Category: Hymn of the Month

Nearer My God To Thee

Introduction: A Shared Anthem, A Distinct Devotion

For generations of American Christians, Sarah F. Adams’ 1841 text and Lowell Mason’s 1856 melody, Bethany, have served as the quintessential anthem of Christian hope, mortality, and final rest. While universally recognized as a staple of Protestant hymnody, Nearer, My God, To Thee holds a fascinating, deeply localized, and often overlooked history within the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Far from being a simple borrowing of Protestant culture, the hymn underwent a profound theological inculturation during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, finding a home in major Catholic hymnals, parish obituaries, and the private devotional lives of the faithful.

The Sacred Heart Verses: An Anonymous Inculturation (1868–1935)

As waves of European Catholic immigrants established parishes across the United States in the mid-to-late 19th century, publishers sought to provide English-language hymnody that resonated with the American context while remaining fiercely protective of Catholic doctrine. The historical cornerstone of this movement was Peter F. Cunningham’s The Hymn-Book.

While an 1868 edition explicitly links the text to prayers for Mass and the anonymous Sacred Heart verses, an extraordinary archival discovery from the May 31, 1856, issue of The Boston Pilot page 2, right-hand column, reveals that this publication was already a legendary staple of American Catholic life long before the dawn of the American Civil War. The 1856 advertisement reveals that The Hymn Book had already reached its “Seventh Edition” by the spring of that year, selling for a mere 6 cents a copy (or 50 cents per dozen) and boasting that it comprised “all the best and most popular Catholic Hymns as now used all over the country, with the Approbation of our Right Rev Bishop.” (Click on any image to enlarge)

By the time later publisher catalogs advertised that the text had reached its “180th thousand” print run, it had achieved a staggering saturation of the American Catholic market. Because it was priced for the working class, immigrant families carried it in their pockets to daily Mass, parish missions, and family devotions.

The 1856 Boston Pilot clipping, however, introduces a fascinating historical and musicological puzzle. Lowell Mason did not compose Bethany—the melody universally associated with Nearer, My God, To Thee—until 1856. This timeline creates two compelling possibilities for how the hymn evolved within the Catholic consciousness:

The Evolution of Melody: If the Sacred Heart verses were already nestled inside the 1856 Seventh Edition, they were initially sung to an older, lost traditional melody, only marrying Mason’s famous Bethany tune later when it swept the nation.
A Living, Growing Compilation: Alternatively, The Hymn Book was an evolving text. Having established itself as a national bestseller by 1856, later editions (such as the 1868 printing) actively absorbed and baptized Nearer, My God, To Thee with the anonymous Sacred Heart verses once Mason’s tune became a cultural phenomenon.

In either scenario, this staggering print volume completely recontextualizes the hymn’s history. It proves that for a vast portion of the American Catholic faithful in the late 19th century, the traditional Protestant imagery of Jacob’s ladder was thoroughly supplanted. For an entire generation of believers, the familiar melody did not conjure images of a stony pillow, but rather served as a direct, intimate, and widely shared prayer of reparation to the Pierced Heart of Jesus.

While the identity of the poet who adapted these verses remains shrouded in historical anonymity, the publishing ecosystem of Peter F. Cunningham strongly suggests a monastic origin. Cunningham frequently collaborated with the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (‘The Ladies of the Sacred Heart’) to translate and compose English devotional materials. It is highly likely that a sister of this order, operating under the traditional veil of religious humility, penned these verses. In doing so, she chose to leave her own name forgotten, ensuring that the listener’s focus remained entirely fixed on the wounded Heart of Christ.

By supplanting the original lyrics—which draw heavily on the Old Testament imagery of Jacob’s dream at Bethel—with verses centered on the pierced Heart of Christ, this anonymous Catholic author transformed a hymn of general providence into an intimate, Christocentric prayer of reparation. For nearly seventy years, this version flourished across a wide spectrum of Catholic instructional and devotional materials:

It was curated by religious orders for the formation of youth, as seen in the Sisters of Notre Dame’s Sunday School Hymn Book (1887–1935) and the Basilian Fathers’ prominent St. Basil’s Hymnal (1888–1918).
It found a home in standard parish collections across major immigrant hubs, including Laudis Corona (1880), Father A. Police’s Parochial Hymn Book (1897), and Francis J. Butler’s The Holy Family Hymn Book (1904).

Interestingly, its inclusion was not always without pastoral reservation. In the 1908 collection Hymns for the Ecclesiastical Year, compiler Alphonsus Dress appended a strict pedagogical note: the hymn was to be sung “only at Mission for Non-Catholics” (a restriction shared with John Henry Newman’s Lead, Kindly Light). This reveals an early liturgical tension, showcasing how some clergy viewed the melody as a pastoral bridge for converts, rather than standard fare for the high Latin liturgy. By 1935, as the Church in America consolidated its identity and moved toward stricter liturgical standardization, the Sacred Heart verses faded from print.

Pre-Vatican II Funerary Practice: A Hymn for the Requiem

Despite its eventual disappearance from standard hymnals, historical obituaries demonstrate that Nearer, My God, To Thee remained deeply embedded in the lived experience of Catholic grief and hope during the first half of the 20th century. It served as a powerful emotional bookend to the rigorous, objective ritual of the Latin Requiem Mass.

Archival accounts suggest a flexible pastoral application of the hymn within the funeral liturgy, echoing alongside traditional Latin chants like the Miserere and Pie Jesu:

The Processional: In 1932, at the funeral of Sister Mary Rose (Alvina Woisard) in Connecticut, the hymn was utilized to accompany the solemn entry of the casket into the church. (The Catholic Transcript, Thursday 3-24-1932, pg.7)
The Recessional: Conversely, the 1921 obituary of Mary Gertrude Drumright in Oklahoma notes the hymn’s execution at the conclusion of the Mass as a recessional.
The Graveside Committal: For many families, the hymn accompanied the deceased to their final resting place. Records for Blazius Brzozowski (1931) and Daniel Daley Jr. (1936) indicate that Nearer, My God, To Thee—frequently paired with other devotional hymns like Sweet Name Which Makes the Dying Live—was sung at the graveside, offering comfort in the open air where the strictures of church rubrics were relaxed.

Because these accounts highlight a diverse cross-section of the faithful—ranging from a religious sister to prominent citizens—it is clear that the hymn was a beloved staple across American Catholic parishes during the pre-Vatican II era.

Musicological Evidence: A Survey of the Catholic Scores

While historical records tell us these hymnals existed, the surviving musical scores provide concrete evidence of how the text was preserved, altered, and sung across different generations of Catholic life. A close textual analysis of the scores from Laudis Corona, the Sunday School Hymn Book, the Parochial Hymn Book, and St. Basil’s Hymnal reveals the consistent retention of the Sacred Heart verses alongside evolving musical arrangements.

1. Laudis Corona (1880/1885)

The score from Laudis Corona is a critical piece of evidence because it demonstrates that by 1880, the Sacred Heart verses were explicitly standardized into a five-stanza structure. The score sets the text to a standard melodic frame, but the poetry immediately shifts focus away from Bethel’s wilderness to the Pierced Heart:

“Deep in Thy Sacred Heart / Let me abide, / Thou that hast bled for me, / Sorrowed, and died…”

This score is crucial to the narrative because it proves that within twelve years of Cunningham’s first publication, the text had been successfully picked up by East Coast compilers and distributed nationally by major houses like Sadlier.

2. Sunday School Hymn Book (1887–1935)

Compiled by the Sisters of Notre Dame, the score in this volume features simpler, child-friendly voicing meant for pedagogical use. The presence of Nearer, My God, To Thee in this specific collection indicates that the Sacred Heart version was not considered adult-only devotional material. Rather, the music score shows that the Sisters were actively using this melody and its Christocentric words to catechize young children, embedding the devotion to the Sacred Heart into their spiritual muscle memory from a young age.

3. The Parochial Hymn Book (1897)

Father A. Police’s Parochial Hymn Book is famous for its transatlantic scope, serving parishes in New York, London, and Dublin. The musical score in this volume represents a higher level of liturgical or choral sophistication. Incorporating this score demonstrates that the Sacred Heart verses were not just an American anomaly; the music traveled the English-speaking world, offering a uniform, globalized Catholic alternative to the Protestant original text.

4. St. Basil’s Hymnal (1888–1918)

As perhaps the most widely used and influential American Catholic hymnal of its era, the score from St. Basil’s represents the peak of the hymn’s mainstream Catholic usage. Set to the familiar four-part harmony of Lowell Mason’s Bethany, the St. Basil’s score acts as the definitive musical snapshot of this tradition before it began to fade from twentieth-century prints after 1925.

5. Other Hymnals

Beyond the widespread reach of the St. Basil’s Hymnal, further historical and musicological evidence of these unique Catholic text variations is preserved across several notable late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century collections:

Hymns with Tunes (compiled by Rev. Edmund G. Hurley, 1889)

The Holy Family Hymn Book (compiled by Francis J. Butler, 1904)

The Youth’s Manual (published by Thomas J. Flynn & Co., 1908)

Additionally, a significant textual lineage is found in the publications of The Bergé Music Company, compiled under the direction of Louis Bergé. These volumes include:

The Book of Gems (1904)

New Catholic Hymn Book (1906)

Young Peoples Catholic Hymn Book (1911)

The inclusion of the Bergé collections is particularly vital to illuminating what was lost in the later push for uniformity. These volumes do not merely alter a few words; they contain a distinctive Marian stanza of verses. Rather than maintaining a purely sentimental or generalized narrative, editors like Bergé deliberately introduced explicitly Marian imagery. This served to deeply anchor the hymns within the liturgical, devotional, and theological culture of the Catholic faith, proving that these revisions were treated as intentional pieces of sacred art.

The list above does not represent an exhaustive search of my entire hymnal collection for every occurrence of “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” these specific volumes offer definitive evidence of a rich, intentional tradition of Catholic textual adaptation.

Rhythmic Variance and the Scottish Roots of Bethany

Beyond textual variations, surviving Catholic scores reveal considerable flexibility in how compilers presented Lowell Mason’s Bethany. Collections such as Laudis Corona and St. Basil’s Hymnal alternate between 6/8 and 4/4 meter. The former preserves a gentler, folk-like character suited to devotional and educational settings, while the latter transforms the melody into a more stately chorale appropriate for funerals and congregational worship.

The melody itself may have deeper roots than Mason’s 1856 composition. Hymnologists have noted similarities between Bethany and the traditional Scottish air “The Auld House“, suggesting that Mason may have drawn upon older folk traditions when shaping the tune. Whether consciously or not, the resulting melody represented a remarkable cultural journey. By pairing it with the anonymous Sacred Heart verses, Catholic editors effectively baptized a tune shaped by Scottish folk music and American Protestant hymnody into a distinctly Catholic expression of devotion and reparation.

Lyrical Analysis: The Total “Baptism” of a Text

When we look at the exact verses preserved across Laudis Corona, St. Basil’s, and the Sunday School Hymn Book, we see a highly unified, intentional effort to rewrite the hymn’s theology from scratch. While the opening stanza retains Sarah Adams’ universal cry of a soul longing for God through suffering, the remaining four stanzas are a total departure.

Here is how the anonymous Catholic author masterfully transformed the text:

Stanza 1: The Shared Threshold

Nearer, my God, to Thee, / Nearer to Thee! / E’en tho’ it be a cross / That raiseth me…

The Catholic version intentionally keeps this first stanza intact. The imagery of the “cross” raising the believer serves as the perfect theological bridge. While Adams originally used the cross metaphorically, for a Catholic reader, it immediately anchors the mind to the literal Crucifixion and the physical Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Stanza 2: Entering the Pierced Heart

Deep in thy Sacred Heart / Let me abide, / Thou that hast bled for me, / Sorrowed, and died…

Here, the Protestant narrative is completely discarded. In Adams’ original second stanza, she writes about a wanderer where “the sun gone down, darkness be over me, my rest a stone.” The Catholic version brilliantly shifts the “resting place” from a cold stone in the wilderness to the literal Sacred Heart of Jesus. The emphasis turns immediately to Christ’s Passion (“Thou that hast bled for me”), transforming a song about a lonely wanderer into an act of deep, intimate reparation.

Stanza 3 & 4: Transforming Grief into Hope

(Stanza 3) Still through my tears I’ll see / Hope gently leading me… (Stanza 4) When darkest seems the night, / Morning is near. / Sweet shall my trusting be…

Where the original Protestant text spends its middle stanzas detailing Jacob’s dream of a ladder with angels beckoning him, the Catholic verses pivot to an interior, pastoral psychology of grief. It addresses the real-world trials of the immigrant church—abandonment by friends, clouds of adversity, and dark nights of the soul—and re-frames sorrow not as a punishment, but as a grace-filled vehicle (“Sorrow still bringing me / Nearer to Thee”). This explains why the hymn became an absolute staple at pre-Vatican II Catholic gravesides; it met grieving families exactly where they were.

Stanza 5: The Beatific Vision

And, when the goal is won… / Sweet will my transports be, / Jesus, thy face to see, / When I have come, at last, / Nearer to Thee.

The hymn closes with a breathtakingly distinct Catholic eschatology. While Adams’ original final stanza imagines flying upward through the sky, forgetting the sun, moon, and stars, the Catholic lyricist keeps the focus entirely Christocentric. The ultimate goal of the soul is not just an upward escape into the cosmos, but the Beatific Vision—the ecstatic joy of looking directly upon the face of Jesus (“Jesus, thy face to see”).

The Modern Paradigm: Ecumenical Revival and Liturgical Planning

Following the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, which fully embraced vernacular hymnody, Nearer, My God, To Thee experienced a significant resurrection within Catholic spaces. However, this modern revival came with a twist: the historic Sacred Heart verses had completely faded from the collective memory of the faithful. In their place, the original Protestant text by Sarah F. Adams returned, embraced for its raw, scriptural evocative power.

Today, a survey of modern Catholic parish funeral music guides—stretching from St. Joseph in Libertyville, Illinois to St. Stanislaus Kostka, in Chicago,—reveals that the hymn is frequently suggested as an option for the Liturgy of Christian Burial. It is highly regarded by contemporary pastoral musicians for several reasons:

Ecumenical Pastoral Care: In an era where Catholic funerals are frequently attended by non-Catholic family members and friends, the hymn provides a comforting, universally recognized touchstone of shared Christian hope.
Theological Alignment with Resurrection: The original text’s trajectory—moving from the darkness of a stony pillow to an upward journey of praise (“Cleaving the sky, sun, moon, and stars forgot”)—complements the modern Catholic funeral liturgy’s emphasis on the Paschal Mystery and the soul’s journey to the heavenly Jerusalem.

