During the late 1100’s and early 1200’s, Muslim piracy and kidnapping of Christians was so common that two religious orders were founded with a mission to ransom Christian salves / captives: the Mercedarians and Trinitarians. These orders would not only raise the money to buy or ransom the Christian slaves, but would undertake dangerous missions deep in to enemy territory to complete their missions. Mercedarians even took a vow to exchange their own lives as ransom to free the captives. These two orders rescued many Christian captives and also produced many great saints, St. Peter Nolasco, St. Raymond Nonnatus, and St. John of Matha to name a few.