Month: April 2025

Mother All Beautiful

This hymn was written by M.S. Pine, a pseudonym for Sister Mary Paulina Finn, VHM (1842-1935), from the Georgetown Visitation Convent in Washington, D.C. Sister Paulina was born from a prominent Catholic family who lived in Boston. Soon after the Civil War, in 1868, she entered the Visitation Convent. She is credited with having assisted Agnes Repplier embark on her literary career. Agnes was illiterate until the age of ten when she received mentoring from Sister Paulina. Agnes would later go on to become one of America’s leading discursive essayists.

Sister Paulina was head of the English Department at the Convent for over half a century and had a great influence in the education of her pupils. Among her students who would become well-known influential literary figures after their years at Visitation were Eleanor Mercein Kelly and Harriet Monroe. Eleanor published several novels and numerous short stories, some of which appeared in films and on Broadway. Harriet became the founder of Poetry: A Magazine of Verse, which remains in publication today as Poetry.

Sister Paulina was also the Aunt to Father William J. Finn, C.S.P., who was the director of the Paulist Choristers, a famous Catholic group of singers who performed weekly on national radio. Catholic radio programs were extremely popular before the age of television and included an audience of tens of millions of Americans every week.

Sister Paulina was a distinguished writer and under her pseudonym M.S. Pine published various writings including Sacred Poems; Alma Mater and Other Dramas; the Venerable John Bosco, Apostle of Youth; A Glory of Maryland, John Banister Tabb – The Priest Poet, and others. From the Georgetown Visitation Monastery Archives in Washington, D.C., I was provided with copies from the first bound copy of her Sacred Poems, published in 1924, with an inscription from the printer Mr. Thomsen of the Thomsen-Ellis Company. (Click on any image to enlarge)

Sister Paulina is known to have written the lyrics to at least ten different hymns most of which appear in the AMERICAN CATHOLIC HYMNAL compiled by The Marist Brothers and published by P. J. Kenedy & Sons, in 1913 and 1921. Her hymns include:

#26 Soul of Jesus, Guest For Me
#107 Only Thee, My Jesus
#141 Mother All Beautiful (Communion Hymn)
#177 O Jesus, Mary, Joseph! (The Holy Family)
#208 O Jesus, Jesus Throned On High (Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament)
#262 My Soul, What Can I Render The Lord?
#269 God of Peace and Love
#280 Hail, Ever-Blessed Day! (Consecration to the Blessed Virgin)
#295 We Leave Thy Shrine, O Mother Cherished
#297 With Jesus, Mary’s Name (‘Tis holy Joseph’s name)

In addition, the hymn Mother All Beautiful also appeared in the following Catholic hymnals: The DIOCESAN HYMNAL Part Two compiled by Cleveland, Ohio Bishop Joseph Schrembs, D.D.; the 1918 ST. BASIL’S HYMNAL REVISED EDITION, and the 1935 edition of THE ORDINARY OF THE MASS AND A COMPLETE MANUAL OF HYMNS FOR PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS.

The DIOCESAN HYMNAL Part Two was published by J. Fisher & Bro., of New York in 1928. Bishop Schrembs compiled three hymnals including, The Diocesan Hymnal Part 1 which was published in 1926 consisting of Communion and Confirmation Hymns. Part 2 consisting of Devotional Hymns, and a third, The Eucharistic Hymnal published in 1935, embodied hymns taken from Part 1 & Part 2.

He was elevated to the office of Archbishop in 1935 and was the Promoter of the Seventh National Eucharistic Congress and Protector of the Priests’ Eucharistic League in the United States. He was himself a musician and composed several hymns and was instrumental in producing manuals of Gregorian Chant and Catholic editions of music text books for elementary schools. He is also considered one of the pioneers of Catholic radio. He spoke frequently on local radio stations giving sermons and catechetical instructions often followed by the singing of hymns for which he composed the tunes. He was instrumental in persuading the National Council of Catholic Men (NCCM) to sponsor the Catholic Hour that began broadcasting in 1930. This weekly radio program reached a large national audience.

