In thecourse of excavation work in ancient basilicas, archaeologists exercise patience, allied to a calm sense of hope. At first, only a glimmer of what lies beneath may be possible; then, with painstaking work, early baptisteries or a relic of post-baptismal catechesis in the form of a fresco may be revealed. 

The tenacity of scientific research and the keen desire to reveal history’s treasures, joined to the intrepid hope that what is unearthed will inspire, drive the search forward.

Karl Rahner observed that “the past can only be preserved in its purity by someone who accepts responsibility for the future”.