Sept. 3, 2025

CC#43--What Tertullian Knew: Modern Martyrdom in Minneapolis

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text Message The wisdom of Tertullian echoes through centuries: "The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church." These words, penned around 200 AD, have found tragic relevance in our modern world where Christian persecution continues unabated. Startling statistics reveal a disturbing reality—over half of the estimated 70 million Christians martyred throughout history lost their lives in the 20th century alone. And the 21st century shows no si...

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text Message

The wisdom of Tertullian echoes through centuries: "The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church." These words, penned around 200 AD, have found tragic relevance in our modern world where Christian persecution continues unabated.

Startling statistics reveal a disturbing reality—over half of the estimated 70 million Christians martyred throughout history lost their lives in the 20th century alone. And the 21st century shows no signs of improvement. The Family Research Council documented 1,384 acts of hostility against churches in the United States since January 2018. Last year witnessed 383 churches suffering 415 attacks across 43 states, including vandalism, arson, gun violence, and bomb threats.

Most heartbreaking is the recent tragedy at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, where a shooter killed two innocent children—Harper Moiskey, a joyful 10-year-old big sister, and Fletcher Merkel, an 8-year-old boy who loved sports—and injured 17 others. These young martyrs join countless others whose faith placed them in harm's way.

As religious liberty transforms from a unifying American ideal into a polarizing debate topic, and as the unchurched population grows by 12% over two decades, we face a mounting cultural and spiritual crisis. The hostility aims to undercut America's biblical foundations, challenging the moral pillars upon which our country stands.

This darkness calls for courage and faith—virtues essential not only for a flourishing life but for preserving the truth in troubled times. The moment for silence has passed. Our voices must rise in defense of family, faith, and freedom. We must pray for our society to regain respect for the sacred while standing firm in our convictions.

Will you join us in speaking truth to darkness? In honoring the martyrs by living boldly? Subscribe to hear more reflections on navigating faith in challenging times, and share this message with those who need encouragement to stand strong.

Key Points from the Episode:

• 383 churches endured 415 attacks across 43 states last year alone
• Attacks included 284 acts of vandalism, 55 incidents of arson, and 28 gun-related attacks
• California led the nation with 40 attacks, followed by Pennsylvania, Florida, and New York
• The tragic Minneapolis Catholic school shooting claimed the lives of two children: Harper (10) and Fletcher (8)
• Religious liberty, once a unifying American ideal, has become the center of polemical debate
• Cultural shifts show the unchurched population increasing by 12% over two decades
• Our response must be courage to speak truth into darkness and stand firm in faith

Keep praying and fighting the good fight. Our voices must rise today and at the ballot box in defense of family, faith, and freedom.

Other resources:

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00:00 - Tertullian's Ancient Wisdom

01:20 - Christian Persecution Statistics

03:03 - Minneapolis School Tragedy

04:47 - Cultural Crisis and Religious Liberty

06:29 - Call for Courage and Faith

08:26 - Closing and Resources

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the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.

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Let's talk about it on this Catholic Corner.

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He is the Savior.

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Welcome to the Theory to Action podcast, where we examine the timeless treasures of wisdom from the great books in less time, to help you take action immediately and ultimately to create and lead a flourishing life.

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Now here's your host, David Kaiser.

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Hello, I am David and welcome back to another Catholic Corner.

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The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.

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So wrote Tertullian somewhere outside Carthage around the year 200 AD.

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Were outside Carthage around the year 200 AD.

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Let's open with a quote that caught my attention this past week.

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Measured by scale and severity, the 20th century stands as the darkest chapter of Christian persecution in history.

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Of the estimated 70 million Christians martyred across time, more than half lost their lives during the last century due to totalitarian regimes, ideological purges and ethnic violence, with no part of the globe left untouched.

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Despite the march of time, in the first quarter of this century, not much has changed.

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That is the opening quote of a great opinion piece by Greg Marquesca Mar-esca Sorry, mar-esca, sorry, greg.

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Fantastic article Comes to us from LifeSite News.

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It's one of the websites that I frequent quite often just to get a sense of Catholicism and its worldwide news and how the radical left is waging a war on our faith.

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So this article details all the martyrs and includes the latest martyrs in the tragic and horrific school shooting in Minneapolis.

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Let's go back to the article.

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The Family Research Council reported 1,384 acts of hostility against churches in the United States since January of 2018.

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You can add the transgender shooter who killed two children and injured 17 at Annunciation Catholic School and Church in Minneapolis this past Wednesday, just one week ago from this airing.

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Last year, 383 churches endured 415 attacks across 43 states.

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There were 284 acts of vandalism, 55 incidents of arson, 28 gun related attacks, 14 bomb threats, 47 incidents of assault, disruption of services and terroristic threats.

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California led the nation with 40 attacks, followed by Pennsylvania with 29 and Florida and New York with 25 each.

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Texas with 23, tennessee and my home state of Ohio with 19.

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Even my own parish in downtown Columbus suffered an act of vandalism when early one morning, our pastor awoke to find Our Lady of Fatima statue from outside the house, pulled off its stoop and thrown to the ground, where it was smashed into pieces.

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Was this the work of premeditated violence or just a group of strayed drunks thinking that they were having fun?

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Who knows?

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But regardless, we must pray for our society and for many to have more respect for the sacred, because our nation and the world is facing a very, very dark, dark world, and that dark, dark world does not know God or does not even have human respect of loving their neighbor as themselves A universal virtue, mind you, not even a Christian virtue, a universal virtue.

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But there is a radical, more menacing ideology that has come over our land and our world.

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It believes that women can be men and men can be women, and even men can give birth to babies.

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Let's go back to this incredible article.

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We found a LifeSite News.

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Going back to the article, the Christian ethos is losing influence and respect in American life.

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The unchurched have increased by 12% over the last two decades and are indicative of the mounting cultural and spiritual crisis.

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The principle of religious liberty that was once a unifying ideal is now the center of a polemical debate, raising somber concerns about the future of religious freedom in the American life.

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The left's hostility is about undercutting America's biblical foundations.

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As cultural and political battles escalate, so too does the need for a vigilant and engaged body of Christ to defend the moral pillars upon which our country stands.

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If we fail to speak out, we risk surrendering the very ideals that once made America a symbol of hope and liberty.

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The moment for silence is behind us.

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Our voices must rise today and at the ballot box, in defense of family, faith and freedom.

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Amen, amen.

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So in today's Catholic Corner, let us open our hearts wide to Christ, for he is the way, the truth and the life.

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Let us ask him to give us the words, through the Holy Spirit, to speak out into that darkness, against evil forces, to have the courage that will be required in these dark times.

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But a courage in speaking out and standing up for the truth is what is required for the darkest times.

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Let us also pray for those recent martyrs who gained heaven this past week.

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Their names Harper Moiskey, a 10-year-old girl, a joyful big sister, and Fletcher Merkel, an 8-year-old little boy who loved any sport he was allowed to play.

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Both were killed in the gun attack that also injured 17 people at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.

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All of this will require courage and faith.

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Those will be the virtues that will be gained on the road to a flourishing life and, most importantly, we can keep praying and keep fighting the good fight.

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The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.

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Thank you for joining us.

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We hope you enjoyed this Theory to Action podcast.

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Be sure to check out our show page at team mojo academycom, where we have everything we discussed in this podcast, as well as other great resources.

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Until next time, keep getting your mojo on.

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Thank you.