5 min read

Explore Topics

Explore by Era

The communion of saints spans every century and continent. Each age has produced its own witnesses to the Gospel - shaped by the challenges and opportunities of their time, yet united in their love of Christ and his Church.

From the blood of the martyrs that became the seed of the Church, through the great missionaries and monastic founders, to the saints who shine amidst the complexities of modern life - select an era below to begin exploring their stories.

Martyrs and Early Church Fathers (30 CE – 300 CE)

Meet the first generation of saints - the Apostles and their companions, the martyrs who sealed their witness with blood, and the Fathers who defended the faith against persecution and heresy. These are the foundations upon which the Church was built.

The Missionaries (300 CE – 600 CE)

Encounter the saints who carried the Gospel beyond the Roman world - to Ireland, Britain, and the barbarian kingdoms. As the Empire transformed, these missionaries laid the foundations for Christian Europe.

The Rise of Monasticism (600 CE – 1100 CE)

Meet the monastic saints who preserved civilisation and spread the faith during the Dark Ages. From the great Benedictine abbeys to the wandering Irish monks, they kept the lamp of learning burning and evangelised a continent.

Reformers and Mystics (1100 CE – 1500 CE)

Discover the saints of the High Middle Ages - founders of great religious orders, mystics who scaled the heights of contemplation, and reformers who renewed the Church. This era produced some of our most beloved saints.

Martyrs and Missionaries of Change (1500 CE – 1800 CE)

Encounter the saints of a turbulent age - martyrs who died for the faith in Reformation Europe, and missionaries who carried the Gospel to the Americas, Asia, and beyond. Their courage transformed the Church and the world.

Modern-Day Saints (1800 CE – Present)

Meet the saints of the modern era - holy men and women who lived in times much like our own. From missionaries and martyrs to mystics and servants of the poor, their lives show that holiness flourishes in every age.

“The saints have always been the source and origin of renewal in the most difficult moments in the Church's history.”

PS

Pope St John Paul II

Christifideles Laici, 1988

Walk with the Saints

The saints are not merely historical figures to admire from afar - they are intercessors and companions for our own pilgrimage. As you explore their lives, may you find inspiration, encouragement, and friends in heaven.

Begin with the Early MartyrsReturn to Learning Hub