-
1498
Leonardo da Vinci painted The Last Supper
-
1517
Luther's 95 Theses Pope Adrian Vi
-
1534
Henry VIll's Act of Supremacy
In 1534 Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy which defined the right of Henry VIII to be supreme head on earth of the Church of England, thereby severing ecclesiastical links with Rome. -
1535
St. John Fisher martyred
He was named a cardinal shortly before his death. He is honored as a martyr and saint by the Catholic Church. -
1535
St. Thomas More martyred
Pope Pius XI canonized More in 1935 as a martyr. Pope John Paul II in 2000 declared him the patron saint of statesmen and politicians. -
1535
St. Angela Merecí founded the Ursuline sisters
Angela saw women as significant agents of change in a world longing for love, unity, and harmony. Still a teen, Angela received a vision instructing her to form a “company of women” to further the work of God. On November 25, 1535, Angela and 28 young women formed the Company of Saint Ursula. -
1541
St. Ignatius Loyola's Society of Jesus approved
The Society of Jesus was founded in 1540 by St. Ignatius Loyola with the approval of Pope Paul III. Ignatius Loyola had gathered around him an energetic band of well-educated men who desired nothing more than to help others find God in their lives. -
1543
Copernicus published "On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres"
-
Period: 1545 to 1563
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the formal Roman Catholic reply to the doctrinal challenges of the Protestant Reformation. It served to define Catholic doctrine and made sweeping decrees on self-reform, helping to revitalize the Roman Catholic Church in the face of Protestant expansion. -
1552
St. Francis Xavier died in China
Francis Xavier became ill on a desolate island in the Bay of Canton, China, and died there on December 3, 1552. Here he is accompanied by his Christian Chinese servant, Antonio, in a scene that combines death with a moment of visionary ecstasy. -
1562
St. Teresa of Avila opened her first reformed Carmelite convent
On 24 August 1562, Teresa founded a new convent, San José. Known as Discalced Carmelites, the San José nuns remained cloistered and practiced mental prayer. -
1564
William Shakespeare was born
-
1581
St. Edmund Campion martyred
St Edmund Campion SJ was martyred on 1st December 1581. 1st December is the day on which his Feast is celebrated in the British Province of the Society of Jesus.