That's a Good Question

  • St. Paul preached and baptized converts

    Where is Crete where St. Paul’s ship was caught in a hurricane?

    St. Paul was continuing his journey by ship from Jerusalem to Rome when he encountered a hurricane and unexpectedly had to land at the Greek island of Crete (or Kriti). Crete is the largest of the Greek islands in the eastern Mediterranean Sea southeast of mainland Greece. Crete is famous for its ancient Minoan civilization (300-2100 B.C.) and its ancient paintings and ruins are very interesting to see.

    O. Meinardus says that St. Paul’s ship anchored at Fair Havens in Crete about the end of the first week of October, AD 61. Here the ship stayed for possibly three weeks waiting for the wind to change. Fair Havens (or Kaloi Limenes) is the name of a small village, a bay and a group of islets on the southern coast of Crete.

    In 1851 Captain Spratt anchored his paddle steamer where St. Paul’s ship had sought shelter. On a ridge over the bay Spratt found the ruins of a Greek chapel dedicated to St. Paul, perhaps marking the very spot where Paul himself used to preach to the natives of Crete.

    Today the existing white chapel, commemorating St. Paul’s arrival on Crete, is situated on the brow of the hill overlooking the bay. It is built upon the site of the former church. A few yards to the west of the church is the traditional cave where St. Paul stayed. This cave is marked by a very tall cross. There are houses in Fair Havens scattered around the bay.

    Another town of Crete is called Phoenix (modern Loutro) and is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. Loutro was a better harbor for waiting out the winter. The people of Loutro maintain that St. Paul visited their town. Today there is a little chapel of St. Paul and a spring of St. Paul between the coastal towns of Loutro and Aglia Roumeli. This chapel commemorates the site where St. Paul baptized his first Cretan converts. A service is held in this chapel each year on June 29, the feast of Ss. Peter and Paul.

    St. Paul’s companion Titus became the first bishop of Crete. There is an epistle of St. Paul to Titus in the New Testament.

    At Gortyna, the capital of Crete during the Roman period when St. Paul lived, you can see the ruins of the Church of St. Titus, which dates from the 4th century A.D. Tradition says St. Paul appointed St. Titus the bishop of Crete on the site of this church. In this church you can see the beautiful shrine of St. Titus. At Herakleion on Crete you can visit the large Cathedral of St. Titus and see a beautiful large icon of St. Paul.

    Posted on January 25, 2012, to:

  • St. John warns Laodiceans of lukewarm spirituality

    Where is the church of Laodicea to whom St. John wrote a letter?

    St. John the Apostle wrote a letter to the church of Laodicea in ancient Asia Minor (modern Turkey) that is found in the New Testament Book of Revelation. St. John complains that the Laodiceans are neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm in their spiritual life. St. John is probably referring to the famous hot springs at the city of Hierapolis near Laodicea. I visited these hot springs and there are lots of people bathing in these same hot springs today.

    St. John further complains that the Laodiceans think they are so rich and secure, but they are really spiritually poor. Ancient Laodicea was a wealthy commercial center.

    Today Laodicea is an extensive archaeological site. A. Edmonds says that today in Laodicea you find a large area littered with broken marble, tops of stone masonry walls and here and there public buildings: two theaters, a large stadium, nearby it a water tower, an Odeon or roofed building for musical performances and a nymphaeum. In the side of the hill approaching Laodicea you can see the truncated conduits that were part of the water supply system for the city.

    The famous Roman orator Cicero lived in Laodicea in 50 B.C. Laodicea endured a destructive earthquake in A.D. 60, but this very wealthy city rebuilt itself without any outside help.

    There was a prosperous Jewish colony in Laodicea well before the Christian era. The city’s reputation was for its money transactions and the good quality of raven-black wool grown in the area. Many of the coins were stamped with the image of Zeus, the main god of the city. Originally a medicinal aromatic plant for strengthening the ears was only made in Laodicea, but eventually it flourished elsewhere. Christianity was introduced at Laodicea by Epaphras, a companion of St. Paul. Laodicea was a bishopric of some importance for several centuries.

    In the New Testament there is a mention of an epistle to the Laodiceans by St. Paul. Some authors think this epistle may be the same as St. Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians.

