Proclamación de D. Pelayo – L. Madrazo (1855), Basílica de Covadonga – source As Pelayo and his men looked down from the cave of Covadonga they saw a massive Muslim horde. Alkama and his men jeered, sure of an easy victory. A chill of fear compounded the chill of the cave but the indomitable leader, … Continue reading
The power of her prayers, the depth of her trust in Christ and the effiacacy of both are illustrated by a story told by Thomas of Celano, a contemporary. In 1244, Emperor Frederick II, then at war with the Pope, was ravaging the valley of Spoleto, which was part of the patrimony of the Holy … Continue reading
“Henri de La Rochejaquelein, leader of the revolt in the Vendee” – Pierre Guérin, 1817 * * * Of the twenty-five thousand fighting men who still remained of the Catholic army, twelve or fifteen lay prostrate with fatigue and drukenness; many others were enjoying themselves in the houses, and refused to go out: “What did … Continue reading
“Liberty Leading The People,” Eugène Delacroix, 1830 Background: The French Revolution The period in which this event took place is…unusually rich in examples of Christian martyrdom. Never had the constellation of martyrs for Jesus Christ so suddenly expanded in France as during the early years of the Revolution. Thousands of Christians perished, not only by … Continue reading
A depiction of the Ottoman Turks’ conquest of the Byzantine Christians and their holy sites: Once the emperor and his badly outnumbered soldiers were slain on the walls of Constantinople, bands of Turks went on a rampage. Pillaging and killing went on for three days. Thousands of civilians were enslaved, soldiers fought over boys and … Continue reading
