Month: July 2024

Immaculate Mary

The author of this hymn is not known. The verses that we sing today are thought to be a translation of a French hymn originally authored by Abbot Jean Gaignet (1839-1914) in the 1870s. An interesting article appeared in the Catholiques en Vendee, a diocesan bulletin of Luçon, France in 2015. In summary the article recounts the events of the 140^th anniversary of the Vendée pilgrimage to Lourdes and how the Abbot Gaignet authored the hymn.

Abbot Jean Gaignet was a professor at the Major Seminary of Luçon when he wrote the Salut d’arrivée, a sort of greeting to Mary. This hymn was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and consisted of eight verses intended for Vendée pilgrims going to the Grotto of Lourdes. The hymn became an immediate success and was loved by all the faithful. The Bishop of Luçon then asked Abbot Gaignet to write a long version which would describe all the apparitions of the Virgin at Lourdes and would accommodate the lengthy procession of pilgrims.

Accordingly, he wrote sixty-eight verses which recount all the apparitions of the Lady of Lourdes. The Salut d’arrivée or Arrival Greeting then became the le chapelet de Notre-Dame de Lourdes, meaning, the rosary of our Lady of Lourdes. This composition received the Imprimatur of the Bishop of Luçon and the Bishop of Tarbes.

Each country and culture have produced their own version of the verses. These variations can be found in different regions of a country, its population, from town to town, from village to village, or across a span of time. (see below) Some follow the apparitions of Lourdes while some are expressions of our devotion to Mary Immaculate, and still others are petitions or a combination of all three.

French, Massabieille 1870s

La terre à Marie

disait le salut

La Vierge bénie

Soudain apparut

Chorus

Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria!

Une enfant candide,

Au souffle du ciel

Regarde timide

Au roc Massabiel

(Chorus)

Celeste et bénigne,

La Dame à l’enfant

Sourit et fait signe

De son front brillant

(Chorus)

Bernadette émue

A genoux tombait

L’enfant ingénue

Prit son chapelet

(Chorus)

Plus twenty-three more verses

Source: Les Echos De Massabieille Chants Populaires De Lourdes, 1872

England & U.S., 1898 – 1950s

Immaculate Mary!

Our hearts are on fire,

That title so wondrous

Fills all our desire !

Chorus

Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria!

Ave, Ave, Maria!

We pray for God’s glory,

May His Kingdom come

We pray for His Vicar,

Our Father, and Rome.

(Chorus)

We pray for our Mother,

The Church upon earth,

And bless, sweetest Lady,

The land of our birth

(Chorus)

O Mary! O Mother!

Reign o’er us once more

Be all lands* thy dowry

As in days of yore.

(Chorus – *England)

Plus twelve more verses

Source: Catholic Hymns, 1898

1950s – Today

Immaculate Mary,

Your praises we sing,

You reign now in heaven

With Jesus our King

Chorus

Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria!

Ave, Ave, Maria!

In heaven the blessed

Your glory proclaim

On earth we your children

Invoke your fair* name

(Chorus – *sweet)

We pray for our Mother,

The Church upon earth

And bless, Holy Mary,

The land of our birth

(Chorus)

No more verses

Source: Breaking Bread, 2023

Despite the wide spectrum of verses, what remains traditional to the hymn are the Ave’s. And yet, even among the Ave’s there are differences. In some countries and cultures we have a refrain of six Ave’s, while in our missalettes and pew missals today we have only five Ave’s. There also exists somewhat of a controversy regarding the musical accent given to the Ave.

On an aside, it has been suggested that the hymn text we sing today for Immaculate Mary was taken from or is a replacement for another hymn Hail, Virgin of Virgin’s Thy Praises We Sing, written by Father Jerimiah Cummings in 1860 for the Feast of the Assumption. This hymn appeared in his hymn book SONGS FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS. Only in the first line of text can it be shown that there is any similarity. Like many of the hymns that honor Our Blessed Mother, Hail, Virgin of Virgin’s was removed and largely forgotten except by a few hymn researchers, hymnologist, and vintage organist. To learn more about this wonderful Marian hymn click on the links in this paragraph and visit The Devotional Hymns Project website and listen to a newly commissioned recording.