Reflection

Silent Night and Nearer, My God, to Thee are historical parallels.

The story of Nearer, My God, to Thee is not unique. Another beloved hymn, Silent Night, followed a remarkably similar path in American Catholic life. Both hymns circulated in distinctly Catholic forms that reshaped popular texts inherited from outside the Catholic tradition. These adaptations were not acts of hostility toward their sources, but expressions of a conviction that even the most beloved hymns should proclaim the fullness of Catholic faith.

The parallels run deeper than editorial revision. Both hymns begin in darkness and suffering before leading the soul toward divine light. Silent Night transforms a cold and silent world through the dawn of redeeming grace. Nearer, My God, to Thee transforms loneliness, sorrow, and death into a pathway toward heaven. Together, they embody a profoundly Christian insight: God often reveals Himself most clearly amid grief, longing, and sacrifice.

Catechesis Through Melody

Earlier Catholic editors understood hymnody as catechesis through melody. Sacred music was not simply intended to express faith; it was intended to form it. Through the hymns sung week after week, generations of Catholics learned the mysteries of the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Sacred Heart, and the Real Presence as surely as they learned them from sermons and catechisms.

The standardization of American hymnals in the twentieth century undoubtedly fostered greater unity and familiarity. Yet it also coincided with a shift in emphasis. Congregational song moved from a predominantly theocentric and Eucharistic expression of worship toward a more personal and experiential language of faith, one that often emphasized the believer’s journey more than the mysteries celebrated upon the altar.

If the life of a parish flows from its worship, then the songs it sings matter profoundly. Hymnody is one of the Church’s most enduring teachers, shaping what believers come to love, remember, and believe. The forgotten Catholic verses of Nearer, My God, to Thee and Silent Night therefore represent more than a historical curiosity. They remind us of a time when sacred music was expected not merely to inspire, but to direct hearts upward—away from the self and toward the living God.

The Music of Sister Mary Editha, B.V.M.

Though her musical legacy spans decades, the portrait above is the only photograph the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary possess of Sister Mary Editha Flannagan, B.V.M. (1858–1939) Yet, while her visual record is sparse, her extraordinary contributions to Catholic music speak volumes.

Biography of Sister Mary Editha Flannagan, B.V.M.

Sister Mary Editha was born on August 9, 1858, in Haverhill, Massachusetts and baptized Mary Elizabeth. At an early age she came with her parents John and Honora (née Carey) Flannagan to Iowa City, Iowa where she received her musical education. She entered the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVMs) from Iowa City on October 29, 1872, at the young age of fourteen. She was received on September 19, 1873, and was given the religious name Editha.

She should have been received in February or March of 1873, but this was delayed until after her 15^th birthday. She made her first vows on July 27, 1876, and renewed these vows every year until December 31, 1914, when she was among the first group of BVMs to make perpetual vows after the congregation received papal permission for perpetual vows.

Her brother, John Thomas Aloysius Flannagan (1860-1926), would become a priest and later a monsignor, and the bond between the two would remain one of the defining relationships of her life. Father Flannagan served as the second president of St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa from 1891 to 1906.

For thirty-eight years, Sister Mary Editha served at Immaculate Conception Academy in Davenport, Iowa, as both music teacher and superior. She also served for six years as Superior at Holy Angels High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin although archive records are unclear as to the exact dates.

In 1915, she entered the highest levels of congregational leadership as a Councilor, and in 1926 she became Provincial, a role she held until 1935. Remarkably, even while carrying on the responsibilities of Provincial, she returned to teaching music at Immaculate Conception Academy, demonstrating her unwavering devotion to the artistic and spiritual formation of her students.

Selected Compositions

Across her long career, Sister Mary Editha produced an extraordinary body of music, much of it written for the voices and instruments available in B.V.M. schools and convents. Her compositions reveal both her technical skill and her deep devotion to the Church’s musical tradition. Among her known works are:

An Act of Reparation — a devotional piece set to words by Father William Roche, S.J., (1856-1945) reflecting her sensitivity to penitential and prayerful themes. (Click on any image to enlarge)

O Domina Mea — written for three equal voices and organ. This composition has color and a structural design which indicates skill and musicianship. This musical composition was later published by McLaughlin and Reilly Co., 1934.

O Gloriosa Virginum — a setting for soprano solo and SSA chorus, with text attributed to Venantius Fortunatus, linking her work to one of the great hymnographers of the early Church.

O Mary! Conceived Without Sin — a hymn for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, arranged for soprano–alto duet, SA chorus, and organ, demonstrating her ability to write for layered treble textures.

Praise to Mary — set to words by St. Alphonsus Liguori for three treble voices and piano; this hymn earned her fourth prize in the national contest sponsored by Miraculous Medal Magazine in 1932.

Remember, O Thou Virgin Blest — both words and music by Sister Mary Editha, composed for two treble voices and piano, showing her capacity to craft complete devotional works from text to melody.

Her talent received national recognition in 1932, when she won fourth prize in a hymn-writing contest sponsored by Miraculous Medal Magazine for her hymn Praise to Mary. The piece was published in the magazine’s November issue, bringing her work to a broad devotional readership.

Many of her hymns and choral works were performed publicly, especially at diocesan music festivals. Her compositions appeared on programs at St. Ambrose Hall in Davenport, in Chicago, and at other regional gatherings where Catholic school choirs showcased their finest work. One of the most striking tributes to her influence came in 1935, when her musical setting of the Christmas carol Awake! Awake! Behold the Morn (with text by Agnes V. Flannery) was performed by 950 high school students at Immaculata High School in Chicago during the school’s Christmas program. Below are manuscripts of the choral piece. (Click on any image to enlarge)

Despite her accomplishments, Sister Editha remained a lifelong student of her craft. In the early 1920s, during the beginning days of Immaculata, she traveled to Chicago to study harmony and counterpoint with John Singenberger, the noted composer and music director at Mundelein Seminary. Sister Editha had in mind the publication of several works—a goal she realized over the course of the decade, culminating in her 1927 collection, Child’s Book of Hymns. While community memory later associated her Chicago trip with the 1927 publication year, the study itself took place just before Singenberger’s death in 1924. This published volume beautifully reflects her deep belief in the formative power of music for young hearts and minds, cementing her contribution to children’s religious education.

Personal Character and Daily Life

Though Sister Mary Editha was often remembered as a stern and formidable presence, those who knew her well spoke just as readily of her deep kindness. Stories circulated within the community about her quiet generosity toward anyone in need, gestures offered without fanfare and often without witnesses. Her outward seriousness concealed a heart that responded instinctively to suffering.

In appearance, she was short and a little stout, but her physical stature was overshadowed by a personality that, as one sister put it, seemed to be bursting out all over. Determination was one of her defining traits. When she set her mind to a task, she pursued it with unwavering focus — and often, she achieved exactly what she intended.

The great love of her life was her brother, Msgr. John Flannagan, whose death left a lasting wound. Soon after she had celebrated her golden jubilee, her brother, Monsignor John Flannagan died. She mourned him for many years, carrying his memory with her in prayer and in the quiet spaces of her day. Yet grief never diminished her dedication to her work. She poured herself into her music, spending hour upon hour composing, revising, and practicing.

Her practice instrument was often a small pump organ, notorious among the sisters for its harsh, wheezing tone. But even that was nothing compared to her singing voice, which — as Sister Mary Blandina recalled with affectionate humor — was not her strongest gift. She sang everything she wrote, testing each line aloud, shaping melodies through sheer persistence rather than vocal beauty. And when a piece was finally ready, when it was performed for her review by students or fellow sisters, she must have felt a profound satisfaction: the knowledge that the music had traveled from her heart, through her pen, into the voices of others.

Quite early in the “beginning” days of Immaculata, Sister Mary Editha decided to come there to do some harmony and counterpoint study with Mr. Singenberger, who at that time was in charge of music at Mundelein Seminary. She had in mind publication of several works; and the community now has the result of this endeavor. As far as Sister’s music went, I don’t think there was much change from her original writings as she was a woman of very definite ideas. We all knew this and dare not change one tiny bit because she would recognize it.

An illustration of this took place one evening as we were going over some things for Sunday’s Mass. Sister M. Consuelo (Gladys) Ramaley thought that a certain change in wording would be a better expression of a thought and Sister M. Emilita answered her, “Do you want Sister M. Editha to stand up in chapel and exclaim, “O, my God!!”

And who had a better right to express her feelings thus that the composer of such beautiful hymns as “O Glorioso Virginum” ,”Remember O Thou Virgin Blest” or “O Domina Mea” sung as solos by Sister Mary Consuela or Sister Mary Jeanine Mulluoy at that time. One happy memory of mine is of singing with Sister Mary Emilita in a duet, the lovely hymn, “0 Jesus, Dearest Lord”.

These recollections, preserved by Sister Mary Blandina Mosgrove, B.V.M., offer a rare glimpse into the human side of Sister Mary Editha — the determined teacher, the grieving sister, the tireless composer, and the woman whose life was shaped by both discipline and devotion.

Final Years and Failing Sight

In her later years, however, she faced a trial that struck at the very heart of her vocation. Cataracts slowly robbed her of her sight, forcing her—most reluctantly—to set aside the work she cherished. Even as her vision dimmed, she continued to write, holding her pen to the music pad until the moment complete darkness made further work impossible. Her faith during this period was described as almost superhuman. She prayed fervently for the restoration of her sight, yet always with a spirit of resignation to God’s will, accepting whatever path lay before her.

Daily life became increasingly difficult. When the bells rang for community exercises, the sisters would see her groping her way up the front stairs or leaning on the arm of a devoted young Sister who guided her with quiet fidelity.

An operation eventually offered hope of relief. Though the procedure was successful, the shock proved too great for her aging body. She slipped gradually into a coma, and death came gently in 1939, closing the life of a woman whose music had shaped generations.

Sister Mary Editha Flannagan’s legacy endures in the hymns she wrote, the students she taught, the schools she guided, and the community she served with unwavering devotion. Her life was a testament to faith, perseverance, and the belief that music—born of the heart and offered to God—can shape souls and communities for generations.

Reflection

Except for the hymn collection “The Child’s Book of Hymns”, I knew very little about Sister Mary Editha, save a few tidbits of information extracted from the Preface of hymn collection and extracts from the 1934 edition of Ceacilia Magazine which featured one of her hymns “O Gloriosa Virginum.”

My connection to “The Child’s Book of Hymns” was a personal one. There is a hymn in this collection that I learned when I made my First Communion, “Jesus, Thou Art Coming,” although it is a different melody from the one I learned.

So, about three years ago in October, I reached out the archivist of the BVM Congregation, which is located in Dubuque, Iowa. I explained that each month I do a short write-up on a Catholic hymn, the author and the composer. I sent her a link to my website where I recently completed a tribute to Sister Mary Alexis Donnelly, R.S.M., and her contributions to Catholic music.

“I would like to do a write-up on the hymn “Jesus, Thou Art Coming” and Sister Mary Editha B.V.M., and her contributions to Catholic music, I do not profit monetarily from these write-ups but spiritually I’m sure I do. If there is any information you can share with me about Sister Mary Editha, such as when she joined the Sisters of Charity, when she was born, when she died; are there any photographs of her, is there anyone still living who knew her, I would be most grateful for any help.

Later in the month, I received an email from the archivist with information about Sister Editha. A photograph, the only one known to exist, and a pdf containing information about her life and service. This is were I learned of Sister Editha’s last name – Flannagan. So, I turned to Google and did a search and stumbled upon a BVM Newsletter that was published in the Fall of 2020.

Within it was an announcement for a CD, ‘Joyfully Our Voice We Raise,’ which was a compilation of music composed by B.V.M.s. It was released in time for the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The CD showcased BVM-composed songs recorded in 2008 by students from Xavier College Preparatory, Phoenix, Arizona.

So, I immediately requested a copy. Not long after, a package arrived in the mail containing a small pamphlet—a lyrics booklet prepared to accompany the ‘Joyfully Our Voice We Raise’ CD. It contained the lyrics for 27 hymns by various B.V.M. Sisters, seven of which were composed by Sister Editha. To a researcher like me, this was a gold mine. I once again reached out to the BVM archivist to inquire if any of Sister Editha’s sheet music was available, specifically the titles featured on the CD. While copies existed, they were housed in a separate facility and would take some time to retrieve. After submitting the formal request forms for the specific titles and obtaining permission to use the CD recordings, I received official approval in February 2026.

Around that same time, I was heavily involved in writing “A Parish Inheritance – A Hymnological Study of St. Mary’s Parish.” Anyway, things have settled down now and I am able to turn my attention once again to Sister Editha.

I initially planned to center this piece on ‘O Domina Mea,’ having found a copy of the score in the Caecilia Magazine referenced earlier. Then, considering this feature would publish in June—a month the Catholic Church dedicates to the Sacred Heart—I thought of showcasing a Sacred Heart hymn Sister Editha composed titled ‘O Heart of Jesus.’ Ultimately, however, my memory pulled me back to my original inspiration: ‘Jesus, Thou Art Coming.’

In truth, Sister Editha’s contributions are far too vast to limit to a single song; selecting just one would not tell the whole story. Therefore, this feature is dedicated to the broader musical legacy of Sister Mary Editha Flannagan, B.V.M., made possible by the generous permission of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary to share both her original manuscripts and the recordings of her compositions.

It is my sincere hope that this story serves to raise awareness of Sister Editha’s extraordinary talent, and safeguards the memory of all the religious sisters whose musical gifts might otherwise be forgotten.

Unlike the computer-generated files typically featured on this site, the following audio tracks are actual recordings performed by the student choirs of Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona. They are presented here with the generous and exclusive permission of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Because these historical compositions and recordings are tightly protected by congregational archives, music directors or ensembles interested in utilizing these hymns or scores for their own liturgies are advised to contact the author for guidance on proper permissions and archival requests. Selected performances or community recordings shared with the author may be featured in the ‘What’s New’ section of the website.

