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.
Martyrs and Missionaries ofa Changing World
The period from 1500 to 1800 was one of the most dramatic in Church history. The Protestant Reformation divided Western Christianity, while Catholic reform movements renewed the Church from within. At the same time, European exploration opened vast new territories for missionary work, and the faith took root in the Americas, Asia, and Africa.
Here you will meet the English martyrs - St Thomas More, St John Fisher, St Edmund Campion - who gave their lives rather than deny the faith. You will encounter the great missionaries: St Francis Xavier, who baptised thousands in India and Japan; the North American Martyrs, who brought the Gospel to the indigenous peoples of Canada; and countless others who left everything to spread the faith.
This era also produced great reformers and founders: St Ignatius of Loyola, St Teresa of Avila, St John of the Cross, St Francis de Sales, and St Vincent de Paul. Their legacy continues to shape the Church today.
At a Glance
“I die the King's good servant, but God's first.”
St Thomas More
At his execution, 1535
Courage in Every Age
The saints of the Reformation era faced choices that cost them everything. Their faithfulness in the face of persecution and their zeal for souls continue to inspire Catholics around the world.