The earliest appearance of the hymn in English that we know as Immaculate Mary is found in the PAROCIAL HYMN BOOK published in 1897. It is captioned a Hymn in honor of our Lady of Lourdes, and the first line of text is Immaculate Mother, we come at thy call. This hymn book was compiled by Father Anatole Police, S.M., a Marist priest. He published two earlier editions of the PAROCHIAL HYMN BOOK in 1881 and 1883 while living in London. The hymn Immaculate Mary or Immaculate Mother does not appear in these earlier editions. Father Police came to Boston in the spring of 1891. (Click on any image to enlarge)

Immaculate Mary also appeared in CATHOLIC HYMNS published in 1898 in London, England. This hymnal was compiled by Augustus Edmonds Tozer. This collection of hymns was identified by J. Vincent Higginson (aka Cyr De Brant) to be a musical edition of ST. DOMINIC’S HYMN BOOK, with three editions published between 1885 and 1887. St. Dominic’s Hymn Book is a collection containing many older texts by Father Faber, Father Caswall, Father Aylward, Father Stanfield, and others. The hymn Immaculate Mary does not appear in the 1885 edition of St. Dominic’s Hymn Book referenced above. 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.

These early hymn books published by Father Police and Augustus Tozer are particularly significant to the hymn we know today as Immaculate Mary. Both hymns are set to the Lourdes Pilgrim Tune, with similarities in the verses and musical variations in the Ave’s.

Father Police’s version of the hymn quickly faded from the Catholic repertoire whereas, Augustus Tozer’s Immaculate Mary, our hearts are on fire with its five Ave’s would become the standard in Catholic hymn books until the 1950s.

In the 1950s, the hymn text was revised to Immaculate Virgin, thy praises we sing. This revision first appeared in the CANTATE OMNES hymnal published by the Catholic Choirmasters’ Guild of Buffalo, New York in 1952.

Later, in THE PEOPLE’S HYMNAL compiled and edited by The Hymn Committee of The Theological College in Washington D. C., published in 1955 we learn why the lyrics were changed and the reasoning behind it. Below is an excerpt from the Introduction of that hymnal.

Catholic devotion, as the Church takes care to emphasize, should represent, not what we would wish to feel, but what we actually feel. There is no need for saying our hearts are on fire when really thy are not. This device exalts the emotions at the expense of reason. The whole tradition of Catholic devotion opposes the fabrication of an external devotion with poetic conceits and painfully drawn figures of speech which does not in the least represent our interior dispositions.

The hymn must express, not what makes its subject so sweet or beautiful alone, but what makes it so holy, magnificent, and lovable, so worth singing to and about. THE PEOPLES HYMNAL strives, therefore, to avoid every meretricious pretense of emotion, and replace this all-too-common hymnology with compilation of hymns meant to arouse a mature, honest, and integrally human response.

In preparation for my HYMN OF THE MONTH, and as part of my research, I conduct a hymn survey from my own collection of Catholic hymnals. You can read more about my methods of research in a special write-up Conducting Hymn Research. This list often times is quite lengthy and to keep page scrolling to a minimum, I have been providing a link to the survey. However, this time I decided to present the survey based on the first line of text from the hymn covering a time period from the hymns first appearance in 1897 to the present day. And so…

The hymn Immaculate Mother, we come at thy call, and low at thy altar, Before thee we fall appeared in the following Catholic hymnals:

The PAROCHIAL HYMN BOOK, published in 1897 Boston, and compiled by Father Anatole Police, S.M.
The DE LA SALLE HYMNAL, published in 1913 and compiled by the Brothers of Christian Schools of New York.
The DIOCESAN HYMNAL PART 2, published in 1926 and compiled by Bishop Joseph Schrembs of Cleveland, Ohio.