    This town of Laodicea in Turkey is not to be confused with Laodicea on the coast of Syria which was the hometown of Apollinarius, who became the bishop of this Syrian Laodicea in A.D. 360, and was a close friend of the famous St. Athanasius. This Syrian Laodicea had a shrine to Athena at which human sacrifices were said to have been offered. At this Laodicea you can see an amphitheater, a stadium, baths and a two-storied lighthouse illustrated on a second-century coin, along with colonnades and a monumental arch.

    Posted on January 11, 2012, to:

  • St. Thomas the Apostle said to have visited scenic Syria

    Where are Edessa and Madras, places St. Thomas the Apostle is said to have visited?

    Edessa, modern Urfa, was a city in Syria, now in southeastern Turkey. St. Ephraem, a Syrian literary father, settled in Edessa in 363. From a very early date, E. Livingstone says Edessa was the center of Syriac-speaking Christianity. The church there, destroyed in 201 after a flood, is the oldest known Christian edifice.

    Edessa’s fame was enhanced by its claim to possess, from 394  onwards, the relics of St. Thomas the Apostle. Edessa today has many beautiful large ponds and is situated against the Toros mountains.

    I. Aksit describes the sites of Edessa. On a hill south of Edessa is the Abode of the Prophet Eyup who was made a leper by God to test his faith. After displaying patience and devotion, he washed in water and his health was restored.

    The prophet Ibrahim destroyed the pagan idols of Edessa. As a punishment, he was thrown from the castle into the fish pond that you can visit today. At the base of the Urfa Castle is the Cave of the Prophet Ibrahim, where he was born. You can see two gigantic pillars of Urfa Castle today. There also are a number of Muslim mosques in Edessa. You can visit the caravansary from 1220, situated on the ancient silk road. Near Edessa is the famous city of Harran, where the Old Testament patriarch Abraham lived.

    Madras is a city in southern India. It is the fourth largest city in India today. Fodor says that legend claims that St. Thomas the Apostle came to Madras as a missionary to India, and was martyred while praying in front of a cross engraved in stone on St. Thomas Mount in 72 A.D. This stone, called the “Bleeding Stone,” is now installed inside the beautiful 16th-century Church of Our Lady of Expectation, erected on the foundation of an earlier church that St. Thomas is said to have built.

    His revered name also has survived in St. Thome, a seaside residential section of southern Madras. His body is believed to be entombed in the center of the San Thome Cathedral Basilica, a handsome neo-Gothic structure with elegant arches and a 180-foot steeple, built in 1896. Inside is an image of Christ standing on a lotus flower, a typical Hindu pose.

    J. Delaney mentions another tradition that St. Thomas was martyred and buried at Mylapore, an inland district near Madras. Also at Madras is Fort St. George. Inside the fort is St. Mary’s Church, the oldest Anglican church in India, consecrated in 1680 A.D. There is also an old Armenian church built in 1620 A.D. The Catholics in southern India still call themselves “St. Thomas Christians” today.

    Posted on October 5, 2011, to:

  • The Apostle Philip martyred at Hierapolis

    Where is Hierapolis where St. Philip the Apostle was martyred?

    Like many of the apostles, St. Philip was born in Bethsaida, a fishing village on the Sea of Galilee in Israel. Tradition says St. Philip preached in Greece and was crucified upside down at Hierapolis under the persecution of the Roman emperor Domitian (A.D. 81-96). Hierapolis (modern Pamukkale) is a city in Turkey famous for its fantastic rock formations and hot springs. Tourists still bathe in these ancient hot springs today.

    D. Darke says that ancient Hierapolis (Greek for “Holy City”) was made up of Greeks and Romans with a sizable community of Jews, which helps explain the early spread of Christianity here. At Hierapolis I climbed up this large hill to see a vast building or church built around the beginning of the 5th century that houses the tomb of the martyred Apostle Philip.

