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St. Paul -

Paul played a crucial role in spreading the Gospel, despite his initial lack of Christian virtue. The Apostle Paul started out as the complete opposite of the exemplary Christian he would later become.

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St. Paul -

Between 30 and 33 CE, Paul, who was known as Saul of Tarsus, who back then led the crusade against early Christians.

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St. Paul -

This came to an end when Saul headed to Damascus. Christ appeared to him and he converted and started preaching about Jesus. Saul became Paul. The whole story can be found in Acts 9.

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St. Olaf -

Olav II Haraldsson, also known as Olav II of Norway, reigned as king of Norway from 1015 to 1028. Later canonized as a saint, he played a key role in converting the country to Christianity.

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St. Olaf -

However, Olav/Olaf's true identity was that of a Viking, and he had participated in violent raids in his youth. However, everything changed when he had a vision on his way to Jerusalem. On returning to his homeland, he assumed the role of king, and embarked on a quest to convert the entire populace.

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St. Olaf -

This involved the mistreatment of individuals who participated in pagan customs, like harvest celebrations. Olaf was widely disliked by the Norwegian people, yet the Church granted him sainthood within a year of his death.

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St. Julian the Hospitaller -

Julian was born into a noble family. He learned that he was cursed to kill his own parents, so he ran away from home and tried to escape his fate. Julian's parents went looking for him and, after many years, found him. But Julian was not home and his wife received them and let them sleep in their bed. Upon his return, Julian, believing to have encountered his wife and her lover in bed, killed them both.

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St. Julian the Hospitaller -

Julian then went on to open a hostel for travelers and devoted his life to helping those in need in search for forgiveness of his sins.

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Vladimir the Great -

Vladimir was the youngest of three brothers. When their father, Kyiv's Grand Prince Sviatoslav Igorevich, died, he left the country—only to return with an army, kill his brother Yaropolk, and claim the throne!

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Vladimir the Great -

And if that wasn't enough, Vladimir forced his brother's widow to become one of his (many) concubines. So, how does this man become a saint?

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Vladimir the Great -

After Vladimir's baptism in 988, he made significant contributions to Christianity. He actively promoted conversion, constructed churches, and eradicated pagan symbols as part of his efforts.

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St. Colmcille -

St. Colmcille is one of the patron saints of Ireland. At one point his life as a monk, St. Colmcille copied a book of Psalms. But he did so without permission from his teacher. Things escalated all the way up to the king, who took his teacher's side. Did St. Colmcille accept that he did wrong? No way. He started a war instead!

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St. Colmcille -

St. Colmcille was involved in the Battle of Cúl Dreimhne, which is famously known as one of the earliest disputes over copyright! This conflict led to the loss of thousands of lives. To make amends for his actions, St. Colmcille spent the rest of his life dedicated to converting others to Christianity.

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Olga of Kyiv -

Olga is one of the most iconic figures in Ukraine. Olga's husband, Prince Igor, was gruesomely executed by local men. His killers then courted the widow to marry their leader.

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Olga of Kyiv -

Olga refused and told them to go back to their boats. Which they did. Except, the boats were at the bottom of a pit, and they were then buried alive on the spot. Olga then went on to massacre around 5,000 people who had shown up for Prince Igor's funeral feast.

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Olga of Kyiv -

Olga eventually reached an agreement with the city of Korosten (then called Iskorosten). According to the deal, three pigeons and three sparrows were to be collected from every home and gifted to her.

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Olga of Kyiv -

Olga then tied sulfur cloths to each bird, lit them, and released them. The birds eventually set fire to buildings as they returned home. Olga was then baptized by Emperor Constantine, and then canonized.

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Junípero Serra -

In 1769, a Spanish Franciscan monk set off for California with the purpose of safeguarding the indigenous population from mistreatment by the Spanish military and settlers.

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Junípero Serra -

He motivated many Catholic missions. However, historian Carey McWilliams characterized these missions as "a series of picturesque charnel houses".

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Junípero Serra -

Native American families were separated, natives were exploited for labor, and disease and death were widespread. Serra and other missionaries face accusations of "cultural genocide" from critics.

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St. Moses the Black -

St. Moses the Black, also recognized as Moses the Ethiopian of Scete, was a slave whose master drove him out due to bad behavior. So, he joined a gang and committed numerous crimes such as robberies and homicide.

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St. Moses the Black -

Moses, one day, embarked on a quest to seek retribution against a man and unexpectedly stumbled upon a monastery. He encountered the monks and eventually became part of their order. Moses succeeded in persuading the members of his criminal gang to convert and adopt the monastic life as well. Tragically, he lost his life in an assault by thieves. Nevertheless, Moses was recognized as a patron saint of nonviolence.

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St. Christopher -

The usual portrayal of the patron saint of travelers includes him holding a child, specifically Jesus Christ. Nonetheless, Arabic studies historian Daniel Peterson reveals that his devotion to Christ was not always the case; it was quite the opposite, actually.

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Saint Christopher -

St. Christopher's original name was Reprobus, which means "rejected." He used to be a giant devoted to worshiping devils, but his perspective changed when he encountered a bandit who refused to approach a crucifix. This encounter led Reprobus to believe in the superior strength of Christianity, prompting his conversion.

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St. Augustine -

Augustine of Hippo is primarily recognized as a theologian, philosopher, and writer. Though it turns out he was also a bit of a womanizer.

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St. Augustine -

St. Augustine is known to have had a child out of wedlock (which was a big deal back then),  because he refused to marry the mother of his child. He went on to hook up with numerous women.

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Blessed Bartolo Longo -

Longo was born in 1841, and was raised in a Catholic family. Though after the death of his father, Longo's faith took a turn. After enrolling at the University of Naples, Longo delved deep into spiritualism and the occult, and even claimed to be possessed by a demon and became a full-blown Satanic priest.

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Blessed Bartolo Longo -

His devilish ways came to an end when he reportedly heard his father tell him to "return to God!" With help from a Dominican priest, Longo became a lay brother and went on to restore Pompeii's Our Lady of the Rosary Shrine.

Source: (Grunge)

See also: The Church Fathers—Who developed Christianity as a religion?

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