The hymn Immaculate Mary, our hearts are on fire, That title so wondrous fills all our desire! appeared in the following Catholic hymnals:

CATHOLIC HYMNS, published in 1898 London, and compiled by Augustus Edmonds Tozer.
The CATHOLIC CHURCH HYMNAL, published in 1906 and 1933, compiled by Augustus Edmonds Tozer.
The CROWN HYMNAL, published in 1913, compiled and edited by Father Leslie J. Kavanagh and James M. McLaughlin. Father Kavanagh was elevated to Monsignor in 1919 and James McLaughlin was partners with James A. Reilly of McLaughlin & Reilly music publishing company.
The BOOK OF HYMNS with TUNES, published in 1913 London and New York, and edited by Father Samuel G. Ould, O.S.B. and William Sewell.
The ST. BASIL’S HYMNAL from 1918 thru 1953 and compiled by the Basilian Fathers of Toronto, Canada.
The ST. MARY’S HYMNAL, published in 1924 and 1944-1950 New York, compiled by Christian Zittel.
SELECT HYMNS, published in the 1930s, text only and references the CROWN HYMNAL.
The GLORIA HYMNAL, published in 1933, was compiled by the Basilian Fathers.
The ORDINARY OF THE MASS and a COMPLETE MANUAL OF HYMNS, published in 1933 Philadelphia, text only.
SING TO THE LORD – A COLLECTION OF CATHOLIC HYMNS AND PRAYERS, published in 1946 Boston, and compiled by Archbishop Richard Cushing, D.D., introduction of a new refrain in English in addition to the traditional Ave’s.
The HOLY NAME HYMNAL, published in 1947 and compiled by Father J. J. McLarney, O.P., uses the same English text for the refrain as well as the traditional Ave’s as found in SING TO THE LORD.
The MANUAL OF HYMNS FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS, published in 1948 was compiled and edited by The Voshardt Press, text only. The hymns are taken from St. Basil’s, St. Gregory, Cantate Domino, Catholic Church, and the American Catholic Hymnal.
The JUBILEE HYMNS BOOK II, published in 1949 Toronto and edited by Father James E. Ronan. Father Ronan was later elevated to Monsignor.
The MONASTARY HYMNAL, published in 1954 Boston and compiled, edited, and arranged by Achille P. Bragers.
The MEDIATOR DEI HYMNAL, published in 1955 by the Gregorian Institute of America and compiled by Cyr De Brant – a pseudonym for J. Vincent Higginson.
The PARISH HYMNAL, published in 1957 by the Gregorian Institute of America.
The CATHOLIC CHAPEL HYMNAL, published from 1944 thru 1968 compiled by Edward Grey and Edward Curry.
The ST. ANDREW HYMNAL, published in 1964 and authorized by the Archbishop’s of Scottland for the use in the Scottish Dioceses.
The CATHOLIC HYMNAL & SERVICE BOOK, published in 1966, part of the Benziger Editions with approval by the Commission on Church Music, Archdiocese of New York.
The CATHOLIC BOOK OF HYMNS & CHANTS, published in 2020 by the Sacred Music Library.

The hymn Immaculate Virgin, thy praises we sing, Who reignest in splendor with Jesus our King, and Immaculate Mary, thy praises we sing, Who reignest with Christ, our Redeemer and King appeared in the following Catholic hymnals:

The CANTATE OMNES published in 1952, was compiled and published by the Catholic Choirmasters’ Guild from Buffalo, New York
The PEOPLE’S HYMNAL, published in 1955, compiled by The Hymn Committee of The Theological College in Washington, D.C., printed by World Library of Sacred Music
The NEW ST. BASIL HYMNAL, published in 1958, was compiled by the Basilian Fathers and printed by Willis Music Company in Cincinnati, Ohio
The BVM HYMNAL, published in 1961, is the Official Hymn Book of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary from Dubuque, Iowa. Distributed by the Gregorian Institute of America.
The ADOREMUS HYMNAL, published in 2011, compiled by the Adoremus Society of the Renewal of the Sacred Liturgy, with approval by the Committee on Divine Worship United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The hymn Immaculate Mary, your praises we sing, You reign now in splendor with Jesus Our King and Immaculate Mary, your praises we sing, You reign now with Jesus, Our Savior and King appeared in the following Catholic hymn books.