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BVM Composers Catholic Hymn History Hymn Write-ups Sacred Music Archive Sister Mary Editha The Child's Book of Hymns Women Composers

The Mystagogy of Little White Guest

I. The Archeology of a Melody: Uncovering the Authors

The history of this First Communion hymn begins not with a single name, but with a puzzle of initials. For decades, the melody published in 1937 by McLaughlin & Reilly Co. was attributed simply to “R.F.M.” Through meticulous research into the 1907 Musical Times and the 1937 Catalog of Copyright Entries, the identity of this composer finally emerges as Richard Frank Martin Akerman (1871–1938). Akerman was a figure of significant liturgical stature: one of the earliest students at the Royal College of Music and an assistant at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. His background in Anglican vocal church music and his role at Eton College suggest a composer who understood the power of disciplined, beautiful melody.

Parallel to this English tradition is a second melody published in 1958 by Sr. Myra, C.S.J. (Margaret Mary Farrell). A dedicated music educator at Regis College (Weston, Massachusetts) and Mount Saint Joseph Academy (Brighton/Boston Massachusetts), her version—arranged by “Edward Grey” (a pseudonym for Fr. Joseph Portelance)—carried the hymn into the mid-century American parish. While much of Sr. Myra’s work was tragically lost to history after her death, her contribution to this hymn survives as a testament to the musical life of the teaching sisters.

The enduring significance of this hymn is perhaps best evidenced by its persistent life outside the choir loft. Decades after its mid-century peak, Little White Guest remains a staple of the devotional landscape, with its accompanying prayer cards still widely available through major religious retailers like the EWTN Religious Catalogue and Catholic Supply. These cards, often featuring the classic Fratelli Bonella artwork of the Christ Child, continue to be sold in the thousands for First Communion ceremonies and parish distribute. This ongoing commercial and devotional presence suggests that the hymn is not merely a museum piece of “old-fashioned” sentimentality, but a living “souvenir of faith” that continues to provide a tangible, prayerful anchor for new generations.

Online forums and social media are filled with testimonials from individuals who, decades after their own First Communion, still recite the verses from memory after receiving the Eucharist. This persistent popularity suggests that the hymn serves as a “living bridge,” connecting the structured sacramental preparation of the past with the personal, interior prayer life of the present.

Little White Guest

You have come to my heart, dearest Jesus,
I’m holding you close to my breast,
I’m telling you over and over,
You are welcome, O Little White Guest.

I Love you, I Love you, My Jesus,
Please do not think I am bold
Of course, you must know that I Love You,
But I am sure that You like to be told.

And now that you’ve come, dearest Jesus
To nestle so close to my breast,
I’ll whisper “I love you, my Jesus”
You are welcome, O Little White Guest.

I’ll Whisper, “I Love You, My Jesus”
And ask that we never may part;
I Love You, O kind, Loving Jesus
And press You still nearer my Heart.

And when I shall meet you in heaven,
My soul then will lean on Thy breast
And you will recall our fond greetings,
When you were my Little White Guest.

II. The Interior Garden: A Theology of Childhood

To the modern critic, the lyrics of Little White Guest are sometimes labeled as “sentimental.” However, this critique overlooks the hymn’s profound pedagogical and mystagogical purpose. In the era of the Baltimore Catechism, children were not just taught information about the Eucharist; they were given a structure for an interior life.

This is best exemplified by the Heart-Garden Novena that accompanied the hymn. The preparation was a nine-day labor of active virtue. Each virtue was represented by a specific bloom:

Red Roses for kindness to others.
Violets for the discipline of patience.
Daisies for the virtue of obedience.
Pansies for the constant thought of Jesus.

In this context, the Little White Guest is not a diminutive title, but an Incarnational one. By framing the Eucharist as a “Guest,” the hymn teaches the logic of hospitality. The child learns that their soul is a home that must be swept, decorated, and made ready for a Royal Visitor. In this way, the hymn is valuable within its proper theological and liturgical limits. It meets the child where they are.

The choice of the word ‘Guest’ is not merely a charming sentiment for children; it is a profound echo of the Church’s high liturgy. In the Veni Sancte Spiritus—the ancient ‘Golden Sequence’ of Pentecost—the Holy Spirit is addressed as Dulcis Hospes Animae, or the ‘Sweet Guest of the Soul.’ By using this language, Little White Guest performs a vital mystagogical service, translating the abstract mystery of the Divine Indwelling into the accessible ‘logic of hospitality.’ It teaches the young communicant that the soul is not an empty space, but a sanctuary prepared for a Royal Visitor. This framework transforms the act of receiving the Eucharist into a personal encounter, grounding the ‘warm’ devotional experience in the ‘high’ theological reality of the Roman Missal.

The following excerpts are taken from a First Communion preparation text “Preparing to Welcome Jesus” used during the catechetical period of the author. They illustrate a structured approach to forming the interior life of the child through symbolic and devotional language, often described as the “heart-garden”.

Preparing to Welcome Jesus (1952)
Fr. George M. Dennerle & Sr. Mary Magdela, S.N.D.

The following booklet, originally published in 1952 by The Bruce Publishing Company of Milwaukee, is provided here as a historical devotional resource associated with First Holy Communion preparation in the mid-twentieth century. Its language and spiritual approach reflect a particular moment in Catholic catechetical practice—marked by affective devotion, child-centered piety, and an emphasis on personal intimacy with Our Lord in the Eucharist.

This document is presented not as a normative model of Catholic hymnody or Eucharistic theology, but as a representative artifact of a widely shared devotional culture. Its inclusion is intended to assist readers in understanding the pastoral and imaginative framework that shaped the religious experience of many Catholics in the context of First Communion. This booklet is believed to be in the public domain; if a valid copyright claim exists, it will be removed upon request.

Preparing to Welcome Jesus – First Communion (PDF)

III. The Great Gap: Formation vs. Information

Within the framework of this study, Little White Guest is best understood as a devotional hymn. In this classification, such hymns are recognized for expressing a personal and affective response to the reception of Christ, while not necessarily articulating the fullness of Eucharistic doctrine, particularly with regard to the objective reality of Christ’s presence in the sacrament. This distinction is important. The hymn does not serve as a primary expression of the Church’s liturgical voice, but accompanies it, giving the communicant—especially the child—a language of love in response to a mystery already received.

Examining this hymn today reveals a significant shortcoming in modern catechesis. When we were taught by religious sisters using the Baltimore Catechism, we were given a “musical spine” for our faith. The sisters lived a life centered on the Eucharist, and they passed that interiority down to us through these simple devotions.

Today, many lay teachers—often through no fault of their own—have had less exposure to this kind of liturgical and devotional formation. Modern pedagogy often emphasizes the “communal meal” or the “gathering,” but it can neglect the interior silence and the personal conversation with Christ. Without the structured “small steps” of the Heart-Garden, children may learn about the sacrament without learning how to love the Person within it.

IV. The Classical Restoration: Chesterton and the Future

There is a growing movement today to recover this lost inheritance. Schools like the Chesterton Academy network are returning to a classical model of Catholic education, emphasizing the integration of faith, reason, and beauty.

While these modern classical schools rightly focus on the “high” traditions of Gregorian chant, there remains a vital place for the “warm” traditions of the devotional hymn. The Chestertonian spirit—one of “Catholic joy” and common sense—aligns perfectly with the Little White Guest. By reintroducing these hymns, we bridge the gap between a rigorous mind and a tender heart. We offer children more than just facts; we offer them the “whisper” of a post-Communion heart that says, “I love You, my Jesus.”

V. Conclusion: Seeing What I See

When I invite readers to review these verses, I am inviting them to look past the notes and see the spiritual landscape they create. This hymn was once a staple of the Choir Loft radio broadcasts in 1937, and for over thirty years, it has echoed in my own experience in the choir at St. Mary’s in Akron, Ohio. It is more than a song; it is the final result of a soul prepared.

As I reflect on the journey of the Little White Guest, I am reminded of the words that conclude the nine-day journey of preparation:

“Now my Novena is finished, and my heart is a little garden where lovely flowers grow. Jesus my Guest will like it, my dear Mother Mary told me so. When Jesus sees my garden, oh, I know He will come in! I’ll whisper, I Love You, I Love You, My Jesus. He is coming in this morning, to be my Little White Guest.” This beautiful hymn says it all.

A special thank you to Peter Meggison, producer of The Devotional Hymns Project for allowing me to link to his recordings of Little White Guest. I particularly wish to highlight the beautiful selections he produced at St. Paul Church in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. On June 28, 2013, vocalists Lisa Correnti and Sarah Mitchell performed the melody by Sr. Myra, C.S.J., under the direction of organist John Robinson, who served as music director of both the church and the renowned St. Paul Choir School.

The collaboration continued in August 2014, when additional selections were recorded at the same location by John Robinson with vocalists Clare McNamara and Camila Parias. Their performance of the melody by Richard Frank Martin Akerman further honors the tradition of exceptional sacred music associated with this distinguished institution.

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Chesterton Academy First Communion Hymns Hymn Archeology Little White Guest McLaughlin & Reilly R.F.M. Akerman Richard Frank Martin Akerman Sr. Myra C.S.J. St. Mary’s Akron

Discovering the Legacy of Sister Aloysius Dorman

Sister Aloysius Dorman (1835–1913) was a 19th‑century Catholic hymn composer whose music quietly shaped American devotional life. Her initials—S. N. D.—appear above the texts of many hymns found in older Catholic hymnals, yet the woman behind those letters has remained largely unknown. Through archival research and historical sources, this article traces the life, ministry, and hymnody of Sister Aloysius Dorman of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, revealing the legacy of a gifted composer whose work accompanied generations of Catholic prayer while her name faded into anonymity. (Click on any image to enlarge)

Sister Aloysius was born in Washington, D.C., on August 2, 1835, to Albert and Adelaide Dorman, both of whom had emigrated from France. At nineteen, she entered the postulancy of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur at the Sixth Street Convent in Cincinnati. She professed her perpetual vows in 1861, beginning a lifetime of service marked by music, teaching, and devotion.

Her ministry carried her across several communities. She spent twenty‑five years at the Sixth Street Academy in Cincinnati, seventeen years at the Notre Dame Academy in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square, twelve years in Dayton, and shorter periods in Columbus, Hamilton, and Summit, Ohio. Wherever she went, she taught music and orchestration, publishing hymns and songs for the schools she served. These works—now recognized as the American hymns attributed to “S. N. D.”—became part of the spiritual soundtrack of countless classrooms.

What stands out most in the accounts of her life is her spirited personality. She was known for her lively disposition and her ability to charm those around her. One vivid moment from her final year captures this beautifully. In late March of 1913, she conducted an orchestra of many instruments, singing a gypsy song while accompanying herself on the tambourine. She danced with such youthful agility that observers could hardly believe she was nearly eighty years old.

The very next day, however, she fell ill. For two weeks she continued to attend Mass and receive Holy Communion, but eventually she had to confine herself to her small room above the sacristy. There, after a long life of service, she quietly departed on April 1, 1913. She was laid to rest in the Notre Dame Cemetery in Hamilton, Ohio.

Much of what we know about Sister Aloysius today comes from the careful research of Sister Kim Dalgarn, SNDdeN, archivist in Cincinnati, and from a 1989 letter written to Peter Meggison by Sister Agnes Immaculata Guswiler, the first archivist in Cincinnati. Their work, along with excerpts from the Hamilton Annals, preserves the details of Sister Aloysius’s life and confirms her as the composer of the American hymns and songs long attributed to her initials.

As I learned more about her, I found myself reflecting on how easily figures like Sister Aloysius slip into the background of history. It was customary throughout the entire 19th and early 20th century for religious authors, artists, and composers to remain anonymous, giving only the name of their religious congregations for their published works. Knowing this helped me understand why her contributions were hidden for so long—and why uncovering them feels so meaningful.

Before Peter Meggison mentioned her name, I had never wondered who composed the hymns I’d heard so many times. Her story reminded me that some of the most enduring influences come from people who never sought recognition at all. In discovering her life, I feel as though I’ve uncovered a quiet but beautiful thread woven through American musical and spiritual history, one that deserves to be remembered and celebrated.

The hymn books listed below, compiled by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur between 1871 and 1883, constitute a representative sample of a larger body of devotional music associated with the congregation. These volumes document the circulation, revision, and reuse of hymn texts across multiple publications and successive editions, rather than preserving a comprehensive or fixed corpus. The accompanying alphabetized catalog identifies hymns attributed to Sister Aloysius Dorman, S.N.D., with cross‑references to all presently known hymnals and corresponding publication years in which each text appears. Where available, individual hymn entries include links to related narrative essays that document the hymn’s history, variants, and devotional use. This catalog remains provisional and open to expansion as additional hymn texts, variant titles, and source materials are identified.

Complete Alphabetized Catalog of Hymns by Sister Aloysius Dorman, S.N.D.

With cross‑references to all known hymnals and publication years

(Catalog remains open for expansion as additional hymns are identified.)

Ah, Who Is She That Mounts to Heaven (also printed as Assumption Hymn)

Wreath of Mary (1883)
Sunday School Hymn Book (1887, 1907, 1935)

At Last, Thou Art Come, Little Savior

Wreath of Mary (1883)

Ave Maria, Bright and Pure (also printed as Ora Pro Mea)

May Chimes (1871)
May Blossoms (1872)
Peters’ Sodality Hymn Book (1872, 1914)
Crown Hymnal (1913)
St. Basil’s Hymnal (1918, 1925)
St. Joseph’s Hymnal (1930)

Great St. Joseph! Thron’d in Glory (also printed as St. Joseph)

Wreath of Mary (1883)
St. Basil’s Hymnal (1897, 1918)

Hail Virgin, spotless Mother!