    The plan of this building is complex, with an octagonal central chamber, reminiscent of early Byzantine churches. On the original long main street of Hierapolis that runs in a straight line, you can see the ancient baths. The two large vaulted rooms, now housing the museum, were in Roman times reserved for the emperor and special ceremonies. At the back of the baths is an adjoining palaestra or open area for exercise and gymnastics. Behind the palaestra are the remains of a vast basilica with three naves, which is probably a cathedral erected in the 6th century when Hierapolis became the seat of a bishop.

    At the hotel you can see a sacred pool with columns and pillars in the shallow water. Here you see the ruins of a nymphaeum or monumental fountain. Here you also see the Temple of Apollo, the most shrine of Hierapolis.

    Below the temple is a small vaulted door which leads to a chamber under the temple. This is the infamous Plutonium grotto which exuded fumes said to be deadly, according to the ancient historian Strabo. Near the temple is the Roman theater with its well-preserved seats. Here were discovered splendid reliefs from A.D. 200 illustrating the myths of Dionysus, Apollo and Artemis.

    Also in Hierapolis is a well-preserved monumental gateway with a triple arch and two round towers. Just inside this gate is a small Byzantine chapel. Between the gate and the city wall, the street is lined with private houses. Beyond the gateway is an imposing brick building, a former bathing establishment, which was converted into a church at the beginning of the Byzantine period.

    Beyond this area is a vast necropolis or cemetery, one of the most extensive in Turkey. Over 1200 tombs, many of them Greek, have been counted lining the beginning of the ancient route to Ephesus.

    Philip the Apostle is different from Philip the deacon or evangelist. This Philip was one of the first seven deacons of Christianity, along with the famous St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. This Philip was successful in winning over the Samaritans to Christianity. He also converted and baptized the eunuch from Ethiopia in Africa. This Philip settled in Caesarea, a seaport city in Israel, where he lived with his four unmarried daughters. One tradition says Philip the deacon became the bishop of Tralles in Lydia (an ancient kingdom in western Turkey).

    Posted on September 20, 2011, to:

  • St. John instructed Polycarp to pass on faith in Smyrna

    Where is the church of Smyrna to whom St. John wrote a letter?

    St. John the Apostle wrote letters to the seven churches of ancient Asia Minor (modern western Turkey) that were situated on the Royal Road. These letters are found in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament. One of these letters was written to the church at Smyrna.

    Smyrna is modern Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey today, that lies north of Ephesus, which was the capital of the Roman province of Asia. St. John the Apostle was the bishop of Ephesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom St. John was caring for, also lived there.

    Smyrna is a seaport city on the Gulf of Izmir, a large inlet of the Aegean Sea. I loved the spectacular view of the sea here. Everything looks so beautiful and unspoiled. St. John tells the church of Smyrna that it is materially poor, but spiritually rich. Some accusations made by the Jews occasioned the persecution of Christians. St. John tells those imprisoned to remain faithful until death and they will receive the crown of life.

    One of the important residents of ancient Smyrna was St. Polycarp who was the bishop there from A.D. 115-156. St. Polycarp was taught the Catholic faith by St. John the Apostle who died c. A.D. 100. Polycarp, in turn, taught the Catholic faith to St. Irenaeus, who lived in Smyrna, and then became the bishop of Lyons in France and died c. A.D. 200. So here we see the Catholic faith being passed on through the early generations of about 50 years each. St. Polycarp was noted for preserving the purity of the faith and was eventually burned at the stake in Smyrna in A.D. 156.

    Sadly there are not that many remains of ancient Smyrna. Many are buried under the modern town. D. Darke says there is the Roman theater. The hollow of the theater is still discernible, but is now full of recently built houses. On the western side, one of the vaulted passages to the auditorium is well-preserved and runs under one of the new houses. The stage building is also lost among the houses.

    The Roman agora or marketplace has been excavated with many of the columns of the portico re-erected. The Velvet Fortress was the acropolis of ancient Smyrna. On its north side is a large market building beneath which are some handsome vaults. Nearby are statues of Poseidon and Demeter. From Ottoman times, there is a colorful bazaar and a c lock tower on the sea front. The Archaeological Museum at Smyrna houses a lovely 4th century B.C. bronze bust of Demeter.  Finally Kultur Park, with its artificial lake, displays exhibits from the whole Aegean coast.

    Posted on June 8, 2011, to: