Some stories here definitely happened, some almost certainly did not, and some we don’t know. The stories of the early saints especially may not have been written down until long after their deaths. The posts on this website will say if we can tell for certain that a story isn’t historical.
Stories that are not historical may still tell truths. Christians chose to keep telling those stories for a reason. That is why I include them.
Take the following story from the time of the early martyrs. A Roman leader supposedly demanded St. Lawrence turn over all the treasures of the Church as a bribe to avoid arrest; St. Lawrence responded by presenting the cripples, widows, orphans, and foreign immigrants that the Roman church sheltered. “These are her treasures,” he said—and, in response, the official tortured him to death. Did that dramatic incident really happen? I don’t know. I do know that something inspired many Romans to leave their old faith in pagan gods and join a persecuted Church despite the threat of death. This story that those Romans chose to pass on is their testimony to their choice and their faith. It forces us to think about our treasures. It is a story worth telling.
