The first three centuries of Christianity produced saints whose witness has shaped the Church for all time. These were men and women who knew Christ or his Apostles, who faced the lions in Roman arenas, and who articulated the faith we profess today. Their blood became the seed of the Church.

Here you will encounter St Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, whose letters form so much of the New Testament and whose missionary journeys brought the Gospel to the heart of the Roman world. You will meet the four Evangelists - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - who gave us the written Gospels. You will learn of the early martyrs: St Ignatius of Antioch, St Polycarp, Sts Perpetua and Felicity, and countless others.

This era also produced the early Church Fathers - St Clement of Rome, St Justin Martyr, St Irenaeus of Lyon - whose writings defended the faith and passed on the apostolic tradition. Their witness continues to guide the Church today.