May Chimes (1871)
May Blossoms (1872)

Heart of Mary, Pure and Fair (also printed as O Heart of Mary, Pure and Fair)

May Chimes (1871)
May Blossoms (1872)

Heavenly Desires (Oh, When Shall We With Angels Bright)

May Chimes (1871)
May Blossoms (1872)
Peters’ Sodality Hymn Book (1872, 1914)
Sunday School Hymn Book (1887, 1907, 1935)
St. Basil’s Hymnal (1918, 1925)

How Pure, How Frail, and White (also printed as The Annunciation)

May Chimes (1871)
May Blossoms (1872)
Peters’ Sodality Hymn Book (1872, 1914)
Crown Hymnal (1913)
St. Basil’s Hymnal (1897, 1918)
St. Joseph’s Hymnal (1930)

I Am My Love’s and He Is Mine (also printed as I Am My Lord’s and He Is Mine)

May Chimes (1871)
May Blossoms (1872)
Sunday School Hymn Book (1887, 1907, 1935)
St. Basil’s Hymnal (1891, 1897, 1906)

Mary’s Titles ( also printed as Thro’ the world Thy Children Raise)

May Chimes (1871)
May Blossoms (1872)
St. Basil’s Hymnal (1906)

Mother Dearest, Mother Fairest (also printed as Our Lady of Help)

Wreath of Mary (1883)
Sunday School Hymn Book (1887, 1907, 1935)
Basil’s Hymnal (1888 through 1925)

Mystery of Love, To Thee We Turn

May Chimes (1871)
May Blossoms (1872)

Oh! Beautiful Thou art

May Chimes (1871)
May Blossoms (1872)

O List, My Loved Angel, Assent to My Vow (also printed as My Angel)

May Chimes (1871)
May Blossoms (1872)

O Mournful Mother, Who Didst Stand (also printed as Help of Christians)

May Chimes (1871)
May Blossoms (1872)

O Mother Loved, Our Sweet Delight

May Chimes (1871)
May Blossoms (1872)

Ora Pro Mea (see Ave Maria, Bright and Pure)

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (To Thee Sweet Mother, Heav’nly Queen)

May Chimes (1871)
May Blossoms (1872)

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Sweet Lady of the Sacred Heart)

May Blossoms (1872)
Peters Sodality Hymn Book (1872, 1914)

Rose of the Cross (Rose of the Cross, thou mystic flower!)

May Chimes (1871)
May Blossoms (1872)
Sunday School Hymn Book (1887,1907, 1935)
Basil’s Hymnal (1918, 1925)

Soft Breaks the Morn on Zion’s Hill (also printed as Presentation)

Wreath of Mary (1883)

Sorrows of Mary (Vast as ocean’s briny water, Mighty as it’s surging tide)

Wreath of Mary (1883)

A special thank you to Peter Meggison producer of The Devotional Hymns Project for allowing me to link to recordings of some of the hymns listed above.

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American Catholic hymns Catholic hymnody history S.N.D. hymn composer Sister Aloysius Dorman Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur

I Am A Faithful Catholic

I was listening to a new collection of hymns recordings in November of 2021 on The Devotional Hymns Project website produced by Peter Meggison when I heard the hymn I am a Faithful Catholic for the very first time to a melody composed by W. A. Mozart and I knew then that I wanted to include it in my collection of devotional hymns.

The earliest appearance of this hymn is found in EASY HYMNS AND SACRED SONGS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, published in London by Burns & Lambert in 1853. This collection of children’s hymns was compiled by Father Henry Formby (1816-1884). This hymnal appeared in a period which produced many hymns for children. (Click on any image to enlarge)

Henry Formby was born in 1816, the son of Henry Grenehalgh Formby, second son of Richard Formby, of Formby Hall, county Lancaster, Esg. He was educated at Clitheroe Grammar School, and from there to the Charterhouse School, and ultimately was admitted into Brasenose College, Oxford. He received a Master of Arts and took Orders in the Church of England. He was appointed vicar of Ruardean, county, Gloucester. He petitioned to have his parish divided but was opposed by his bishop. This was during the Tractarian Movement or Oxford Movement, which Mr. Formby followed with keen interest.

The Oxford Movement was a 19th‑century reform effort in the Church of England that aimed to revive its Catholic heritage. It stressed apostolic succession, the importance of the sacraments, and more elaborate, beautiful liturgical worship. One of the most prominent figures of this movement was John Henry Newman, now St. John Henry Newman.

As a result, Mr. Formby was received into the Catholic Church, at St. Mary’s College, Oscott, January 24, 1846. After passing through a course of theology at Oscott, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Wareing (1791-1865) the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Northampton, on September 18, 1847. For several years, Father Formby served at St. Chads, Birmingham, and at Wednesbury, but for the last 18 or 20 years of his life he resided at the Dominican Priory of St. Peter, Hinckley, county Leicester, during which time he assisted in preparing the novices for priesthood.

Father Formby died while on a visit to Colonel Worswick at Normanton Hall, county Leicester, on March 12, 1884, at the age of 67. He is buried at St. Joseph’s College, Mill Hill. He spent much of his life dedicated to bringing about knowledge of the Scriptures and the Catholic faith by publishing more than forty volumes of Catholic catechetical material beautifully illustrated with instructive pictures.

In the preface to EASY HYMNS AND SACRED SONGS, the editor provides attribution for the material included and offers particular thanks to three communities of nuns, acknowledging their contributions and assistance.

To the Convent of the Holy Child, St. Leonard’s-on-the-Sea, Hastings.
The Sisters of Mercy, those from the Convent of Kinsale and
The Convent of Charleville, County Cork, Ireland.

Although the hymns contributed by the Sisters of the Holy Child and the Kinsale community are not individually attributed, the Sisters of Mercy in Charleville are specifically acknowledged by name.

Sister M. J., now identified as Sr. Mary Joseph Croke (1825-1888) who wrote the hymn Kind Guardian Angel, Thanks To Thee.
Sister Agnes, now identified as Sister Agnes McSweeny (1823-1905) who wrote Hail, Glorious St. Patrick.
Sister M. B., her contributions include I am a Little Catholic, Sing A Joyous Carol, Jesus Teach Me How To Pray, and Heart of the Holy Child.

I contacted the archivist for the Sisters of Mercy in County Cork, Ireland to identify Sister M.B. However, because the archives were closed during COVID‑19 restrictions, the archivist could provide only limited information. As a result, Sister M.B.’s identity remains unknown at present. Click the link to learn more about the Sisters of Mercy in Charleville.

Melodies

The hymn originally appeared under the title I Am a Little Catholic, with an opening verse affirming the singer’s Catholic identity and belief in the Church’s continuity. In the 1864 hymnal CROWN OF JESUS MUSIC, published in London by Thomas Ricardson & Son, set to a melody attributed to Mozart, it was retitled I Am a Faithful Catholic and its first verse was revised to emphasize fidelity and steadfastness to the Church. This revised version became the standard text and continued to be printed in both American and English Catholic hymnals until the 1920s. (Click on any image to enlarge)

In addition to the melody attributed to Mozart, five other tunes for the hymn were identified.

CATHOLIC HYMNS AND CANTICLES (1863) and THE COMPLETE SODALITY MANUAL (1863), both compiled by Father Alfred Young, C.S.P. (1831–1900) of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in New York, preserve the hymn in its original form, I am a little Catholic. Father Young composed and arranged the tunes for more than forty hymns.

CANTICA SACRA or Hymns for the Children of Catholic Schools (1880) contains two melodies. This new edition of CANTICA SACRA was published because many priests and school leaders asked for it. It includes new litanies to the Blessed Virgin Mary and a Requiem Mass arranged so children can sing it.

The publishers also thanked the clergy, the Sisters of Notre Dame, and J. Frank Donahoe from the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston for their help. The melodies were likely composed or arranged by the organist J. Frank Donahoe. The first edition was published in 1865, a second edition in 1871, and a third edition in 1880.

The PAROCHIAL HYMN BOOK (1883, 1897) credits the melody to W. A. Lockay, yet no trace of him appears in any musical or hymnological records. The 1883 edition identifies the tune as a French melody, making it likely that Lockay was not the composer but a local parish musician who arranged or adapted an existing French devotional air.

The 1883 edition was published by Burns & Oates in London, and the 1897 edition was published in Dublin, London and New York. The compiler of both hymn books was Father Anatole Police, S.M. (1834 – 1896) who was an accomplished musician and widely known in Boston for his devotion to the ministry of confessions.

THE NOTRE DAME HYMN TUNE BOOK (1905) credits its melody to Moir Brown, who helped compile the hymn book with Frank N. Birtchnell. Brown wrote more than twenty original tunes for the collection. The book was published in Liverpool by Rockliff Brothers and was created to provide complete musical settings for the hymns used by the Sisters of Notre Dame. Traditional melodies were kept, and many hymns received musical settings for the first time.

The MANUAL OF SELECT CATHOLIC HYMNS AND DEVOTIONS (1885, 1925) reprints the No. 1 tune found in the Cantica Sacra. This collection of hymns for the use of schools, colleges, academies, and congregations was compiled and arranged by Father Philip Mary Colonel, C.SS.R. (1843-1925).

Father Philip Mary Colonel was a Bavarian‑born Redemptorist priest whose life was marked by steady, devoted service. Born in 1843 and professed at a young age, he spent twenty‑five influential years at St. Mary’s Church in Buffalo, where he ministered to German‑Catholic immigrants and published a well‑used hymnal in 1885. His brother Joseph was also a Redemptorist, serving in the St. Louis Province. Father Colonel spent his final years in the Baltimore community of St. Michael the Archangel, where he died in 1925.

Reflection

The verses of this hymn present a series of affirmations of Catholic belief, each one pointing to a cherished element of the Church’s life and tradition. The hymn invokes my Holy Faith, the Holy Church, His Altar, Mother Mary, the Saints, the Cross, and the Beads—a clear reference to the Rosary. Together, these form a tapestry of sacramentals and devotions that have long served as visible signs of Catholic identity.

The text also hints at the contrast between believers and those who do not share the faith, captured in the line Let foolish men rail as they will. This gentle but firm acknowledgment of opposition underscores the steadfastness of the believer’s commitment.

Although originally written for children, the hymn carries a simplicity and sincerity that speak to all ages. Its clear expression of faith makes it especially suitable for school religion classes, Youth Ministries, or as a joyful entrance or recessional hymn at Mass.

What part of those verses stays with you the most—the celebration side, or the truth claim underneath it? Take a moment to reflect on the verses and I think you’ll agree that its message is timeless: a confident, heartfelt celebration of the beauty and truth of the Catholic Faith.

A special thank you to Peter Meggison producer of The Devotional Hymns Project for allowing me to link to a recording of I Am A Faithful Catholic as sung by The Ensemble Cor et Vox at St. John Cantius Church in Chicago.

In addition, piano arrangements of the melodies mentioned above are included below. These sound files are computer‑generated. While the tempos are approximate, they should give listeners a clear sense of how each hymn is intended to sound. All selections are in the public domain. Music directors who choose to use any of these hymns in their Sunday or weekly programs and create a recording are invited to contact the author; selected recordings may be featured in the What’s New section of the website.

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Silent Night

This beautiful devotional Catholic Christmas hymn was written by Father Joseph Mohr, a Catholic priest of the parish of St. Nicholas, in the small village of Oberndorf, Austria, for Mid-night Mass, December 24, 1818. The inspiration for the lyrics of this hymn is shrouded in several charming stories that have been passed down over the years. One such story places Father Mohr on an emergency call late one night to take the last rites to a dying member of his parish who lived high up beyond the village limits.

On the way home from his sad mission, he looked down upon the candle lights beaming from the windows in the homes nestled in the village and then turned his gaze upward to the starry heavens gleaming above the mountains. The wind, which normally is restless in its shifting among the mountain tops, was quite still. Soon his thoughts took him to the coming Advent, and a sacred vision entered his mind that the Christ Child must have been born in Bethlehem on such a night. He saw the shepherds watching their flocks by night and the angel’s song Gloria in Excelsis echoing above the valley floor. Being extremely late at night, he hurried home and to his study and with a feathered quill sat at his desk to write the message of Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht.

In the early morning hours, he set out with his manuscript in hand to show it to the old church organist, Franz Gruber. Upon reading the words and in what must have been a divinely inspired moment, a melody flooded his mind, and he began to softly sing the words to his wife and Father Mohr. Over time the hymn became known to all the people in the village and by 1831 was sung by the Strasser sisters at the Leipzig Fair. From there its popularity continued to grow. What a charming story indeed!

Translations

In my research, I discovered that there have been at least 7 different translations. In 1858, the hymn was translated into English by a hymn writer under her pseudonym E. S. Elliot or Emily Elizabeth Steele Elliot (1836-1897), and privately printed for St. Mark’s Church, Brighton. This translation, Stilly Night, Holy Night! Silent stars shed their light appeared in only a few European publications. The hymn was popularized in the United States by the Renner family of singers touring America in 1827. The first printed edition in the United States was around 1840 but was not widely distributed. A second translation was done by Episcopal priest John Freeman Young (1820-1885). His translation appeared in his Carols for Christmas, 1859. This translation has become the common text for the hymn today, Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright, and is sometimes referred to as the Protestant version. To learn more about the various translations of this Christmas hymn visit The Hymns and Carols for Christmas website.

Hymnals

The hymns first appearance in Catholic hymnals was in the LAUDIS CORONA, 1880 and a translation, Silent Night, sacred night, Bethlehem sleeps, yet what light, by an unknown author is considered the Catholic version. (click on any image to enlarge)

Next appearance:

