Who was ? - Who is ? - Who does ?

We are known as "The Body of Christ".

A great many people have been active in the life of this church, stretching all the way back to the founders of the Christian Faith - the Apostles.

Who was St Lawrence ?

Saint Lawrence was one of seven deacons who were in charge of giving help to the poor and the needy. When a persecution broke out, Pope St. Sixtus was condemned to death. As he was led to execution, Lawrence followed him weeping, "Father, where are you going without your deacon?" he said. "I am not leaving you, my son," answered the Pope. "in three days you will follow me." Full of joy, Lawrence gave the poor the rest of the money he had on hand and even sold expensive possessions to have more to give away.

The Prefect of Rome, a greedy pagan, thought the Church had a great fortune hidden away. So he ordered Lawrence to bring the Church's treasure to him. Lawrence said he would, in three days. Then he went through the city and gathered together all the poor and sick people supported by the Church. When he showed them to the Prefect, he said: "This is the Church's treasure!"

In great anger, the Prefect condemned Lawrence to a slow, cruel death. He was tied on top of an iron grill over a slow fire that roasted his flesh little by little, but Lawrence was burning with so much love for the Lord that he almost did not feel the flames. In fact, God gave him so much strength and joy that he even joked. "Turn me over," he said to the judge. "I'm done on this side!" And just before he died, he said, "It's cooked enough now."

Then he prayed that the city of Rome might be converted to Jesus and that the Catholic Faith might spread all over the world.

Saint Lawrence is the Patron Saint of Deacons.

Who was St Paul ?

It was on Paul's trip to Damascus to try 'sort out the Christians' that a brilliant light from Heaven suddenly beamed down and shone around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying "Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me "? "Who are you Saul asked?" The voice replied "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting, now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you are to do". *

The men with Saul were speechless with surprise because they heard the sound of someone's voice but saw no-one. When Saul got up he was blind, but his men led him by the hand to Damascus.

In the city lived a Christian called Ananias. He had been told in a vision to go to Straight Street. There he was to look for a man called Saul from Tarsus. At that moment Saul was praying and in a vision he has seen Ananias arrive and place his hands on his eyes to give him back his sight. Ananias had heard of the evils Saul had done to the Christians but the lord said "Go and do what I say for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the gentiles and to kings as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for me".*

Ananias, did as the Lord had asked and went to Saul. He placed his hands over his eyes and said. "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road has sent me so that you may get your sight back and be filled with the holy spirit".

Saul regained his sight and was baptised. And to show everyone he was a different man, Saul then changed his name to Paul.

This is just the beginning of Paul's journey to spread the good news about our Lord. Paul's story starts in Acts and fills a large section of the New Testament.

* Taken from the New Living Translation