OUR PARISH PRAYS AND SINGS, published in 1973 by the Liturgical Press, St. John’s Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota.
The CATHOLIC HYMNAL – Hymns for Liturgical Celebration, published in 1974 by Our Sunday Visitor.
GLORY & PRAISE, published in 2001 by Oregon Catholic Press.
The CHORAL COMPANION, published in 2006 by World Library Publications.
GATHER HYMNAL 3^rd edition, published in 2011 by the Gregorian Institute of America

The Melodies

In my quest to find the origin of the melody, I came across a few interesting stories. One story indicates the melody comes from the mountainous region of Southwestern France known as the Pyrenees, and it was brought back to Luçon, France by the French Catholic priest Abbot Jean Gaignet (1839-1914). In this account, Abbot Gaignet went on a retreat after learning two of his brothers were killed in the Franco-German war of 1870. While there he heard the melodies and brought them back when he returned to his priestly duties. This Pyrenean melody became the traditional melody we know today as the Lourdes Pilgrims’ Tune.

Another story takes us to the small town of Berlaar, Belgium where it is said the melody was composed by Constant Verhulst (1838-1923) in 1857, for a Feast of Mary in Berlaar, a year before the apparitions of Lourdes. After the apparitions, a nun in Berlaar wrote the words to a song te Lourdes op de bergen meaning in Lourdes on the mountain to the tune of Constant Verhulst. I haven’t been able to verify that Constant Verhulst composed the melody but only that the song uses the traditional Lourdes Pilgrim tune.

A different story suggests the melody was borrowed from a hymn composed by Fr. Louis Lambillotte, S. J., in 1842, and references his CHOIX DE CANTIQUES SUR DES AIRS NOUVEAUX, but does not indicate which hymn. Father Lambillotte (1796-1855) was a French Jesuit priest who composed several melodies that are still used today including: On This Day O Beautiful Mother; Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest; ‘Tis the Month of Our Mother; Panis Angelicus; Mother Mary, at Thine Altar, and many more.

Somewhat of controversy exists regarding the famous refrain Ave, Ave, Ave Maria! In my small collection of French hymnals, the refrain contains six Ave’s. In the United States, five Ave’s in the refrain has been the standard for over 120 years. The origin of the five Ave’s can be traced back to Tozer’s CATHOLIC HYMNS, 1898. He was the first to alter the refrain of melody by giving the Latin Ave its proper accent. Some feel this revision removes the folk quality of the French Avé.

Reflection

I grew up singing Immaculate Mary, thy praises we sing, You reign now in splendor with Jesus Our King. I will probably always remember it with those words. But I also like the words of the hymn that was used by my parents and grandparents Immaculate Mary, our hearts are on fire, That title so wondrous fills all our desire!

I presented the reasoning why the words were changed, but I question whether there was any wisdom in that choice. Afterall, the apostle’s on the road to Emmaus declared, We’re not our hearts burning inside us as he talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us (Luke 24:32).

I wonder if the apostle’s hearts were really on fire or if they chose to exalt their feelings at the expense of reason.

Father Anatole Police, S.M.

I recently received new information from the archivist for the Society of Mary, U. S. Province on Father Anatole Police, S.M., who compiled and edited the PAROCHIAL HYMN BOOK here in America and in England between 1881 and 1897. Father Anatole Police was born in 1834 in the diocese of Bayeux (Calvados), France. He professed his vows in 1861 and was ordained in the same year at Belley, France. He spent twenty-six years at St. Anne’s in London, England and the last seven years of his life at Our Lady of Victories in Boston. MA.

