Throughout the span of Christianity, there have been many Faithful who have worked to bring the Body of Christ into unity.

These are just a few of the “Team”:

Blessed Leonid Feodorov began his life as part of a Russian Orthodox family on November 4, 1879. Born in Russia, he traveled to Rome to study, and converted to Catholicism. Wanting to “remain faithful” to the customs of his homeland, Leonid joined the Russian Byzantine Catholic Church. Blessed Leonid Feodorov was ordained a priest and returned to Russia, where he was persecuted for his faith. During this time, he was named Exarch of Russian Catholics of the Byzantine rite by Pope Benedict XV. Then, the Exarch was put on trial and sent to imprisonment. While imprisoned, Exarch Leonid offered mass to the Byzantine Catholics, first openly then in secret. Upon his release from prison, Blessed Leonid Feodorov continued to teach the Catechism until his death on March 7, 1935. He was beatified on June 27, 2001 by Pope St. John Paul II.

 

Born in Sweden on June 4, 1870, St. Elizabeth Hesselblad entered this world as part of a Lutheran family. Having traveled to the United States for work to support her family, she learned of the Catholic faith and soon converted. Eventually, St. Elizabeth traveled to Rome, where she was confirmed in the faith, and there the young Swede felt God’s call to dedicate her life to Christian unity. She took religious vows and became a Brigittine nun on the Feast of the Sacred Heart in 1906, and worked with the sick poor. St. Elizabeth Hesselblad also became known as a “second Brigid” for her work rescuing Jews from the Holocaust. She died in Rome April 24, 1957.

Eliza Angela Meneguzzi was born into a poor family on September 12, 1901 in Italy. In 1926, she entered the Sisters of the Congregation of St. Francis de Sales and took the name Liduina. Blessed Liduina Meneguzzi worked as a nurse for many years before she was sent on a mission to Ethiopia. Blessed Liduina continued her work as a nurse throughout World War I and “became known as the “Ecumenical Fire” due to her strong efforts at ecumenism with Coptic Christians and Muslims.” (wikipedia). She died of cancer on December 2, 1941.

For more information about these and many more who have left a legacy of working to unify the Churches of Christianity, visit THIS PAGE on our website.