The music for the hymn was composed by Bishop Schrembs and harmonized by Alfred Kalnins.

The ST. BASIL’S HYMNAL was the most widely used Catholic hymnal during the first half of the 20^th century period. The first edition was published in 1888 and contained Daily Prayers, Prayers at Mass, Litanies, Vespers for All the Sundays and Festivals of the Year, a Selection of over Two Hundred Hymns, Office and Rules for Sodalities of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Preparation for and Prayers after Confession and Holy Communion.

The hymnal was compiled and edited by Father Lawrence Brennan, C.S.B., (1847-1904). Father Brennan was appointed as the first full-time pastor of St. Basil’s Church of Toronto. The St. Basil’s hymnbook spread quickly across Canada and the United States and became a standard hymnal in many parishes. In 1904, all the plates, manuscripts, and partially finished editions were destroyed in a disastrous fire, and shortly after this fire, the pastor of St. Basil’s Church of Toronto, Father Lawrence Brennan died.

A cursory look at the history of St. Basil’s hymnal and it’s various editions would suggest that there were 41 different printings. However, this is not the case, the Fifth edition printed in 1896 was the last edition before the great fire and we don’t see another edition until the Tenth which was printed in 1906. The next major revision of the St. Basil’s Hymnal occurred in 1918. This revised edition is highly sought after by collectors and hymn researchers. It is also the only edition where we find the hymn Mother All Beautiful, which was reprinted by permission from The American Catholic Hymnal.

THE ORDINARY OF THE MASS AND A COMPLETE MANUAL OF HYMNS FOR PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS, was published by The Public Press of Philadelphia in 1935. My copy is a word-only collection measuring about 4 inches wide and approximately 6 inches tall and contains 527 pages with Approbation approval by the Censor Librorum and Archbishop of Philadelphia, Pa. (Click on any image to enlarge)

Sister Paulina died at the Georgetown Visitation Convent toward the end of February in 1935 at the venerable age of ninety-two. She had given nearly sixty-eight years of her life to the convent. Her nephew, Father William Finn conducted the funeral rites in the Convent Chapel.

My research found a few articles with obituaries about Sister Paulina. One source is The Catholic Educational Review, an American Journal of Catholic Education published by the Catholic University of America from 1911 to 1969. The second is an article from The Catholic World, a general literature and science magazine published monthly by the Paulist Fathers. It ran from 1870 to 1996.

Also, an obituary article from The Washington Post dated March 2, 1935. And lastly, an obituary from the Alumni Publication in 1935 with a special anecdote from one of her many students. (Click on any image to enlarge)

Reflection

It is evident from these sources that Sister Paulina’s life and contributions were deeply valued by her community, leaving a lasting impact that continued to be recognized posthumously. Her devotion to faith and education is reflected in the hymns she composed, which continue to inspire and comfort believers. The hymn I selected, penned by Sister Paulina and musically composed by Father William J. Finn, O.S.P., encapsulates this enduring legacy. I am particularly drawn to the third verse which reminds me that she, Mary, is His mother, but also our mother. Thou art His Mother, He gave us to thee, a reference to the gospel of John 19:26-27.

Today, some musicians use missalette guides for hymn choices, while others aim to revive Gregorian chant, both neglecting the educational value of traditional Catholic hymns. There was a time when Communion hymns of this quality were consistently part of the choir and parish repertoire.

This hymn contains verses that are both beautiful and prayerful, which remain relevant even today, and can resonate with individuals of all ages. Please take a moment to reflect on the verses. Do you see any that reach out to you? Do you see any that teach you or remind you of your Catechism or the teachings of the Catholic Church? If you do, I think you will agree that Sister Paulina is still teaching us today, just as she did those many years ago.

A special thank you to Peter Meggison, producer of The Devotional Hymns Project, for granting permission to use a recording of Mother All Beautiful performed by the Cor et Vox Singers of St. John Cantius Church, Chicago. Also, I have included a computer-generated sound file of the melody composed by Bishop Schrembs.