His French colleagues considered him more English than French. He completed the work on the upper Church of Our Lady of Victories at the death of Father Firmin Coppin (1838-1891). Father Anatole was an accomplished musician and was responsible for the acquisition of the original organ, a Hook and Hastings Opus #1531 that was installed in 1892. The original organ would be replaced by a Casasvant Opus #1484 in 1933. Nothing was retained of the Hook and Hastings organ except for the pipe work and its entire case. The Casavant organ was still in use in 1986.

The work on the upper church of Our Lady of Victories began in the spring of 1891, but at the same time, Father Coppin, although only 53, became seriously ill and had to allow Father Police who had recently arrived from London, to take charge. The work of construction on the upper church went on through the summer and was finally finished in November. But Father Coppin was not there to see it. A month before, on October 16, 1891, he died.

Father Police, who had been in charge during the illness of Father Coppin, remained as administrator until the new pastor arrived. This would be Father Descreux, who came in August, 1892. After the arrival of Father Descreux, Father Police stayed on as assistant for another six years, till his death in 1898 at the age of almost 64.

Father Police was an outstanding musician and editor of the American PAROCHIAL HYMN BOOK which was published in 1897. He also was the editor of the Manuel de Cantiques et Chants Religieux published in Boston in 1893 and it is thought that this is a French edition of the Parochial Hymn Book. In my examination of this French collection I found a few hymns with popular melodies. For example:

Regina Coeli composed by M. Labat. This arrangement of Regina Coeli appeared in the St. Basil Hymnals from 1891 thru 1918. I sang this with St. Mary’s Choir in the 1980’s.
Another hymn, L’AMOUR DU COEUR DU MARIE uses the same melody as the hymn To Jesus’ Heart All Burning, with fervent love for all men composed by Wm. J. Maher.
Adeste Fideles, although the French hymn is captioned CE PETIT ENFANT EDT NOTRE DIEU, ADORONS LE which loosely translates to This Little Child is Our God, Lets Worship Him.
The Ave Maris Stella, with Latin text and a melody by Father Louis Lambillotte, S.J.
LA PENTECÔTE, ESPRIT-SAINT, DESCENDES EN NOUS, to the melody for Come Holy Ghost, Send Down Those Beams.
There is a section of Benediction hymns and Litanies common to most Catholic hymnals of that time period with Latin text and traditional melodies.

Father Police was widely known in Boston for his devotion to the ministry of confessions, and for his establishment of the English-speaking confraternity of the Third Order of May. He was loved by his parishioners, and all who knew him. His winsome ways encouraged co-operation in the task of embellishing the newly constructed upper church. During his brief year as administrator many finishing touches were added.

The exterior statues of Our Lady of Victories were put on the facade, donated by Caroline Aubry. The statues of Our Lady of Victories and most others in the upper church were imported from France. In 1892, the three altars were erected in the upper church: the main altar being donated by Mr. Louis P. Ober; that of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Mr. Lomer Lahaise; and that of the Sacred Heart by Mrs. John Dean.

Father Police died in April of 1898, at the Carney Hospital in Dorchester, MA, at the age of nearly 64, He is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in the Clergymen’s section as Anatole Palici in Malden, MA.

Sadly, Our Lady of Victories Church was permanently closed in 2016.

A special thank you to Peter Meggison, producer of The Devotional Hymns Project for the post cards of Our Lady of Victories which show the original Hook and Hastings Organ, the upper church and the lower basement church.