Sunday School Hymn Book, 1887, 1905 & 1935 – Sisters of Notre Dame (SND)
Holy Family Hymn Book, 1904 – Francis Buttler
The New Catholic Hymn Book, 1906 – Louis Berge
The Crown Hymnal, 1912 – Father Kavanagh & James McLaughlin
De La Salle Hymnal, 1913 – Brothers of the Christian Schools
Manual of Catholic Hymns, 1916 – Father B. Dieringer & Father Jos. J. Pierron
Father Finn’s Carol Book, 1917 – Father Finn conductor of Paulist Choristers
Holy Cross Church Hymnal, 1919 – text only, Bp. John J. Cantwell, Los Angelus
Catholic Hymnal, 1920 – Father John G. Hacker, S.J., Canisius College, N.Y.
Hymns Used by the Pupils of the Sisters of Notre Dame, 1920, 1948, & 1951 – text only
The St. Gregory Hymnal, 1920 & 1940 – The St. Gregory Guild, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
The American Catholic Hymnal, 1921 – The Marist Brothers of N.Y. (not in the 1913 ed.)
The Standard Catholic Hymnal, 1921 – McLaughlin & Reilly Co., Boston, MA.
Mary’s Hymnal, 1924, 1944-1950 – Catholic Book Publishing Co., N.Y.
Young People’s Catholic Hymn Book, 1924 – McLaughlin & Reilly Co., Louis Berge
Basil’s Hymnal, 1925, 1935 & 1953 – The Basilian Fathers – 31^st ed. is first appearance
Sursum Corda, 1925 – Sisters of St. Francis, Stella Niagara, N. Y.
The Catholic School Hymnal, 1930 – J. P. Donnelly, Emil Ascher Inc., New York
Selected Hymns, 1930 – Sisters of St. Joseph, Boston – text only
Joseph’s Hymnal, 1930 – Sisters of St. Joseph, Nazareth, Michigan (3^rd and 6^th ed.)
A Daily Hymn Book, 1930 – Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd., London
The Gloria Hymnal, 1933 – The Basilian Press, Detroit, Michigan
Easy Hymnal Notation, 1934 – Saint Anthony Guild Press, New Jersey – text only
Manual of Hymns for Parochial Schools, 1935 – The Public Press, Philadelphia – text only
The Ave Maria Hymnal, 1936 – Fr. Joseph J. Pierron, The Bruce Publishing Co., Milwaukee
The Saint Rose Hymnal, 1940 – Sisters of St. Francis, La Crosse, Wisconsin
Laudate Choir Manual, 1942 – Fr. Joseph Hohe; Ed. by Fr. Koch, Ph. D., & Fr. Green, O.S.B.
Prayers and Hymns for Children, 1943 – Propagation of the Faith Press, Boston – text only
The Saint Andrew Hymnal, 1945 – McLaughlin & Reilly Co., Boston, MA.
Sing to the Lord, 1946 – McLaughlin & Reilly Co., Boston, MA.
Manual of Hymns for Catholic Schools, 1948 – The Voshardt Press, New Jersey – text only
Parochial Hymnal, 1936, 1951 – J. Fischer & Bro., New York
The Westminster Hymnal, 1939, 1952 – Ronald Knox & Bp. David Mathew
The Pius X Hymnal, 1953 – McLaughlin & Reilly Co., Boston, MA.
Alverno Hymnal Book 1, 1954 – McLaughlin & Reilly Co., Boston, MA.
Parish Hymnal, 1954 – Saint Francis Church Cleveland, Ohio – text only
The St. Cecilia Hymnal, 1955 – Frederick Pustet Co., Inc.,
Mediator Dei Hymnal, 1955 – Gregorian Institute of America (Cyr De Brant)
The People’s Hymnal, 1955 – World Library of Sacred Music, Cincinnati, Ohio
The New Saint Basil Hymnal, 1958 – Ralph Jusko Publications, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio
The Catholic Chapel Hymnal, 1944 thru 1968 – McLaughlin & Reilly Co., Boston, MA.
Cantate Omnes, 1958 – Cantate Omnes Publications, Buffalo, NY.
The BVM Hymnal, 1961 – Gregorian Institute of America, Toledo, Ohio
Cantus Populi, 1963 and 1964 – Theodore Marier, McLaughlin and Reilly Co., Boston, MA.

Because there are so many hymnals with variations on the text of Silent Night, I decided to group the hymnals based on the verses.

Hymnals with – Silent Night, Sacred Night, Bethlehem sleeps, yet what light (LAUDIS CORONA)
Hymnals with – Silent Night, Holy Night, Bethlehem sleeps, yet what light (ST. GREGORY)
Hymnals with – Silent Night, plus variations on the text (Various hymnals)

I thought this approach would offer a better understanding of the hymn text as it appeared during the late 19th to the mid-20^th century period. Even with this approach this article is quite lengthy.

My research is limited to my personal collection of 158 Catholic hymnals dating from 1840 thru 1974, and the Caecilia Magazine Archives which begins in 1926 thru the 1960s as well as The Catholic Choirmaster Archives which begin in 1915 thru 1930.

I also have some modern hymnals like Adoremus, Gather, Glory & Praise, Ignatius Pew Missal, The St. Paul Hymnal, and few Protestant hymnals including:

Junior Hymns & Songs, 1927 – Bethany Edition, Presbyterian Committee of Publication.
The Excelsior Hymnal, 1919 – Tullar & Merideth Co., New York City
Songs and Service Book for Ships & Field, 1927 – Army & Navy ed.
The Hymnal 1940 Companion, 1949 -1951 – Protestant Episcopal Church, New York

I did not include these modern hymnals because the text of Silent Night is the common text we know today.

Text Review of Catholic Hymn Books

The text of the hymn found in the LAUDIS CORONA above appeared in several Catholic hymn books until the mid-1940s.

Sunday School Hymn Book, 1887, 1905 & 1935
Holy Family Hymn Book, 1904
The Crown Hymnal, 1912
De La Salle Hymnal, 1913
Manual of Catholic Hymns, 1916
Holy Cross Church Hymnal, 1919
Hymns used by the Pupils of the SND, 1920, 1948-1951*
The American Catholic Hymnal, 1921**
The Standard Catholic Hymnal, 1921
The Catholic School Hymnal, 1930
Selected Hymns, 1930
A Daily Hymn Book, 1930
The Ave Maria Hymnal, 1936
The Saint Rose Hymnal, 1945
The Saint Andrew Hymnal, 1945

* Hymns used by the Pupils of the Sisters of Notre Dame modified the text Floats around the holy pair to Floats around the holy place otherwise the text is the same. This modification only appears in this hymn book.

** The hymn did not appear in the 1913 edition.

The text found in the ST. GREGORY HYMNAL AND CHOIR BOOK published in 1920 and 1940 was compiled by Nicola Montani. It was used in the following hymn books listed below. This is likely a result of the influence by the Society of St. Gregory America. This musical committee was founded by Nicola Montani in 1918 and was responsible for sweeping changes by severely criticizing existing and widely used Catholic hymn books like the St. Basil’s Hymnal, by the creation of a Black List of disapproved music and a White List of approved music.

St. Basil’s Hymnal, 1925 – 1953
St. Joseph’s Hymnal, 1930
The Gloria Hymnal, 1933
Manual of Hymns for Parochial Schools, 1935
Prayers and Hymns for Children, 1943
Manual of Hymns for Catholic Schools, 1948
The Parochial Hymnal, 1936 & 1951
The St. Cecilia Hymnal, 1955

Note: The only difference in the text from Laudis Corona of 1880 and the St. Gregory hymnals is the substitution of holy night vs sacred night, otherwise the text is the same.

The first hymnal to have text different from the LAUDIS CORONA was found in THE NEW CATHOLIC HYMN BOOK, published in 1906 as well as the YOUNG PEOPLE’S CATHOLIC HYMN BOOK published in 1909. The hymn books were compiled by Louis Berge (1840-1914). (click on any image to enlarge)

Louis Arthur Berge (1840-1914) was born in Darmstadt, Germany and came to the United States around 1850 where he took up residence in New York. He became one of the first published organists and composer of the country.

By 1860, his musical compositions included marches, waltzes, and polka’s. In 1866, Louis Berge & Company was established at 97 Bleecker Street in New York where he manufactured Grand, Square and Upright piano-fortes. He sold new and second-hand pianos and organs as well as an assortment of other musical instruments including guitars, violins, flutes, and banjos for rent or hire.

Around 1896, The Berge Music Company was established and in 1904, Louis published his first Catholic hymn book: BERGE’S BOOK OF GEMS for the use of Catholic Schools and Choirs. With the success of his first hymn book and at the request of many of the religious entrusted with the education of Sunday School and Parish Schools, Louis published THE NEW CATHOLIC HYMN BOOK, 1906;

In 1909, he published the YOUNG PEOPLE’S CATHOLIC HYMN BOOK which received several letters of attribution from the clergy including Archbishop Cardinal Gibbons of Baltimore and New York Archbishop John M. Farley, D.D., who granted the Imprimatur, The hymn books featured compositions by both Louis Berge and his son William E. Berge, as well as other composers. In 1911, Louis Berge published the ROSARY, a selection of Sacred Songs consisting chiefly of his own compositions. Louis Berge died on March 31, 1914, in New York and is buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Manhattan.

In 1924, McLaughlin and Reilly Music Company acquired the rights to the hymn books and republished them. The McLaughlin and Reilly Music Company of Boston was one of the most successful music publishers of the 20th century.

The next variation on the text appears in FATHER FINN’S CAROL BOOK published in 1917.

Father Williman J Finn, C.S.P. (1881-1961), was best known as the Conductor of the Paulist Choristers, a famous Catholic group of singers who performed weekly on national radio both in Chicago (1904-1918), and New York (1918-1940s). Catholic radio programs were extremely popular before the age of television and included an audience of tens of millions of Americans every week. One interesting fact about Father Finn is that he is the nephew of Sister Paulina Finn who was also a prolific hymn writer who’s pen name was M.S. Pine.

Father Finn was born in Boston, Mass., on September 7^th, 1881. He was a pupil of Boston Latin School, graduated St. Charles’ College, Ellicott City, Maryland in 1900. He was ordained a priest in the Paulist Community in 1906, from St. Thomas’ College, Catholic University of America. He studied music at New England Conservatory of Music. He specialized in Ecclesiastical Music in London, Paris and Boston.

In the late 1930s, Father Finn began to lose his hearing and suffered a stroke in 1940. It was necessary for him to retire from choral work. He spent three years at Old Saint Mary’s parish in Chicago during the early 1940s. He returned to New York where he remained for the rest of his life.

He was severely burned in a fire while residing at his apartment in Yonkers with his niece. Her quick actions in smothering the flames saved his life initially, but his injuries proved fatal. He died on March 20, 1961, at the age of 79. Father Finn spent 54 years as a Paulist priest.

For more information about Father Finn and the Paulist Choristers, you can read a wonderful article devoted to Father Finn and the Paulist Choristers at the Caecilia Archives August 1934 Volume 60 edition of the Caecilia Magazine.

Variations of the hymn text continued to appear throughout the 1920s.

The Catholic Hymnal, 1920 compiled by Father John. G. Hacker, S.J.
The St. Mary’s Hymnal, 1924, 1944-1950) compiled by Christian A. Zittel
Sursum Corda, 1925 compiled by the Sisters of St. Francis, Stella Niagara, N.Y.

Father Hacker was born in Buffalo, N. Y., on August 21, 1877. He received his early education at St. Louis’ Parochial School, Canisius High School and Canisius College in that city. He entered the Society of Jesus on August 21, 1895, at the age of 18 in what was known as the Buffalo Mission of the German Province of that order. He completed is preliminary training in the order and in 1906 was sent to Valkenburg, Holland, for his course in theology.

After spending a year in his studies in Valkenburg, Father Hacker made an extensive tour through France and Spain and returned to the United States where he completed his theological training at Woodstock College in Maryland. While he was there, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1909, by Cardinal Gibbons. He served two years as a teacher at Canisius High School in Buffalo.

He took his final vows in the Society of Jesus on February 2, 1914, at Canisius College in Buffalo where he taught Latin, Greek, English and German for the next eight years. In 1921, he was transferred to the Jesuit House of Retreats at South Norwalk, Connecticut, where he completed the revision of his organ score to the Catholic Hymnal. He was Professor of Latin and Greek and assistant librarian at Boston College from 1923 to 1926.

From there he was assigned to Loyola College in Baltimore where he served as Professor of German and Prefect of Music until the time of his death. Father Hacker died on September 11, 1946, after a short illness. Not only was Father Hacker a linguist and classicist of note, but he was also the author of numerous musical compositions. (from the Loyola Notre Dame Library Necrology Report)

The St. Mary’s Hymnal published in 1924 and compiled by Christian A. Zittel, is probably one of the best German-American collections published in America for its day. Christian Zitell was the organist for more than fifty years at St. Mary’s, Toledo, Ohio and a very talented pupil of John Singenberger (1848-1924). The hymnal is divided into two sections, first are the devotional hymns and then second, the Ecclesiastical hymns for a total of 234 hymns.

The hymnal serves as an anthology of traditional German-American hymnody with numerous melodies from German gesangbuchs of the late nineteenth century including the Cologne, Trier, and St. Gall gesangbuchs. About a dozen of the melodies are from collections by Joseph Mohr and other English sources such as the Roman Hymnal.

The Sursum Corda was published in 1925 and was compiled by the Sisters of St. Francis of Stella Niagara, New York for the use of Catholic Schools. The organ accompaniment was provided by Father Florian Zettel, O.F.M., (1879-1947) from the Church of the Ascension Portland, Oregon. There is only one verse.

The organ book for Sursum Corda was prepared at the request of the Ven. Mother Gerard Zimmermann, Provincial Superior at Stella Niagara, N. Y., and was intended to meet the requirements of the new edition of the prayer book Sursum Corda. From the Introductory Remarks of the organ edition there is evidence that a previous edition existed and that the 1925 revision was not made with the idea of discarding all the music of the former Sursum Corda but retaining whatever was considered suitable in the old and adding or supplanting wherever a change was found desirable.

During the late 1940s, the ALVERNO HYMNAL AND CHOIR BOOK compiled and edited by Sister Mary Cherubim Schafer, O.S.F., was a high-point in the German-American tradition. It was originally printed in 1948 and enlarged in 1954. It was published by McLaughlin & Reilly Music., Co., The text of the hymn was a variant of the Laudis Corona text, substituting Holiest Night for Sacred Night and other edits. (click on any image to enlarge)

The ALVERNO HYMNAL appeared in three books.

1948 ALVERNO HYMNAL BOOK 1 – Advent, Christmas, Holy Name, Epiphany, Holy Family
1950 ALVERNO HYMNAL BOOK 2 – Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, The Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi, Christ the King, and All Saints.
1953 ALVERNO HYMNAL BOOK 3 – Hymns for Low Mass, to Our Lord, the Holy Eucharist, the Sacred Heart, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Guardian Angles, Holy Souls and SS Joseph, Francis of Assisi, Patrick, Anthony and Cecilia.

Sister Cherubim’s musical accomplishments are extensive. She was the organist at St Lawrence Church, Milwaukee and director of music at St Joseph Convent. She established the St Joseph Convent Conservatory of Music, and later St Joseph Convent College of Music, published and edited the Liturgical Choir Book, the Organist’s Companion. She composed fort-five mass settings, hymns, motets and numerous works for the organ. She was a regular contributor to the Caecilia Magazine in the late 1930s.

Reflection

The usage of Silent Night in Catholic Christmas concerts or in Christmas programs appeared as early as 1915. In some parish Christmas programs the hymn was being used as the Processional and in other parishes, it was being Introduced. This programing continued into the 1930s. Below are a couple of examples.

By 1935, hymns such as Lo How a Rose and Bring a torch Jeanett Isabella, were gradually being replaced with Adeste Fideles and Silent Night, which had become a standard favorite in Christmas Carol programs.

From my review of the Caecilia Magazines, I learned of a Latin version of Silent Night – Silet Nox with Latin words arranged by DOM Gregory Hugle, O.S.B., which appeared in the July-August 1932 issue, Vol. 59 No. 7.

The music below was provided by The Devotional Hymns Project. There are three voice settings:

Children’s Voices
Mixed Voices
TTBB Voices

(Click on any image to enlarge)

A question by a concerned reader about Catholic text appeared in the March-April 1948 issue of the magazine in a question Is there such a thing as Catholic text. (click on the image below)

I transcribed the question from the March-April edition of the Caecilia Magazine and present it here in case it is not legible to some.