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Good Night, Sweet Jesus

This hymn was written and composed by Right Reverend Monsignor James B. Curry during his chaplain days at The Tombs, a colloquial name given to New York’s famous city jail in Lower Manhattan. James Curry was born in St. Stephen’s Parish of New York City on December 29, 1856. He received his early education at Public School No. 14 (Stapelton, Staten Island), and at the age of fourteen, he entered St. Francis Xavier’s College located on West Sixteenth Street and studied there from 1871 to 1878.

After graduation, he sailed to Rome, where he studied for the priesthood at the American College, and for six years Father Curry studied dogma under the late Cardinal Satolli (1839-1910), who later became the first Apostolic Delegate to the United States. Father Curry was ordained on May 19, 1883 at St. John Lateran’s, Rome. Father Curry returned to New York and served five years as an assistant under Monsignor Kean and in 1888, he was transferred to Rosebank, a neighborhood in northeastern Staten Island where he served for two and a half years. He was later transferred to St. Paul’s Church located on East 117th street.

His first appointment as pastor came a day after Christmas in 1892, for St. Joseph’s Church in Rhinecliff, and two years later was transferred and appointed pastor to the Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury. In 1900, he returned to New York, and he was appointed pastor of St. James Church in a section of the city known as Cherry Hill. During his pastorate at St. James’, Father Curry became a staunch defender against the proselyting efforts of certain sects and social reform agencies in the neighborhood. He carried out what some called a militant warfare against the efforts of missionaries like Fritzi Rice to entice the Italian children of St. James’ parish into his services of thievery. Father Curry was also a pioneer in the fight against the sale of cocaine. (Click on the image to enlarge)

For his efforts to protect the youth of the nation and particularly those of Cherry Hill, he was presented with a document of the state law signed by then Governor Sulzer, and then by President William Taft who signed into federal law, prohibitions against the sale of cocaine, also known as the Harrison Act.

In 1919, Father Curry was transferred to Holy Name Church located at Amsterdam Ave and Ninety-sixth street where served until his death. In 1924, Archbishop Hayes was elevated to Cardinal and presented several Papal honors for members of the New York clergy and laity, and among them was one for Father Curry who was made a Domestic Prelate, with the title of Right Reverend Monsignor. During his time as pastor of Holy Name Church, Monsignor Curry continued his fight against the criminal efforts to enlist young boys into a life of crime by establishing a Young Men’s Club, the West Side Catholic Club for older men, and other societies for the young men and women of the parish. He also founded the Holy Name Day Nursery in Manhattan. The Holy Name Day Nursery opened in 1922 to care for pre-school children whose mothers were working outside of the home.

In addition to his fight against crime, poverty, and drugs in his parishes, Monsignor Curry was a musician and poet. He worked tirelessly to teach his school children the truths of the Holy Catholic Church through his poetry and his music. He published a hymnal of all original compositions in 1913 called THE CATHOLIC’S CHORAL and it was referred to by many as Father Curry’s Hymn Book. It was later published by the McLaughlin & Reilly Co., of Boston, Mass., in 1927. This collection of 101 original devotional hymns is somewhat rare and hard to find. (Click on the image to enlarge)

Monsignor Curry is best known for his hymn Good Night, Sweet Jesus. The hymn was sung by the school children of his parish for some time, and as word spread, adjoining parishes began requesting copies of the hymn. Sheet music was available through McLaughlin and Reilly, Co., in 1917. Very soon the hymn was being sung in Philadelphia and Boston. From there it spread throughout the country with thousands of copies being distributed.

His Eminence Cardinal Hayes (1867-1938) and Bishop Dunn (1870-1933) of New York and many other church dignitaries paid special tribute to the hymn hailing it as the most effective closing hymn for evening services ever written. Radio programs of the 1930s and 1940s including Father Coughlin’s Hour, Father Finn’s Catholic Truth Period, Edward MacHugh’s Gospel Hour concluded their radio programs by singing this hymn. For Catholic’s living before the age of television, tuning into these radio programs was extremely popular and included an audience of tens of millions of Americans every week. (Click on any image to enlarge)

As indicated above, the hymn was often used at the end of Benediction services, and as a closing hymn for Novena prayer groups. An example of a novena prayer book is the Novena in Honor of Our Sorrowful Mother. The small prayer book measures about 4 inches wide and 6 inches tall and has 48 pages. It outlines the origins of the novena, a number of prayers to the Sorrowful Mother, the Station of the Cross, and a collection of twenty Marian hymns, hymns used for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament including O Salutaris Hostia, Tantum Ergo, The Memorare, Good Night, Sweet Jesus, and Holy God We Praise Thy Name.

