13th November: Today in Christian History

13th November, 387

On this day in Christian History, Monica died in Ostia Italy. She was the prayerful mother of Augustine of Hippo.

13th November, 619

On this day in Christian History, Opening of the Second Council of Seville, the largest ever held in Spain. Among its many decisions was a ruling that baptism only required a single dipping and that hymns by authors such as Ambrose, with texts not taken directly from Scripture, are allowable in church services.

13th November, 867

Death of Pope Nicholas I the Great, who had been a strong proponent for Roman primacy in the church.

13th November, 1317

Death of Yaballah III, originally known as Rabban Markos from Beijing, who traveled west with Bar Sauma, and became a Patriarch of the East Syrian Church.

13th November, 1606

On this day in Christian History, Johann Gerhard, who will become perhaps the most influential 17th-century Lutheran theologian, takes his doctorate of theology at the University of Jena.

13th November, 1644

On this day in Christian History, Massachusetts passed a law against Baptists, calling them “troublers of churches” and subjecting them to banishment.

13th November, 1874

On this day in Christian history, Edward Mote, an English cabinetmaker and hymn writer died. He is widely known for penning the lines to the popular hymn “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less.”

13th November, 1884

On this day in Christian History, Death of Prince Owusu-Ansa, who had worked as a Methodist evangelist in Ghana for many years. He had become a Christian while held hostage by the British.

13th November, 1907

On this day in Christian History, Death of Francis Thompson, the English poet who wrote “The Hound of Heaven,” showing how God in grace pursued him after he had wrecked his life with opium addiction.

13th November, 1913

On this day in Christian History, Lenin wrote to Maxim Gorki, saying: “Every religious idea, every idea of God, even flirting with the idea of God, is unutterable vileness....”

13th November, 1938

On this day in Christian History, Pope Pius XI beatifies Francis Xavier Cabrini, founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, placing her on a track to become the first American citizen to be canonized as a saint. Italian-born, she had gone to America to aid Italian immigrants.