Q. Is there such a thing as a “Catholic” text for the annually sung hymn Silent Night, as distinct from a “Protestant” text? I find that some of our Catholic hymnals, like the St. Gregory Hymnal, use a set of words different from the common “All is calm, all is bright.” Why the difference?

A. The beautiful Christmas song, Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht, was composed in 1818 at Oberndorf, near Salzburg, Austria. Young Father Josef Mohr, vicar of the tiny Church of St. Nicholas wrote the poem, and its musical setting was the work of a friend, the schoolmaster-organist, Franz Gruber. It was heard by the villagers for the first time on Christmas of that year to the accompaniment of a guitar, for the organ had broken down.

I have not been able to ascertain who wrote the commonly-accepted English translation. But his was a worthy work, holding close to the Volkslied simplicity of the original German. The version found in the St. Gregory Hymnal appears also in the American Catholic Hymnal compiled by the Marist Brothers. No mention is made of the translator. This rendering is more coherent, perhaps, than the other, but it is also freer, less true to the German of Father Mohr. I see no reason against adopting either version; both are translations of a good Catholic song. (I might add that the German, too, there is to be found a version more labored and artificial than the naive work of the priest; some people, it seems, do not sense the beauty inherent in the modest original, a beauty so akin to the childlike spirit of the medieval carol.)

Answered by Fr. Francis A. Brunner, C.Ss.R. (translator of the 1949 History of the Catholic Church)

The modern or common text of Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright that we sing today began to appear in Catholic hymnals as early as 1944. This is evidenced by The CATHOLIC CHAPEL HYMNAL. In 1943, McLaughin & Reilly Music Co., sent out a questionnaire to Catholic Chaplains of the Armed Forces during WWII. In response, 118 Catholic Chaplains furnished the title of hymns best known to service men and women as indicated by spontaneous congregational participation during chapel services.

During the 1950s, vernacular hymns were being introduced into the Low Mass and by the 1960s, the liturgy was also changing from Latin to English. This period saw the removal of over 90% of devotional hymns from Catholic hymnals. It also fostered an ecumenical movement and hymns from Protestant sources soon became the standard in the new repertoire, according to J. Vincent Higginson (Cyr De Brant), author of Handbook for American Catholic Hymnals. The Catholic Chapel Hymnal was published by McLaughlin & Reilly from 1944 thru 1968.

Also, with permission from Peter Meggison, producer of The Devotional Hymns Project, a recording of this beautiful Catholic hymn by The Ensemble Altera Singers who sang a number of selections including Silent Night to the Catholic text that originally appeared in the LAUDIS CORONA. The recording was performed at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Providence, Rhode Island.

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Mother of Mercy, Day by Day

Father Frederick William Faber (1814-1863) wrote the text of this hymn. He was a convert to Catholicism and was received into the Catholic Church on November 18, 1845, by Bishop Wareing, the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Northampton. He made his first communion and in confirmation he took the name of his patron St. Wilfrid. He began writing hymns in 1848 and wrote his first two hymns while on a retreat in Yorkshire in the small sea-side town of Scarborough. These were Mother of Mercy, Day by Day and Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All.

These first hymns and the few that followed where published in his JESUS AND MARY hymnal of which there were more than 1,000 copies sold by 1849. Father Faber wrote more than ninety hymns, some of them we still sing today including Faith of our fathers, living still; Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All; Dear Angel Ever at my Side; Dear Guardian of Mary; Like the Dawning; O Come and Mourn With Me Awhile, and There’s a wideness in God’s Mercy. He authored several books including All For Jesus; The Precious Blood; The Blessed Sacrament, and Growth In Holiness.

There is so much that I could write about Father Faber and his journey from Calvinism to Anglicanism and finally to Catholicism, but this would be a lengthy endeavor and is beyond the scope of this short write-up. However, it is worth mentioning a little something, call it a summary, of his journey to the Catholic Church.

As a young man Frederick Faber showed a natural prowess of poetry. This poetical element was developed during his boyhood and in the countryside of his youth (Westmoreland, Yorkshire, and Ambleside. Ambleside is a town that sits on the east side of the northern headwater of Windermere, England’s largest natural lake.) and where he spent much of his school days (the Grammar School of Bishop Auckland, Kirkby Stephen in Westmoreland until 1825, Shrewsbury School and then Harrow School) until he graduated to Oxford. He enrolled at Oxford University beginning in 1832 and was accepted to Balliol College one of the constituent colleges of Oxford and took up residence in the Lent Term of 1833 which was during the great Oxford Movement.

By his second year at the university his religious views began to undergo a change. Suffice is to say he rejected the teachings of Arminianism and all Calvinism (that God predestines people by choosing who will accept his salvation and that Christ suffered only for the elect of God, the chosen) and became a zealous advocate of Anglican principles. There are expressions found in his letters to his brother, friends and colleagues that indicate he had some misgivings concerning the Anglican beliefs. Certain doctrinal questions that were brought forward as a result of the Oxford Movement began to stir in him including the Catholic teaching on transubstantiation. He didn’t know it then, but these inner murmurings and doubts would in time lead him to the Catholic Church. It is also here that he became an enthusiastic admirer of Rev. John Henry Newman, vicar of St. Mary’s, although at this time he was not personally acquainted with him.

In 1835, Frederick Faber was chosen as a scholar of University College another of the constituent colleges of Oxford University. He desired earnestly to devote himself to the service of God and looked forward to a time when he could receive ordination as a minister in the Church of England. His election to fellowship at Oxford gave him a secure position and he set to work busying and preparing himself for orders. In August of 1837 he received deacon’s orders in the Church of England and was assigned to St. Wilfrid’s Cathedral of Ripon. In 1839 on the 26th of May he received priest’s orders and the Rectory of Elton, in Huntingdonshire, was offered to him by his college.

Shortly after accepting his duties as Rector of Elton he took a trip to the continent by way of France and then to Italy. He visited various cities in France and Italy when finally he arrived in Rome on May 9^th, 1843. It is here that he acquired his devotion to St. Phillip Neri (1515-1595), the founder of the Oratorians. While in Rome he attended Ascension Thursday Mass in St. John Lateran’s church, the Pope’s cathedral. He was quite moved by the whole experience especially when Pope Gregory XVI descended from his throne and knelt before the foot of the altar. Mr. Faber left Rome on St. Alban’s Day (June 17) and traveled to Albano to spend a few quite days in the woods. Albano is about a twelve-hour ride from Rome in a horse drawn carriage.

Very ealry the next morning he received a letter that he was being summoned for an audience with the Pope at the Vatican Library at 5 P.M. that very day. He hurriedly set off to Rome in full dress and arrived at the Vatican Library and waited until the Pope arrived. Through an interpreter Frederick Faber and the Pope had a lengthy conversation which encompassed a few church matters but mostly his desires to join the Catholic Church.

The Pope said to him, You must not mislead yourself in wishing for unity, yet waiting for your Church to move. Think of the salvation of your own soul. He then laid his hands on Mr. Faber’s shoulders and blessed him with this prayer, May the grace of God correspond to your good wishes, and deliver you from the nets of Anglicanism, and bring you to the Holy Church. Frederick Faber left Rome greatly affected by the affectionate demeanor of this old Pope, his blessing, and his prayer. It was a day he would always remember.

He returned to his parish of Elton and the nearly one thousand parishioners, every day growing more and more Roman. For the next two years every expression of Catholic life answered a doubt or dispelled some fear and the words of the Holy Father to save his own soul weighed heavily upon him. By now many of his friends had already joined the Catholic Church and on November 16^th, 1845, he officiated for the last time as Rector of Elton. Two days later he was received into the Catholic Church.

This brief account can hardly elucidate every happening, trial, and inward struggle of Father Faber’s conversion journey. You can learn more about this wonderful Catholic priest and his journey to Catholicism by reading his biography in The Life and Letters of William Frederick Faber, Priest of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, published in 1869.

The Melodies:

The melodies that have been composed are attributed to several musicians including two melodies by Henri F. Hemy (1818-1888) found in the CROWN OF JESUS MUSIC published in 1864, of these two melodies one would become traditional to the hymn; a melody by Meyer Lutz (1829-1903) found in THE POPULAR HYMN AND TUNE BOOK published in 1868; a melody by W. C. Peters (1805-1866) found in PETERS’ CATHOLIC HARP published in 1895; a melody by John Richardson (1816-1879) found in Tozer’s CATHOLIC HYMNS published in 1898; a melody by Henry Baker (1835-1910) and a melody by Sir Alfred Scott Gatty (1847-1918) found in the ARUNDEL HYMNAL published in 1905; a melody by Sir Richard R. Terry (1865-1938) found in the WESTMINSTER HYMNAL published in 1912; a melody by a Marist Brother known only as B. M. J., found in the AMERICAN CATHOLIC HYMNAL published in 1913; a melody by Father Simon M. Yenn (1863-1938) found in the ST. GREGORY HYMNAL published in 1920; and a melody from Melchior Vulpius’s Gesangbuch of 1609 found in the WESTMINSTER HYMNAL published in 1939.

Henri (Henry) F. Hemy was born in 1818 Newcastle, England. He was the organist at St. Andrew’s Church in Newcastle and later professor of music at St. Cuthbert’s College now Ushaw College in Durham. He sang baritone and painted artwork. He composed more than seventy different works of music including waltzes, polkas, hymns and set most of Longfellow’s works to music. He compiled two hymn collections including EASY HYMNS AND SONGS, 1851 and CROWN OF JESUS MUSIC, 1864.

Meyer Lutz (Wilhelm Meyer Lutz) was a German born English organist. He was a composer and conductor known for his work touring with theater companies. He composed several operas and was the musical director of the Gaiety Theater in London’s West End. He was also the church organist in Birmingham, Leeds, and London. His father was Joseph Lutz (1801-1879), a music professor who introduced music to his son in the 1830s.

William Cummings Peter was born in England and he came to Texas in 1820. During the years 1826-1828 he gave piano lessons in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1829, he opened a music store in Louisville, Kentucky and another in Cincinnati, Ohio. Peters’ Catholic Harp was first published in 1863. Hymnals and other musical publications by the firm Peters’ in Cincinnati were extremely popular in the 1880s.

John Richardson grew up a choir boy at St. Mary’s Church, Liverpool, and later organist for St. Nicholas Church for twenty years. He taught music at St. Edward’s College and Upshaw and retired to Preston. He was admired by Cardinal Newman and honored by Pope Pius IX. He composed the melodies for the following hymns including By the Blood that flowed from Thee; Jesus, ever loving Savior; Come Holy Ghost, Creator Come; Sweet Mother, turn those gentle eyes; Look down, O Mother Mary; Hail, bright Star of Ocean, God’s own Mother; Mother of Mercy, Day by Day; and several others.

Henry Baker composed the first tune found in the Arundel Hymnal of 1905. Henry Baker was a civil engineer building railroads in India. He was however musically inclined and completed a music degree at Exeter College, Oxford in 1867. He composed this tune known as Hesperus, Quebec, and Elim while a student at Exeter College.

Sir Alfred Scott-Gatty composed the second tune found in the Arundel Hymnal. He was a composer of children’s music and a few operettas. His collection of Little Songs for Little Voices was published in three volumes. He also was an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London and was knighted for his services in 1911.

Sir Richard R. Terry composed the melody found in the Westminster Hymnal of 1912. He was educated at King’s College, Cambridge and joined the Catholic Church in 1896. He was choirmaster and organist at the Westminster Catholic Cathedral from 1901-1924, and the editor of the Westminster Hymnal published in 1912. He was knighted in 1922.

Little was known about the Marist Brother B. M. J., except that he composed more than fifty of the hymns found in the AMERICAN CATHOLIC HYMNAL. Recently, the archivist for the Marist Brothers revealed to me that B. M. J. was a pseudonym for Brother Zephiriny. It was a customary practice in those days that an individual Brother’s name could not be used in a publication or in a musical composition without the expressed permission of the Brother Provincial. The Marist Brothers of the Schools of New York compiled the hymnal, and it consisted of Hymns, Latin Chants, and Sacred Songs for Church, School, and Home. There were two editions of the hymnal published by P. J. Kenedy & Sons of New York. The first was published in 1913 and the second edition was published 1921. Brother Zephiriny was one of the outstanding leaders of the U.S. province from 1892 until his death in 1928.

Father Simon Yenn served on the Music Committee for the Society of St. Gregory and was the Diocesan Director of Sacred Music for Ft. Wayne, Indiana. He composed the melodies for three hymns found in the ST. GREGORY HYMNAL published in 1920. Why art thou sorrowful? Mother of Mercy, and Hail Virgin, dearest Mary (Queen of May). He was a contributor to the Catholic Choirmaster magazine from 1915 till 1923 and wrote a series of articles on Church Music Reform.

Melchior Vulpius was a German composer and schoolmaster. He was a prolific composer and during his lifetime one of the most important contributors of Lutheran hymn tunes in Germany. He has two hundred motets and some four hundred hymns to his credit. He compiled several hymn collections and published several Sacred Vocal works both in Latin and German. The music was arranged by DOM Gregory Murray, O.S.B., a student of Sir Richard Terry.

Reflection

The arrangement I learned to sing in St. Mary’s Choir (1977-2010) which is the traditional melody comes from the ST. BASIL’S HYMNAL, 1918. The choir would sing this hymn before Mass on many occasions as a prelude and especially for the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy, September 24. At St. Mary’s we had a custom of singing a hymn the weekend before to remind parishioners that a feast day was fast approaching. Every so often the feast day would fall on Sunday which makes singing the hymn ever more appropriate.

The first verse of the hymn is quite moving and expresses the love many Catholics have toward Our Lady. The words, Thy gifts are strewn upon my way, Like sands upon the great seashore, are constant reminders to me of the many gifts we have received from Our Lady in our struggle against the wily snares of Satan. These include the Rosary, the Miraculous Medal, the Brown Scapular, the many invocations, prayers, and Church dogmas. What gifts of Our Lady have you found along your way that have helped you?

The last verse touches me deeply. Father Faber writes, Jesus, when His three hours were run, Bequeath’d thee from the cross to me, reflecting on John’s gospel (Jn. 19:26-27) where Jesus says to his mother from the cross, Woman, behold your son and to John, behold your mother. This hymn is by far one of my most favorite Catholic hymns and one that often times will spontaneously surface in my memories. I sing along with my friends of St. Mary’s Choir who precede ahead of me to that heavenly glory.

