Faith Through the Ages - Today in Religious History
The ancient Roman temple, originally dedicated to all pagan gods, was consecrated as the Church of Santa Maria ad Martyres, marking a significant Christianization of a major Roman landmark.
The English mystic and anchoress experienced a series of sixteen visions of the Passion of Christ, which she later recorded in her famous work 'Revelations of Divine Love', the first book in English known to be written by a woman.
A Spanish Dominican nun and mystic, known as 'La Siervita' (The Little Servant), she is venerated for her piety and incorrupt body, and is a beloved figure in Tenerife, Spain.
On this day, Pope Pius V canonized several saints, including the Franciscan missionary and martyr, Fidelis of Sigmaringen, and the Carmelite reformer, Teresa of รvila, though the latter's canonization was later completed in 1622.
A French Roman Catholic nun and mystic, she promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which became a widespread Catholic practice. She was canonized in 1920.
The Methodist Episcopal Church in America established a missionary society, marking an early organized effort in Protestant missionary work in the New World.
The society issued the New Testament in the Cherokee language, translated by missionary Samuel Worcester and Cherokee scholar Elias Boudinot, a milestone in Bible translation.
Although founded in London in 1865, the Salvation Army was formally established as a separate entity in the U.S. on this date, becoming a major evangelical and charitable organization.
Three shepherd children in Fรกtima, Portugal, reported seeing the Virgin Mary, beginning a series of apparitions that would lead to the establishment of the Sanctuary of Fรกtima, one of the most visited Catholic shrines.
The pope was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt by Mehmet Ali Aฤca. He survived and later forgave his attacker, an event that deepened his spiritual authority and led to the establishment of the World Day of the Sick on February 11.