“Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name give the praise…” (King James Bible, Psalm 115:1)

The spread of the Christian Faith in the times of the Apostles was unparalleled both in its speed and extent. It began with 12 men – as many as you could squeeze into a small room – but as a result of their efforts and achievements Christ was known and worshipped within 30 or 40 years, in centres of varying size from Spain to India.

The Apostles were essentially pioneers and as they went from place to place they had to leave each little congregation to the care of local priests whom they themselves had chosen and ordained. They were able to look after these islands of Christianity, set in a dark and often stormy sea of paganism, only by letter writing and occasional visits. Yet all of these communities, differing in nationality and often in language, preserved the same organised way of life and, what is more remarkable when one considers how no two persons think alike, the same beliefs.