I want to thank Peter Meggison, producer of The Devotional Hymns Project for granting permission to link to a newly commissioned recording by the St. John Cantius Church, Chicago. Click on the link to hear this beautiful recording which includes all the verses from Father Faber’s 1849 hymn Mother of Mercy, Day by Day.

Below is a selection of the melodies listed above which have been composed for the hymn. These are computer generated sound files. The tempo is approximate but should provide the listener a good sense of what the hymn sounds like. All the hymns are in the public domain. Church musicians, if you use any of these selections in your Sunday or weekly music programs and you make a recording and you are willing to share, contact the author and I will feature it in the What’s New section of my website.

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O Jesus Christ, Remember

Father Edward Caswall a Roman Catholic priest wrote the text of this hymn. The earliest occurrence of the hymn that could be found is in his MASQUE OF MARY AND OTHER POEMS, published by Burns and Lambert of London in 1858. (Click on an image to enlarge)

Edward was a convert to Catholicism and was received into the Catholic Church on January 18, 1847, by Cardinal Charles Acton (1803-1847) at the Venerable English College in Rome. In attendance was Father John Henry Newman, Father Thomas Grant the Rector of the College, along with several others who had come with Edward that day. At this time Edward was married to Louisa Mary Stuart Walker who was also received into the Church of Rome a week later January 25, 1846.

During the summer of 1849, England was in the grips of a vicious cholera epidemic which persisted even into the autumn season. Edward and Louisa had gone to stay at Torquay, a sea side resort. On September 14, early in the morning, Edward left for Mass and on his return from church he found Louisa and the landlady of the lodge where they were staying deathly ill with the cholera and by 11 o’clock that night Louisa Caswall was dead.

Edward was devastated and grief stricken as one could only imagine. He at once sent word to Father Newman, and they arranged that Louisa’s Requiem Mass and burial would take place at St. Wilfrid’s in Cotton, Staffordshire. The pastor of St. Wilfrid’s was Father Frederick William Faber, a fellow convert and student at Oxford University. It is unclear if Edward or Father Faber knew each other before this time but certainly, they became acquainted at this Mass. Father Newman celebrated the Mass and Father Henry Formby a longtime friend whom Edward knew from their days at Brasenose College, Oxford, a fellow convert, and priest at the Oratory, sang the Dies Irae.

In the following year around February 1850, the Birmingham Oratory was set up at its present address on Hagley Road in Edgbaston. It is also at this time that Edward was admitted as a novice to the Oratory and three days later he received the tonsure and was admitted to Minor Orders. Then on December 21, 1850, the anniversary of his wedding to Louisa, he was ordained as a subdeacon and a year later almost to the day on December 20, 1851, he was ordained a deacon. By April 1852, the building in Edgbaston had been completed and all the Oratorians moved into the new location. On September 18, 1852, Deacon Edward along with Deacon Henry Bittleston were ordained as priest.

Throughout his life, Father Caswall was a prolific writer. During his time at Brasenose College, a constituent college of Oxford University he published several literary works including The Oxonian – a series of papers on University life written with a humorist point of view. This was followed by his Pluck Examination Papers which he later published in a book The Art of Pluck – the caricature of these works was to enlighten the undergraduate on how to fail his examinations and in the lingo of the University to get plucked. The ability to write in satire and at the same time convey a moral point was a gift that Father Caswall had. These and several other publications were enormously successful and provided him with a steady income which he would receive help from during his college days and in the future.

During his conversion journey to Rome, Father Caswall kept a journal that was still unpublished, and its existence known only to a handful of people. He was a man of meticulous detail and observation and his eyewitness accounts of Roman Catholicism during his visit to Ireland in the summer of 1846 proved to be a turning point in his life. On one occasion in 1846, on a summer evening, he saw a small group of poor worshipers praying in a Catholic chapel in Ireland. He saw that one person said the Lord’s Prayer as far as, as it is in heaven, and the others began at, give us this day our daily bread. Then the same person began another prayer, and the others began Holy Mary, and everything was in English. It was the first time he had heard of any devotion to Our Blessed Mother and before the evening was over, he was kneeling with them. Any Anglican preconceptions of idolatry left him, and he was consumed with the expression of love and humility of these poor men and women. From that point onward, he became devoted to the Rosary.

Almost two years after he joined the Catholic Church, Father Caswall published his first collection of hymns in 1849, the LYRA CATHOLICA, having translations of all Breviary and Missal hymns of the Roman Breviary. Father Caswall was always working for the education of the poor and especially the children even during his curacy at Stratford-sub-Castle near Salisbury. A question that plagued him during his conversion journey was how the Latin liturgy could have any meaning for the average Catholic let alone the poor and uneducated.

During the summer of 1846 while in Ireland he attended a Requiem Mass for Pope Gregory XVI who had recently died. He was concerned and frustrated because he could not follow the liturgy. How is it that the poor and uneducated understand the Latin liturgy and an Oxford graduate in the classics is lost? This was the underlying reason for his translations of the Roman Breviary – to publish in the English language for anyone who could read or to pray in private the Divine Office.

Father Caswall remained at the Birmingham Oratory until his death on January 2, 1878. Father Edward Caswall was named, along with Father Joseph Gordon and Father Ambrose St John, as one of the three Oratorians whom Newman considered his greatest friends and most loyal and devoted laborers in St Philip’s vineyard.

There is so much more that could be written about Father Caswall but that is beyond the scope of this short write-up. Most of his original poems and hymns were written during his time at the Birmingham Oratory and his contributions to Catholic hymnody include such favorites as A Carol of Good Tidings; All You Who Seek A Comfort Sure; At The Cross Her Station Keeping; Come Holy Ghost Creator Blest; Earth Has Many Noble Cities; Glory Be To Jesus; Jesus the very thought of Thee; Joseph Our Certain Hope in Life; Joseph Pure Spouse; Sing My Tongue the Savior’s Glory; Ye Sons and Daughters of the Lord; Hark an Awful Voice is Sounding; Dear Maker of the Starry Skies; O Jesus Christ Remember; O Saving Victim Opening Wide; Soul of My Savior; The Dawn Was Purpling O’re the Sky; See Amid the Winter Snow; To Christ the Prince of Peace; When Morning Guilds the Skies; What a Sea of Tears and Sorrows; Wondrous Gift; This is the Image of Our Queen; and many more hymns. He published several hymn books including LYRA CATHOLICA, 1849; the MASQUE OF MARY AND OTHER POEMS, 1858; and HYMNS AND POEMS, 1873.

Some of the details above were used with permission and were taken from EDWARD CASWALL: NEWMAN’S BROTHER AND FRIEND written by Nancy Marie de Flon and published by Gracewing in 2005. Nancy’s book is a wonderful biography of Father Caswall’s life and journey to Catholicism. An earlier biography of Edward Caswall was written by Edward Bellasis (1800-1873) an English lawyer and convert to Catholicism in the new edition of HYMNS AND POEMS published in 1908.

The Melodies

I have found more than eighteen different melodies for this hymn, and so, I have selected four of the melodies which I hope will highlight the musical richness and heritage without becoming overwhelming. The melody that I am most familiar with, and is the most common to the hymn, first appeared in the LAUDIS CORONA published in 1880, No. 116. There is no sign of the composer’s name, however, in the Preface of the hymn book it says:

The tunes in this collection were selected by a lady in Baltimore. They have been arranged for the press by Prof. Francis A. Harkins, M.A., of Boston College. The object has been to give Sunday Schools and Sodalities of youth something that all can sing. To this end, the Christmas Carols and the May Hymns will prove particularly useful.

Thanks are returned to the Sisters of Notre Dame for their kindness in granting the use of May Chimes, to Mr. Fred Eversmann, Jr., of Baltimore, to Mr. Harry Sanders, of the same city; and to Mr. RoSewig, Music Publisher, of Philadelphia.

Boston:

Feast of the Sacred Heart,

June 4, 1880.

The hymn appeared in St. Basil’s Hymnal from 1888 thru 1918. It’s removal from later editions maybe tied to the hymnal’s condemnation by the Society of St. Gregory of America in October 1918. The Black List as it became known was an attempt by the Society to condemn as many of the popular Catholic hymnals of the day in favor of its own St. Gregory and Choir Book. Since the St. Basil’s Hymnal was by far the most dominant hymnal across the United States, it received the harshest criticism and was deemed objectionable, so far as its liturgical, literary and artistic value is concerned, should not be tolerated in any school or church. (The Catholic Choir Master, Vol. 4. No. 4. October 1918, pg.96) The hymn and melody also appeared in the Crown Hymnal published in 1913.

Some of you may recognize this melody as it is also commonly used for the hymn O Lord, I am not Worthy that thou shouldst come to me.

The next most common melody for the hymn O Jesus Christ Remember, was composed by Samuel S. Wesley (1810-1876), a tune also known as AURELIA. Samuel Wesley was the grandson of Charles Wesley who along with his brother John, formed the Methodist Church. The earliest appearance that I could find was in the WESTMINSTER HYMNAL published in 1939, No. 82.

The same arrangement appears in the 1952 edition of the WESTMINSTER HYMNAL; the ST. ANDREW HYMNAL published in 1964 in Scotland; and the CATHOLIC HYMNAL AND SERVICE BOOK published by the Benzinger Brothers in 1966. Interestingly, this is not the same melody that appears in the 1912 edition of WESTMINSTER HYMNAL edited by Richard R. Terry, that melody was composed by Robert Pearsall, which I will cover later. The tune AURELIA is commonly associated with the hymn of The Church’s One Foundation.

Another melody appeared early on and can be found in Augustus Tozer’s CATHOLIC HYMNS, published in London in 1898. This collection of hymns is a musical edition of the ST. DOMINIC’S HYMN BOOK. The composer was G. F. Bruce. He was appointed organist and choirmaster at the Beddington Parish Church, Wallington, Surrey on December 8, 1894. He composed a melody for another hymn Now Let the Earth with Joy Resound, both compositions appear in THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HYMNAL published in 1905 and edited by Tozer.

Augustus Edmonds Tozer (1857-1910) was a convert to Catholicism and received his Doctorate from Oxford University and was named a Knight of St. Sylvester for his work in the reform movement in England. His CATHOLIC CHURCH HYMNAL published later was helpful in church music reform in both England and America.

This melody also appeared in the A TREASURY OF CATHOLIC SONG published in 1915 and edited by Father Sidney S. Hurlbut (1858-1920), who was at the time of publication pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Hagerstown, Maryland. The hymn book is a collection comprising some two-hundred hymns from Catholic sources old and new.

Father Hurlbut was a native of Wisconsin, born in 1858 of New England Protestant parents, and was engaged in secular activity until a period of very discreet man-hood, in the city of Chicago, except for two years, 1885-86, when he held a position in the Treasury Department. His studies for the priesthood were had among the Passionists in the Balkan countries, and ordination was received in Bucharest, Rumania, in 1898.

Continuing his theological studies for one year in Rome, he returned to America in poor health, and after a year or more of convalescence in Washington, the time being spent at the University and at the St. Paul’s Church on V Street, he was adopted into the Baltimore Archdiocese and given pastoral work in Rockville, Md., in 1900, Clarksville, Md., 1900-1911, and from 1911 till his death at St. Mary’s in Hagerstown, Md. He died on June 9, 1920.

The information about Fr. Hurlbut was taken from the History of Sacred Music in the District of Columbia by Frank Metcalf and published in 1926.

Robert L. Pearsall (1795-1856) composed a melody that was widely used and appeared in both American, English, German, and Scottish hymnals. The earliest appearance I could find for the melody was in the KATHOLISCHES GESANGBUCH of St. Gallen published in 1863 for the Sanctus. No composer’s name is given but in the Preface of the book it indicates: The four-part harmonization of approximately half of the chants in this book is the work of our teacher and fatherly friend, Baron von Pearsall. (Click on any image to enlarge)

The earliest use of the melody for the hymn that I could find was in the WESTMINSTER HYMNAL published in 1912 by R & T. Washbourne Ltd., London and edited by Richard R. Terry.

The same melody also appeared in the BOOK OF HYMNS WITH TUNES published in 1913 by Cary & Co., London and edited by Father Samuel G. Ould, O.S.B., and William Sewell. This collection of hymns was also published in New York by Edward Schuberth & Co.

The melody also appeared in the PAROCHIAL HYMNAL published in 1951 and edited by Father Carlo Rossini. Father Rossini chose to alter the text of the hymn from O Jesus Christ Remember to O Jesus Christ Redeemer. The motive behind this change by Rossini is unclear. Perhaps he was aiming to place more emphasis on the redemptive role of Jesus Christ rather than merely his remembrance.

The hymn O Jesus Christ, Remember appears in numerous hymnals beyond those previously mentioned, as evidenced by a survey of my own collection of 160 hymnals spanning from the 1840s to today. They include: Cantica Sacra or Hymns for the Children of the Catholic Church, published in 1880; The Roman Hymnal, published in 1884, by Fr. J. B. Young, S.J.; The Catholic Hymnal published in 1888 by Fr. Alfred Young; Hymns with Tunes published in 1889 by Edmund G. Hurley; The Sunday School Manual or Youth’s Manual for Church and School, published in 1908 by Thomas J. Flynn & Co.; St. Mary’s Manual, published in 1924 by Christian A. Zittel; Manual of Select Catholic Hymns and Devotions, published in 188 and 1925 by P. M. Colonel, C.SS.R; Sursum Corda – A collection of hymns for the use of Catholic Schools, published in 1925 by Fr. Florian Zettel, O.F.M.; The Ordinary of the Mass and a Complete Manual of Hymns, published in 1935 by the Public Press; The Ave Maria Hymnal, published in 1936 by Fr. Joseph J. Pierron; Cantate Omnes, published in 1958 by Cantate Omnes Publications; Cantus Populi, published in 1964 by Theodore Marier; The Catholic Hymnal and Service Book, published in 1966 by Benzinger Ed., Inc.; the Adoremus Hymnal, published in 2011 by Ignatius Press; and A Catholic Book of Hymns, published in 2020 by Sacred Music Library.

Reflection

I learned this hymn while singing in St. Mary’s Choir many years ago. We used the St. Basil’s hymnal which uses the first melody I discussed. The verses are a plea to Jesus Christ to remember us, when he comes again, because we took time to honor Him in the Blessed Sacrament.

