Christians

390-460 St. Patrick was British by birth and raised Catholic. He was captured by pirates and taken to Ireland. After his return home he went back to Ireland on a mission. He was the first Christian to oppose slavery. In 431 he was sent to be Bishop of Ireland. His feast day is March 17th.

410 Fall of Western Roman Empire (Latin Speaking)

476 The Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire survives

During the Middle Ages Christianity becomes largely a European faith characterized by the remnants of Roman Civilization, Germanic Ethnicity and the Feudal Social structure. Roman Catholicism will dominate.

Monasticism

397 Martin of Tours from his coat we get the word Chappel (capalla)

342-420 Jerome Translated the Bible into Latin (Vulgate)

354-430 Augustine

There were four types of Monks:

Hermites (alone); Cerebites; Gytory (wandered); Synbonic (in community)

St. Benedict of Nursia (c.480-c.550) was known as the "Patriarch of Western Monasticism."He studied in Rome. He withdrew from the world when the pressures of society led him to become a hermit living in a cave near Subiaco. It is said that he had established a group of monasteries in the area, and then moved with a small band of monks to Monte Cassino. His plans for reform and his Rule was composed.