Have you heard of Polycarp, Justin, Tertullian, and Irenaeus? Although not exactly household names, they should be: they are among the early Church Fathers, who lived directly after the apostolic age. After the apostles, they are the first witnesses to the Christian faith. As St. Irenaeus said, they had “seen the blessed apostles,” “been conversant with them,” and might be said “to have the preaching of the apostles still echoing [in their ears]” and “their traditions before their eyes.”

And now, selected writings from that generation of teachers and preachers are available in one accessible volume, the recently published Early Church Fathers Collection from Word on Fire. Relying on available English translations, the collection is a carefully curated set of primary texts. Bolded subheadings guide the reader, the font is sufficiently large for easy reading, and a brief introduction about each author helps situate the text in its historical and theological context.

Not just for the scholar, theologian, or priest, these texts contain hidden gems and are for anyone interested in learning more about the origins of the Church and Christian belief. The writings explore early spirituality, prayer, moral theology, and dogma.

Did you know that St. Ignatius of Antioch was the first person to use the term “Catholic Church”? He writes, “Wherever the bishop appears, there let the congregation be; just as wherever

Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church” (78-79).

Or, did you know that Polycarp died a martyr’s death, but in a miraculous way? When he was cast into a fire, the flames swirled around him like a sail and left him unharmed. Instead of smelling burnt flesh, onlookers smelled the scent of bread breaking—an allusion to the Eucharist (104). Their first attempt having failed, his oppressors stabbed him to ensure his death.

And did you know that an early Eucharistic prayer appears in the document known as The Didache (“Teaching of the Twelve Apostles”)? Its words remind us of prayers in the Mass today: “Remember, O Lord, your Church; deliver it from all evil and make it perfect in your love, and gather it from the four winds, sanctified for your kingdom, which you have prepared for it; for yours is the power and the glory forever” (118-119).

Were you aware that Justin offered an early theology of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist? He wrote:

For we do not receive these things as common bread nor common drink; but… as Jesus Christ our Savior having been incarnate by God’s logos [Word] took both flesh and blood for our salvation, so also we have been taught that the food eucharistized [consecrated] through the word of prayer that is from him, from which our flesh and blood are nourished by transformation, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who became incarnate (186-187).

On nearly every page, the Early Church Fathers Collection shows that the early Church was the Catholic Church. Though some beliefs were not yet fully developed, these texts from the first through the third centuries witness to the origins of many Christian beliefs and practices, including the sacraments, communion of saints, and martyrdom. They invite prayer, study, and appreciation, reminding us that these early witnesses are not meant to be buried by time but to remain alive in the hearts and minds of believers today.

This article appeared in the July 2025 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.