Many years ago, a monthly Catholic magazine Messenger of the Sacred Heart, featured a short article by Father Matthew Russel, S.J., who captured quite eloquently the essence of Father Caswall’s hymn. The article was a letter addressed to the Irish Central Director. Father Russel was a Jesuit priest serving the needs of American Indians. Here is an excerpt of that letter.

…Editors and others shrink from having too many quotations; else I should last month have added Father Caswell’s expression of the feeling on which we dwelt a little—that feeling which makes us say before the Tabernacle, This is He Who will judge me! The following simple lines may be found useful by some in their visits to the Blessed Sacrament—

O Jesus Christ, remember, When Thou shalt come again,

Upon the clouds of Heaven, With all Thy shining train;

When every eye shall see Thee in Deity reveal’d,

Who now upon this altar, In silence art conceal’d:

Remember then, O Savior, I supplicate of Thee,

That here I bowed before Thee, Upon my bended knee;

That here I own’d Thy Presence, And did not Thee deny,

And glorified Thy greatness, Though hid from human eye.

The substance of these lines may very naturally occur to us when kneeling before the altar and may increase our sense of the happy security of our faith. Such a plea will surely avail with Him Who has promised to confess before His Heavenly Father all who confess Him before men. He will not disown us, but recognize us as His special friends, if we on earth recognize Him under every disguise of His love, and pursue Him untiringly with the faithful worship of our love. ~ Fr. Mathew Russell, S.J., May 10, 1885.

The scripture-based songs we sing today like We Remember how you loved us; or Jesus, Remember Me; or We Remember One who loved us well, can’t compare to this hymn. O Jesus Christ, Remember would make an excellent hymn to sing when kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament. I think too, this would make a wonderful Offertory or Communion hymn!

Below is a choice of the melodies listed above which have been composed for the hymn. These are computer generated sound files. The tempo is approximate but should provide the listener with a good sense of what the hymn sounds like.

I would also like to thank Peter Meggison who produces The Devotional Hymns Project for allowing me to share a recording by the choral scholars from St. Peter’s Church in Columbia, South Carolina.

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O Face Divine!

The hymn O Face Divine! was written by Miss Eliza Allen Starr and first appeared in her collection of poem Songs of a Life-Time, published in 1887 when Miss Starr resided at St. Joseph’s Cottage in Chicago.

Eliza was a prolific poet, art teacher, and lecturer. She grew up in Deerfield, Massachusetts, and studied art in Boston. She taught art in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Natchez, Mississippi, and under the auspices of Archbishop Peter R. Kenrick (1806-1896), she joined the Church of Rome in 1854 at the old Holy Cross Cathedral in Boston.

In 1856, Eliza moved to Chicago where she remained for the rest of her life devoting her time to authoring poems, teaching art, and giving art lectures and courses at schools and academies throughout Chicago. In 1876, her career as an artist took her to Italy, France, and England; and in 1885, Notre Dame University conferred upon her the Laetare Medal, she was the first woman ever to receive this prestigious award. In 1893, she received a gold medal from the World’s Columbian Exposition also known as the Chicago World’s Fair, as an art teacher. Pope Leo XIII honored Eliza in 1900 with a cameo medallion as a mark of his approbation of her literary labors.

Eliza was the author of Patron Saints, Pilgrims and Shrines, Songs of a Life-Time, Isabella of Castile, Christian Art in Our Own Age, Christmas-Tide, The Seven Dolors of the Virgin Mary, and Three Archangels and the Guardian Angels in Art. A short biographical sketch of her life was published in the 1893 Woman of the Century – Leading American Women by Frances Willard and Mary Livermore. Also, in the Who’s Who in America, 1901/1902 by John Leonard. Eliza was a well-respected author and art critic known throughout America and Europe.

Eliza never married and later in life she joined the Third Order of St. Dominic. She died at the age of seventy-seven after a short illness while visiting her brother in Durand, Illinois. She was buried at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Chicago wearing the Dominican habit.

The music was composed by Sister Mary Alexis Donnelly of the Sisters of Mercy at St. Xavier’s Convent, Providence, Rhode Island. Sr. Mary Alexis Donnelly was one of the major contributors to American Catholic music in the late 19th and early 20th century period. Her contributions to Catholic music, however, have largely been forgotten by all except a few vintage organists and hymnologists.

Sister Mary Alexis was born Julia Donnelly in Yorkshire, England during the month of March 1857. When she was a young girl, she came to the United States and settled in the small town of Harrisville, Rhode Island. On November 1, 1877, she entered the Sisters of Mercy at St. Xavier’s Convent, in Providence, Rhode Island. She was recognized by her superiors as a gifted musician and began her first teaching assignment at St. Patrick’s School, Providence.

At the urging and solicitation of friends, she compiled her first hymnal with all original music and dedicated it to the Holy Face of our Lord to whom she had a deep devotion. The HOLY FACE HYMNAL was published by J. Fisher & Bro., of New York in 1891.

The Holy Face Hymnal received several letters from convents, various parishes, and cathedrals in appreciation and praising the hymnal for its easy melodies and its suitability for children’s voices. It’s very interesting to read through these letters and see how well the hymn book was received.

Sister Mary Alexis, who would later become Mother Alexis, had a great devotion to the Holy Face. The first three hymns in this collection are devoted to the Holy Face.

In 1904, The Catholic Music Publishing Company was founded by James M. McLaughlin and James A. Reilly. Soon afterwards, the company became known as McLaughlin & Reilly Company and was one of the most successful Catholic music publishing companies in America. Sister Mary Alexis had close associations with the company’s president, James A. Reilly, who was a benefactor of the Sisters of Mercy.

Some of the first musical selections to appear in the company’s catalog were those by the Sisters of Mercy. These appeared in a series of hymn booklets or hymn pamphlets. The hymn pamphlets were approximately eight pages each and were comprised of various hymns suitable for specific occasions or general use. These hymn pamphlets were extensively sold throughout McLaughlin and Reilly’s existence. (Click on any image to enlarge)

Due to the success of her first hymnal, Sister Mary Alexis compiled two additional hymn books. OUR LADY OF MERCY was published in 1899, and OUR LADY OF MERCY VOL. 2, was published in 1927.

In 1910, Sister Mary Alexis was elected Reverend Mother of the Providence Community of the Sisters of Mercy and served in this capacity for six years. Mother Alexis was a natural concerning business and community affairs and was gifted with foresight and was almost prophetic in many of her duties as Reverend Mother.

The health of her sisters was of paramount importance to her, so she conceived of a place in the country for rest and relaxation. During her role as Reverend Mother, she acquired the Fiske Estate which was to become the Mount St. Rita property in Cumberland, Rhode Island. For many years Mount St. Rita served as a retreat and convalescing home for the sisters. Eventually, the Sisters gave up this wonderful facility to a large health care system and it became known as Mount Saint Rita Health Center.

Sister Mary Alexis taught music for more than twenty years in many of the schools of the Providence Diocese and continued to write hymns, many of which appeared in sheet music form. Some of these were privately published by the Sisters of Mercy, some by the Oliver Ditson Co., a music publisher with offices in Boston, Chicago, and other major cities throughout United States, and by McLaughlin & Reilly. She composed at least three Ave Maria’s and several choral pieces. If you would like to listen to some of her compositions, new recordings can be found at The Devotional Hymns Project website produced by Peter Meggison.

In 1935, she asked to go to St. Xavier’s to prepare for her meeting with her beloved Father. Sister Mary Alexis Donnelly died on July 4, 1936, at St. Xavier’s Convent, Providence, Rhode Island. Many of Sister Mary Alexis’ compositions were dear to her and one was her favorite, Jesus, Keep Me Close to Thee, which was played and sung at her funeral Mass.

As a member of the Sisters of Mercy, Sister Mary Alexis gave up the right to have her name added to her compositions. In keeping with the custom of the time, attribution was given to the Community rather than the individual. Now, since Vatican II, those in religious life are treated as individuals and receive credit for their work. These musical compositions are a testament to the technique, harmonization, and beauty of expression of this outstanding Catholic musician and Sister of Mercy.

Reflection

In her book of poems Songs of a Life-Time, there is a page of Dedication to Miss Starr’s Father and Mother that is dated Feast of the Purification, 1867. There are individual poems that date earlier than 1867 and the earliest poem that I could find was dated 1848. This poem O Face Divine! appears in a section captioned Later Poems and these date from 1867 thru 1885. Although, there is no date given on the poems page, it falls among poems written between 1873 to 1874 and so I conclude that O Face Divine! to have been written during that period.

Miss Starr’s poem O Face Divine! was captioned The Sacred Face and the verses reflect a woman who was meditating on the face of the Lord while He was nailed to the cross. She takes us to the foot of the cross and there in poetic imagery reveals to us that even though our Lord’s face was in grief and pain, it was still beautiful, so beauteous still in grief.

In the second verse, she looks upon his sacred eyes and captures the anguish He must have been enduring but more to the point, the anguish that was visible in his eyes from the many hearts that have denied him.

O Sacred eyes,

On which the weight of dreaded anguish lies,

That look must break the heart which Christ denies.

One of my grandmother’s possessions was a framed post card of Jesus crowned with thorns. I don’t remember anymore how it came to be in my possession, but I would like to think that Miss Starr had a similar image to gaze upon when she wrote her poem. Take a moment to reflect on the verses and learn from Miss Starr how easy it is to meditate on that Face Divine! If anyone knows the name of this image or the artist, please let me know.

I would like to thank Peter Meggison, who is the producer of The Devotional Hymns Project website for granting permission to use a recording made at the Church of the Advent, located in Boston’s Beacon Hill section. I have also included a computer-generated sound file, the tempo is approximate but should give the listeners a good sense of what the hymn sounds like.

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O Dearest Love Divine

This hymn is a translation of the Latin Ad Cor Jesu (To the Heart of Jesus) by Monsignor Hugh Thomas Henry, Litt. D., (1862-1946) which can be found in his EUCHARISTICA – Verse and Prose in Honor of the Hidden God, published in 1912 by The Dolphin Press, while he was at the Overbrook Seminary in Philadelphia. (Click on any image to enlarge)

However, the Latin hymn may be much older. The hymn can be found in the HYMNOLOGICUS THESAURUS VOL. 2, 1855 by Hermann Adalbert Daniel (1812-1871), pg. 370, captioned Ad Iesum (To Jesus) in three parts. This is a two-volume collection of hymns, song sequences, and antiphons from around the year 1500.

Hugh Thomas Henry was born in Philadelphia in 1862 and attended La Salle College and the University of Pennsylvania. He attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and was ordained in 1889. He was appointed to the chair of physical science at the Seminary after his ordination and was also named professor of ecclesiastical music at the Seminary.

For more than a decade he served as the rector at Roman Catholic High School. While at Catholic High he wrote the Founder’s Day hymn in 1908 which was sung by over 50,000 pupils in parochial schools in observance upon his death. He was raised to the rank of Domestic Prelate by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XV in 1915. Monsignor Henry was also the author of The Purple and the Gold, the official school hymn of Roman Catholic High.

The University of Pennsylvania awarded him the degree of Doctor of Letters in recognition of his achievements in English literature, especially for his translation of many Latin and French hymns. He was also a former professor of homiletics at the Catholic University of America in Washington. He lectured for six years at Catholic Summer School, Cliff Haven, New York, and was editor of Church Music, from 1905 – 1909. As a lecturer, Monsignor Henry spoke at many colleges and universities throughout the nation.

Monsignor Henry was former president of the Catholic Historical Society and a frequent contributor to various magazines including the QUARTERLY REVIEW, the AMERICAN ECCLESIASTICAL REVIEW, and the CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA, submitting original works of verse, translations of Latin hymns and numerous other articles.

Many of his translations from his EUCHARISTICA, including O Dearest Love Divine, appear in American hymnals like the AMERICAN CATHOLIC HYMNAL, 1913, perhaps the first hymnal to use any of his translations along with THE TREASURY OF CATHOLIC SONG, 1915, the ST. GREGORY HYMNAL, 1920.

He is probably best known for his original hymn Long Live the Pope which he wrote for the fiftieth anniversary of the ordination of Pope Pius X in 1908. For more than half a century this hymn had universal use and was published in more than a dozen languages including that of the American Indians. Father Ganss, the composer of the tune, was greatly interested in the welfare of the Indians. His hymn appeared in several Catholic hymnals of the period including: the De La Salle Hymnal published in 1913, the St. Gregory Hymnal published in 1920, the Catholic Hymnal compiled by Father John G. Hacker, S.J., published in 1920, the St. Mary’s Manual compiled by Christian Zittel and published in 1924, the Manual of Select Catholic Hymns compiled by Father P. M. Colonel, C.SS.R., in 1925, St. Basil’s Hymnal from 1908 thru 1953, and the Parochial Hymnal compiled by Father Carlo Rossini in 1936.

Monsignor Henry was also a hymnologist, he wrote an article for the July 1915 issue of the CATHOLIC HISTORICAL REVIEW entitled A Forgotten American Hymnodist, an in-depth review of a the hymn book Songs for Catholic Schools and The Catechism in Rhyme which was compiled by Fr. Jeremiah Cummings, Pastor of St. Stephen’s Church in New York in 1862. He correctly established that Father Cummings was the author of all the hymns save one and pointed out the ignorance of various editors of Catholic hymnals who failed to identify Father Cummings as the author, when such evidence was clearly available.

Monsignor Henry lived to be 83 years old.

The music presented here was composed by Nicola A. Montani. Nicola was born in 1880 and by his teens became choirmaster at St. Anthony’s in Indianapolis. In addition to playing piano and organ he played the coronet. He studied chant and music composition in Rome and when he returned to America, he eventually founded the St. Gregory Society of America. He was an accomplished musician, composer, conductor, editor, hymnist, and publisher.

Reflection

The hymn abounds in personal appeals to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This beautiful devotional hymn could easily find a place in any Eucharist Adoration, Benediction or among groups devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I think this would also make an excellent prelude hymn before Mass which would help remind us of the Love that the Sacred Heart of Jesus holds for all of us.

I would also like to thank Nancy Scimone for permission to use her recording of O Dearest Love Divine. I fell in love with this recording and the violin treatments that she chose to include which is a testament that devotional hymns which have long been forgotten can once again find their place in our Catholic liturgy.

Her recording appears on her CD Ora Pro Nobis, a 2 CD collection of her Best of Sacred Music. Please take a moment to visit Nancy’s website Nancy Scimone Music and enjoy her many other hymns and psalm recordings.

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