Fabiola or The Church of the Catacombs

Cardinal Nicholas Patrick Wiseman (1802 - 1865)

This historical novel is set in Rome in the early 4th century AD, during the time of the cruel persecution of Christians under the Emperor Diocletian.

The heroine of the book is Fabiola, a young pagan beauty from a noble Roman family. Fabiola seems to have everything, including a superior education in the philosophers, yet under the surface, she is not content with her life. One day, in a fit of rage, she attacks and wounds her slave girl Syra, who is a secret Christian. The proud, spoiled Roman girl is humbled by Syra's humility, maturity and devotion to her in this situation, and a slow transformation begins.

Woven into this fictitious story are a number of martyrdom accounts of real-life Christian saints, including Saint Agnes, Saint Tarcisius and Saint Sebastian.

Cardinal Wiseman wrote Fabiola in part as an answer to the vigorously anti-Catholic book Hypatia by Charles Kingsley.
The novel was mainly aimed at the embattled Catholic minority in England, who had recently emerged from a half-illegal status. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia)

Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Religious Fiction

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 00 - Preface Maria Therese
00:09:02
Play 01 01 - The Christian House Maria Therese
00:08:07
Play 02 02 - The Martyr's Boy Maria Therese
00:10:40
Play 03 03 - The Dedication Maria Therese
00:10:20
Play 04 04 - The Heathen Household Maria Therese
00:17:00
Play 05 05 - The Visit Maria Therese
00:09:25
Play 06 06 - The Banquet Maria Therese
00:13:38
Play 07 07 - Poor and Rich Maria Therese
00:18:20
Play 08 08 - The First Day's Conclusion Maria Therese
00:09:12
Play 09 09 - Meetings Maria Therese
00:22:11
Play 10 10 - Other Meetings Maria Therese
00:21:15
Play 11 11 - A Talk With the Reader Maria Therese
00:12:21
Play 12 12 - The Wolf and the Fox Maria Therese
00:08:31
Play 13 13 - Charity Maria Therese
00:06:28
Play 14 14 - Extremes Meet Maria Therese
00:17:07
Play 15 15 - Charity Returns Maria Therese
00:05:04
Play 16 16 - The Month of October Maria Therese
00:26:26
Play 17 17 - The Christian Community Maria Therese
00:22:22
Play 18 18 - Temptation Maria Therese
00:09:50
Play 19 19 - The Fall Maria Therese
00:21:56
Play 20 20 - Diogenes Maria Therese
00:17:30
Play 21 21 - The Cemeteries Maria Therese
00:16:36
Play 22 22 - What Diogenes Could Not Tell About the Catacombs Maria Therese
00:12:44
Play 23 23 - What Diogenes Did Tell About the Catacombs Maria Therese
00:13:35
Play 24 24 - Above Ground Maria Therese
00:07:21
Play 25 25 - Deliberations Maria Therese
00:14:35
Play 26 26 - Dark Death Maria Therese
00:09:04
Play 27 27 - Darker Still Maria Therese
00:09:05
Play 28 28 - The False Brother Maria Therese
00:05:47
Play 29 29 - The Ordination in December Maria Therese
00:13:12
Play 30 30 - The Virgins Maria Therese
00:13:02
Play 31 31 - The Nomentan Villa Maria Therese
00:09:52
Play 32 32 - The Edict Maria Therese
00:14:32
Play 33 33 - The Discovery Maria Therese
00:07:34
Play 34 34 - Explanation Maria Therese
00:08:55
Play 35 35 - The Wolf in the Fold Maria Therese
00:20:58
Play 36 36 - The First Flower Maria Therese
00:16:54
Play 37 37 - Retribution Maria Therese
00:19:50
Play 38 38 - Twofold Revenge Maria Therese
00:15:57
Play 39 39 - The Public Works Maria Therese
00:10:01
Play 40 40 - The Prison Maria Therese
00:10:33
Play 41 41 - The Viaticum Maria Therese
00:22:25
Play 42 42 - The Fight Maria Therese
00:16:25
Play 43 43 - The Christian Soldier Maria Therese
00:10:22
Play 44 44 - The Rescue Maria Therese
00:17:59
Play 45 45 - The Revival Maria Therese
00:11:40
Play 46 46 - The Second Crown Maria Therese
00:11:02
Play 47 47 - The Critical Day: Its First Part Maria Therese
00:16:07
Play 48 48 - The Same Day: Its Second Part Maria Therese
00:23:57
Play 49 49 - The Same Day: Its Third Part Maria Therese
00:30:16
Play 50 50 - Dionysius: Priest and Physician Maria Therese
00:09:33
Play 51 51 - The Sacrifice Accepted Maria Therese
00:18:38
Play 52 52 - Miriam's History Maria Therese
00:15:49
Play 53 53 - Bright Death Maria Therese
00:18:09
Play 54 54 - The Stranger From the East Maria Therese
00:10:48
Play 55 55 - The Stranger From Rome Maria Therese
00:09:33
Play 56 56 - And Last Maria Therese
00:19:51