Many people, even Catholics, forget that Jesus was a Jew, as were his Blessed Mother and the Apostles.  Following the Resurrection, Jesus commissioned the Apostles to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit".  (Matt. 28: 18-20).  Archaeological digs in the Middle East often reveal that the first Christian Churches were constructed over synagogues, where entire communities were converted.  

The above image is that of the Church of Saint Simeon Stylites in Aleppo, Syria, which is considered to be one of the oldest surviving church buildings in the world.  Archaeologists have now unearthed what may well be an even older example of the earliest christian church.  This story broke earlier in the week.  

Archaeologists have unearthed in Jordan what they believe to be the first Christian church in the world. Dating back almost 2,000 years to sometime between 33 AD to 70 AD, the church, which is actually a cave, was found underneath Saint Georgeous Church, which itself dates back to 230 AD, in Rihab in northern Jordan near the Syrian border.

Agence France Presse and The Jordan Times report that the church is thought to have sheltered the world's earliest Christians from persecution and certain death. "We have evidence to believe this church sheltered the early Christians--the 70 disciples of Jesus Christ," Abdul Qader al-Husan, the head of Jordan's Rihab Centre for Archaeological Studies, told AFP.

According to Wikipedia, the 70 disciples were early followers of Jesus. The Gospel of Luke 10:1-24 says that Jesus appointed them and sent them out in pairs to spread his message.

Those 70 early Christians that created this church are described in a mosaic as "the 70 beloved by God and Divine," says Husan. They fled persecution in Jerusalem and founded churches in northern Jordan.

Rihab is now home to a total of 30 churches, and Jesus and the Virgin Mary are believed to have passed through the area, Husan told AFP.

Citing historical sources, Husan explained that these early Christians lived and practiced their religious rituals in the underground church and only left it once Christianity was accepted by Roman rulers. The bishop deputy of the Greek Orthodox archdiocese, Archimandrite Nektarious, described the discovery as an "important milestone for Christians all around the world."

What did they find inside the world's first church? In addition to several stone seats that were probably used by clergy and a circular-shaped area that served as an apse, they found pottery that dates back to between the 3rd and 7th centuries, indicating the church was used until late Roman rule. There is also a deep tunnel that is thought to have led to a source of water.

--From the Editors at Netscape

These archaeological finds are of great significance, especially to those Eastern Catholic Churches, that follow the Antiochene Syriac Divine Liturgy.  For it was in Antioch that St. Peter first served as bishop, before continuing on to Rome where he was martyred.

The Eastern Catholic Churches

Although it is not widely known in our Western world, the Catholic Church is actually a communion of Churches. According to the Constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium, the Catholic Church is understood to be "a corporate body of Churches," united with the Pope of Rome, who serves as the guardian of unity (LG, no. 23). At present there are 22 Churches that comprise the Catholic Church. The new Code of Canon Law, promulgated by Pope John Paul II, uses the phrase "autonomous ritual Churches" to describe these various Churches (canon 112). Each Church has its own hierarchy, spirituality, and theological perspective. Because of the particularities of history, there is only one Western Catholic Church, while there are 21 Eastern Catholic Churches. The Western Church, known officially as the Latin Church, is the largest of the Catholic Churches. It is immediately subject to the Roman Pontiff as Patriarch of the West. The Eastern Catholic Churches are each led by a Patriarch, Major Archbishop, or Metropolitan, who governs their Church together with a synod of bishops. Through the Congregation for Oriental Churches, the Roman Pontiff works to assure the health and well-being of the Eastern Catholic Churches.

While this diversity within the one Catholic Church can appear confusing at first, it in no way compromises the Church's unity.  In a certain sense, it is a reflection of the mystery of the Trinity.  Just as God is three Persons, yet one God, so the Church is 22 Churches, yet one Church.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes this nicely:

"From the beginning, this one Church has been marked by a great diversity which comes from both the variety of God's gifts and the diversity of those who receive them.  Holding a rightful place in the communion of the Church, there are also particular Churches that retain their own traditions.  The great richness of such diversity is not opposed to the Church's unity" (CCC no. 814).

Although there are 22 Churches, there are only eight "Rites" that are used among them. A Rite is a "liturgical, theological, spiritual and disciplinary patrimony," (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 28). "Rite" best refers to the liturgical and disciplinary traditions used in celebrating the sacraments. Many Eastern Catholic Churches use the same Rite, although they are distinct autonomous Churches. For example, the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Melkite Catholic Church are distinct Churches with their own hierarchies. Yet they both use the Byzantine Rite.

To learn more about the "two lungs" of the Catholic Church, visit this link:

CATHOLIC RITES AND CHURCHES

http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/catholic_rites_and_churches.htm">

The Second Vatican Council declared that "all should realize it is of supreme importance to understand, venerate, preserve and foster the exceedingly rich liturgical and spiritual heritage of the Eastern Churches, in order to faithfully preserve the fullness of Christian tradition" (Unitatis Redintegrato, 15).

 

A Roman (Latin) Rite Catholic may attend any Eastern Catholic Liturgy and fulfill his or her obligations at any Eastern Catholic parish.  A Roman Rite Catholic may join any Eastern Catholic parish and receive any sacrament from an Eastern Catholic priest since all belong to the Catholic Church as a whole.  I am a Roman Catholic practicing my faith at a Maronite Catholic Church.  The Maronites retain Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus and the Apostles, for the Consecration.  It is as close as one comes to being at the Last Supper.