The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

This feast day commemorates a building. The early Christians gathered quietly in their homes. But when the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, the followers of Jesus no longer feared persecution. Constantine donated a family palace to the Church and it became the Basilica of St. John Lateran. The Basilica is dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. It is named Lateran in honor of the family which originally owned the property. It is the oldest church in Rome.