This week in Christian history: NY diocese formed, Friedrich Myconius dies, Thomas Brownell ordained

By Michael Gryboski, Editor Sunday, April 06, 2025

Friedrich Myconius dies – April 7, 1546

This week marks the anniversary of when Friedrich Myconius, a former Catholic priest- turned-Protestant Reformation leader and close friend of Martin Luther, died from a lengthy illness.

A native of Lichtenfels, Franconia, which is located in modern Germany, Myconius had been a Catholic priest and member of the Franciscan order until he read Luther's 95 Theses.

Get Our Latest News for FREE

Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.

Subscribe

Myconius became good friends with Luther and made efforts to spread the Reformation ideas throughout Central Europe and England.

“Myconius, together with [other Protestant leaders] was entrusted with the mission of introducing the Reformation into Saxony, and particularly into Leipsic,” noted the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia.

“Yet he always remained especially attached to Gotha and Thuringia. In the former city he founded afterwards celebrated gymnasium, and he used every exertion to procure for institutions of learning the necessary endowments.”