The Church kept learning alive. When much of Europe had fallen into illiterate darkness, it was the Church that kept teaching reading and writing, philosophy and logic, medicine and law, and copied ancient manuscripts to preserve and disseminate the knowledge.

They maintained education and invented universities. They provided hospitals, orphanages, leprosaria, and all manner of social services that would not have existed otherwise.

They were great patrons of art and science, of architecture and engineering.

They provided a way for people to break out of their feudal castes and succeed based on their abilities not just their birth, at least to a degree.

They gave people purpose and a sense of meaning. A community and a structure. The Church provided holy days and holidays so people had rest from work.

It was not perfect, especially by today’s standards, but the Church often was the only source of light in a dark time.