33 AD onward
A study page explaining what is meant by the ancient apostolic catholic Church before later East-West and Reformation divisions.
The Church begins with the apostolic witness to Christ's death and resurrection.
Acts, the epistles, and the early fathers show churches gathered around baptism, Eucharist, teaching, prayer, bishops, presbyters, deacons, and the confession that Jesus is Lord.
Catholic means universal, whole, or according to the whole.
Ignatius of Antioch uses the phrase Catholic Church very early, showing that catholic language was already part of ancient Christian vocabulary before later denominational divisions.
The ancient Church was spread across East and West.
Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem became especially important sees. The later divisions should be read against this earlier shared world.
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