Several different arrangements of the hymn were composed including SATB, TTBB, and an arrangement for four equal voices by James A. Reilly, of McLaughlin & Reilly Co., Boston.

The hymn was also featured in the December 1930 edition of the well-known Catholic magazine, The Caecilia Magazine. However, in the following decade, the same hymn would be condemned.

The hymn appeared in THE CATHOLIC CHAPEL HYMNAL from 1944 thru 1968. The contents of the CATHOLIC CHAPEL HYMNAL were suggested and approved by 118 Catholic Chaplains in the Armed Forces during World War II. A survey was conducted by McLaughlin & Reilly Co., of Boston, and the chaplains furnished the title of hymns best known to servicemen and women as indicated by spontaneous congregational participation during chapel services.

Additionally, I found two other hymn books that featured the hymn. These are THE ORDINARY OF THE MASS and a Complete MANUAL OF HYMNS for PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS, and PRAYERS and HYMNS for CHILDREN. Both of these hymn books measure about 4 inches wide by 6 inches tall and are word only editions.

The ORDINARY OF THE MASS hymn book was published by THE PUBLIC PRESS in 1935 and contains 527 pages with Approbation approval by the Censor Librorum and Archbishop of Philadelphia, Pa.

The PRAYERS and HYMNS for CHILDREN hymn book was compiled and edited by the Most Reverend Richard J. Cushing, D.D., (1895-1970), who would later serve as Archbishop of Boston from 1944 to 1970. He was elevated to Cardinal in 1958. The hymn book was published by the Propagation of the Faith Press in 1943 and consist of 104 pages with Approbation by the Censor Librorum and then Archbishop of Boston William Cardinal O’Connell (1859-1944). I would like to point out that Monsignor Curry and Cardinal O’Connell were classmates at the American College in Rome.

As the hymn’s popularity spread among Catholic parishes across the country and Protestant missions, so did the critics. Various contributors to the Caecilia Magazine, a very well-respected periodical among Catholic musicians and laity, were disgusted with the hymn often referring to it as drippy sentimentality unworthy of the Church’s dignity, and other forbidden wishy-washy sentimental music. In 1945, an unfavorable review by a recurring contributor of the Caecilia Magazine, Dom Gregory Hugle, O.S.B., appears in the second column of the November issue QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. (Click on any image to enlarge)

My research also led me to find some news paper articles listing Christmas Eve music programs from The Plattsburg Daily Press that indicate the hymn Good Night, Sweet Jesus was used as a recessional hymn for the Mid-night High Mass. Also, from The Journal News in NYACK, New York, the St. Cecilia Choral Society presented a program of liturgical music followed by Benediction to the parishioners of St. Peters where the hymn was used as a closing hymn.

The Right Reverend Monsignor James B. Curry died in his rectory, after a long illness on June 25, 1932, he was seventy-six years old. His funeral Mass was attended by many Bishops, nearly one hundred priests, and parishioners who filled the Church of the Holy Name out to the doors.

Reflection

The verses are simple with prayerful petitions, asking Jesus to guard us, to keep us safe, to watch over us, to guide us, and take us to heaven when our earthly life is done. Today we no longer have Friday or Saturday night Novena Prayer Groups who conclude their prayer services with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and the hymn Good Night, Sweet Jesus. I believe this hymn can still be effective today just as it was those many years ago. For a good dose of spiritual nourishment, take a moment to reflect on the verses while listening to the recordings below and I think you’ll agree that it is a beautiful prayerful hymn.

Good night, sweet Jesus, guard us in sleep,

Our souls and bodies in Thy love keep

Waking or sleeping, keep us in sight,

Dear gentle Savior, good night, good night.