Jesus, Teach Me How To Pray

The words of this hymn were written by a Sister of Mercy from the Convent of Charleville, County Cork, Ireland. We know her only as Sister M. B. Her hymn first appeared in EASY HYMNS AND SONGS compiled by Father Henry Formby and published by Burns and Lambert of London in 1853. A musical edition of this collection was also published, and one would be extremely fortunate to have a copy. The melody found in the musical edition is a Suabian Air. (Click on any image to enlarge)

Information provided by the archivist of the Charleville convent indicates there were two sisters from that period that might be the author. From the Charleville Community there is Sister Mary Baptist Keating (1823-1863). Catherine Keating was born in Cahir, County Tipperary in Ireland to her parents Patrick and Cathrine in 1823. She entered the convent on September 26, 1855 and was professed April 13, 1858. From the annals of the Charleville convent provided by the archivist we are given the following account:

Sister Mary Baptist Keating was remarkable for many virtues, but for two in particular, to a degree uncommon even in religious communities. These were confidence in God and charity. She seemed never to waver in a steady faith that she would go to heaven when she died and straight. No lecture from the most ascetic writer, no meditation on the purgative way from the keenest Jesuit that ever addressed us in retreat, were able to shake for an instant that deep-rooted confidence or to throw one shade of fear over her face. Her charity was equally remarkable, no matter who was accused, saint or sinner in much or in little. Sr. M. Baptist always had their excuse ready, and we fancied that her features had a look of pain until politeness allowed her to reply and offer her excuse and this was generally so natural and simple that one felt quite satisfied with it.

The circumstances of her last moments were also remarkable. About an hour or two before she died, she called Rev. Mother to her and desired her to put her arm under her head that she might feel she was there for her and that she might die soon. Rev. Mother did so and whispered, Have you the same confidence in your good God that you always had? O, the very same, she said, the greatest confidence. In a little while after we thought she was dying and put the candle in her hand and knelt. After a while she opened her eyes and said, smiling, I thought too I was dying but I won’t for a little while – the moment I see God I’ll die. She allowed Rev. Mother to withdraw her arm but soon motioned her to post again and, Rev. Mother remembers she said, Stay there. I will surely die now. My Jesus… She stretched her feet, closed her mouth and eyes, and died. Sister Mary Baptist Keating died on March 25, 1863 and is buried at the Convent Cemetery in Charleville.

Another likely candidate is Sister Mary Francis Bridgeman (1813-1888), she was a pioneer of the Sisters of Mercy in the Crimea who made many foundations in Ireland and abroad and was forever writing, she is from the Kinsale Community. From the annals of the Kinsale convent we are given the following account:

She began her nursing experience at a Limerick cholera hospital during the 1832 epidemic, and by 1854, she had considerable experience caring for the sick and the poor. She kept an account of her experiences, recording the conditions under which they travelled to the Crimea, the state of the hospitals they worked in, their relationships with the soldiers, medical and military authorities.

All of the sisters mentioned above were acquainted with one another from their time during the Crimean War (1853-1856), as all of them were nurses. The Sisters of Mercy achieved great success as nurses and were recognized by the military commanders for their compassion toward the wounded and their cleanliness of the hospitals during the war effort. Sister Frances Bridgeman, later Mother Francis Bridgeman would work closely with another famous nurse of the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale.

Some of Sister M. B.’s poems became Catholic hymns. Nearly all of them are for children including a Christmas hymn – Heart of the Holy Child, and I Am a Little Catholic, this last hymn would later become, I Am a Faithful Catholic with music attributed to Mozart. She also authored the popular Christmas hymn Oh! Sing a Joyous Carol, which is still being sung today. For now the true identity of Sister M.B. must remain a mystery.

On an aside, another Sister of Mercy from the Charleville Convent who is listed in the index of the hymn book above is Sister M. J. She has been identified as Sister Mary Joseph Croke (née Isabella Croke). She was born in Mallow, County Cork, Ireland in 1825. She was also a nurse during the Crimean War (1854-1856) and kept a journal during the war with entries amounting to over 160 pages. Isabella was a convert to Catholicism and entered the Sisters of Mercy on August 15, 1847, was received on February 22, 1848, and made her vows on April 10, 1850. She wrote poetry, and several became hymns and appeared in Father Formby’s collection of hymns, HYMNS FOR THE YEAR published in 1867, and Westlake’s POPULAR HYMN AND TUNE BOOK published in 1868.

