June 10: Today in Christian History

 

 

June 10, 1920

A Christian author and the wife of evangelist Billy Graham, Ruth was born on June 10, 1920, in Qingjiang, Kiangsu, China. 

June 10, 1190

Death of Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa: During the Third Crusade, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa drowned while crossing the Saleph River (modern-day Göksu River in Turkey) en route to Jerusalem. 

June 10, 1854

Ordination of James Augustine Healy: Healy was ordained as the first African-American priest in Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral. In 1875, he became the first African-American bishop in the Roman Catholic Church. 

June 10, 1925

A significant merger of Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregationalist denominations led to the establishment of the United Church of Canada, symbolizing a landmark moment of religious unity in Canadian ecclesiastical history. 

June 10, 1194

A major fire devastated Chartres Cathedral in France. Despite the extensive damage, the cathedral's most sacred relic, the Sancta Camisa (believed to be the tunic worn by the Virgin Mary at Christ's birth), survived. This event led to the reconstruction of the cathedral, resulting in the Gothic masterpiece that stands today. 

June 10, 1642

The inaugural meeting of a Presbyterian presbytery in Ireland took place on this date. This gathering marked the formal organization of Presbyterianism in Ireland, establishing a structured church governance that continues to influence Irish religious life. 

June 10, 1900

John Charles Ryle, the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool, passed away on June 10, 1900. A prominent evangelical leader, Ryle was known for his robust preaching and extensive writings, which have had a lasting impact on Anglicanism and evangelical thought.