As the old adage goes, there's a first for everything; dying as a result of religious persecution is no different. While the number of martyrs recognized by Catholic churches around the world are well into the hundreds, only a fraction of them can be considered the firsts in their fields. Many showed unprecedented strength and fearlessness in the face of adversity, and for that they have been honored by their Church and will go down in Catholic history as heroes.
Intrigued? Read on to familiarize yourself with the protomartyrs.