Faith came to France very early and very strong. It seems likely that traders brought the Gospel from distant Smyrna (modern Izmir in Turkey) to Lugdunum (modern Lyon). The blood of martyrs was seed. Blandina, a sickly slave, emerged from her trials an epic hero, honored forever. Irenaeus, the globetrotting scholar-bishop, arose as the second century's greatest theologian.

LINKS

Mike Aquilina, Rabbles, Riots, and Ruins: Twelve Ancient Cities and How They Were Evangelized https://www.amazon.com/Rabbles-Riots-Ruins-Ancient-Evangelized/dp/1621646785/

Museum and ruins of Lugdunum https://lugdunum.grandlyon.com/en/

The Letter of the Churches of Vienna and Lugdunum to the Churches of Asia and Phrygia https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1934

Eusebius, Church History, Book 5 (including the deeds of Irenaeus) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1998

Richard Krautheimer, Three Christian Capitals: Topography and Politics https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_-Rk0fpRIKLAC

Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com/

Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/

Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org/

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