Lord, I thank You for the gift of Your
Church. Thank You for making Your
Church united as one. Help me always
to build up that unity. May all people
come to discover the riches of Your
grace in the Church.
May I always strive to be an instrument
by which many souls are brought to
You in Your Church.

WORLD RELIGIONS

• Discuss the origin of the Church
• Your understanding of divisions in
Christianity- discuss

Evangelisation by early disciples in
different parts of the world

And he said to them, Go into all the
worldand proclaimthe gospel
to the wholecreation
Mark 16:15

Apostle Destinations
Simon Peter Parthia [Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia], Britain
Andrew (Peter's brother) Cappadocia, Galatia, Bithynia, Scythia
Simon the Zealot North Africa [Egypt, Cyrene, Mauritania, Lybia], Britain
James son of Alphaeus Spain, (and possibly Britain and Ireland)
Thomas
Parthia, Media, Persia [Carman, Hyrcani, Bactria -- that is Iran
and Afhganistan today], Southwest India
Bartholomew Parthia, Media, Persia, Northwest India
Judas (Libbaeus Thaddaeus) Assyria, Mesopotamia
Philip Scythia, Upper (Northern) Asia Minor
Matthew Parthia, Asiatic Aethiopia (Hindu Kush)
John Gaul? (modern France)
James (brother of John) beheaded by Herod (Acts 12)
Matthias (replaced Judas Iscariot) Dacia (Romania), Upper Macedonia
Paul (Apostle to the Gentiles, Israelites, and kings) Southern Asia Minor, British Isles

Major divisions in Christianity
• The (Roman) Catholic
Church
• Orthodox Churches
(not in communion
with the Pope)
• The Protestant
Churches
• Independent Churches

Different rites
• Latin Church with Latin liturgical traditions
• Eastern Catholic Churches with particular
liturgical traditions:
• Alexandrian liturgical tradition:
• Coptic Catholic Church
• Ethiopian Catholic Church
• Eritrean Catholic Church

Different rites
– Antiochian liturgical tradition:
• Maronite Church
• Syrian Catholic Church
• Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
– Armenian liturgical tradition:
• Armenian Catholic Church
– Chaldean or East Syrian liturgical tradition:
• Chaldean Catholic Church
• Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

Different rites
– Byzantine liturgical tradition:
• Albanian Byzantine Catholic Church
• Belarusian Greek Catholic Church
• Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church
• Byzantine Church of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro
• Greek Byzantine Catholic Church
• Hungarian Greek Catholic Church
• Italo-Albanian Catholic Church
• Macedonian Greek Catholic Church
• Melkite Greek Catholic Church
• Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic
• Russian Greek Catholic Church
• Ruthenian Catholic Church
• Slovak Greek Catholic Church
• Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

• Discuss briefly the various ways the Church is
described as:
• People of God
• Body of Christ
• Sheepfold
• Bride of Christ
• Temple of the Holy Spirit
• Our Mother

• Is the Church divine or human?
• The Four Marks of the Church are:
One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic.
Discuss what each one of these
means. How do you see the Church
fulfilling each one of these aspects of
its life?

Let us pray….
• Lord, Jesus, I thank You for Your Church. Lord, at
times Your Church carries wounds as a result of the
sins of its members. Bring healing and grace in times
of need. Be with Your vicar on earth, our holy father
the pope. Give him the grace, strength, and wisdom
he needs to lead Your people to Heaven. Be with our
bishops, priests, and deacons. Help them to live out
the calling they have received at their ordination.
Lord, lead all those called to the consecrated life to
deeper holiness. Lord, we pray for all the lay faithful.
May each member of Your Body, the Church, renew
their baptismal calling every day, so as to be a better
sign of Your love and mercy in the world.