This short narrative on Sister Mary Joseph Croke is taken from the article Sister Mary Joseph Croke – Another Voice from the Crimean War by Mary Ellen Doona.

You might also notice in the index a hymn to St. Patrick by Sister Agnes. The hymn would later become known as Hail, Glorious St. Patrick written by Sister Mary Agnes McSweeny after Ireland had been ravaged by a famine in 1850.

In 1842, Elizabeth (Eliza) McSweeney entered the Convent of Mercy of the Sisters of Mercy in Charleville, Co. Cork, Ireland. She was a member of this community until she left on a mission in the summer of 1866 to Bathurst in Sydney Australia. Sister McSweeney was one of seven nuns to go to Bathurst along with her cousin Sister Mary Ignatius Croke.

The journey to Australia took three months at sea. Sister McSweeney loved teaching First Holy Communion classes, visiting the sick, the poor and the homes of her students as well as visiting the prisoners in the Bathurst jail. She was known for her remarkable abilities and was well versed in French and English literature, church history and skilled in poetry. Sister McSweeney died at the age of 81 in 1905 and is buried at the convent cemetery in Bathurst.

EASY HYMNS AND SACRED SONGS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN was a small sized text collection of Catholic hymns compiled by Father Henry Formby (1816-1884). The following biographical details on Father Henry Formby are taken from the Biographical Dictionary of the English Catholics, Vol. 2. pages 309-313, by Gillow, Joseph, 1850-1921.

Henry Formby was born in 1816, the son of Henry Grenehalgh Formby, second son of Richard Formby, of Formby Hall, Lancaster, Esq. He was educated at Clitheroe Grammar School, and from there to the Charterhouse School, and ultimately was admitted into Brasenose College, Oxford. Brasenose College is a constituent college of Oxford University. He received a Master of Arts and took Orders in the Church of England and was appointed vicar of the Ruardean village in Gloucester.

His parish was quite large, and he petitioned to have the parish divided but his plan was opposed by his bishop. This was during the Tractarian Movement which he followed with keen interest. Greatly influenced by the conversion of his friend John Henry Newman, he chose to resign his position in the Church of England and was received into the Catholic Church, at St. Mary’s College, Oscott, January 24, 1846. He passed his theology studies at Oscott and was ordained a priest by Bishop Wareing (1791-1865) the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Northampton, on September 18, 1847.

For a number of years he served at St. Chads, Birmingham, and at Wednesbury. During the later part of his life, about twenty years, he resided at the Dominican Priory of St. Peter, Hinckley, Leicester where he assisted in preparing the novices for the priesthood.

Father Formby was a prolific writer publishing more than forty volumes of Catholic catechetical material. One such example was a three-part series of Catholic Hymns and Songs for the use of Catholic Schools and Families published in 1853. This collection was sold by Burns & Lambert of London as one volume and carried the Imprimatur of Cardinal Wiseman. Part I of this collection is captioned Catholic Hymns. Part II: Sacred Songs, and Part III: Descriptive Songs. Each part has a list of contents, authors, and index of first lines. At the time of publication many of the authors, including Father Faber, Father Caswall, Cecilia M. Caddell, Sister M. J., and Mary E. Leeson were still living and many of the hymns had never before been published.

In another example, Father Formby published several Bible story books, a series of publications carefully illustrated for use by Catholic families and schools.

Father Formby was the leader in England in producing illustrated catechetical materials for all age groups but most especially the children. He died during a visit to Colonel Worswick who resided at Normanton Hall on March 12, 1884, at the age of sixty-seven. He is buried at St. Joseph’s College, Mill Hill.

The hymn Jesus, Teach Me How to Pray, appeared in a period that produced many hymns for children. Some of Sister M. B.’s hymns found their way into American hymnals including the CATHOLIC CHURCH HYMNAL, 1905 compiled by Augustus Edmonds Tozer; the SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN BOOK, 1887, 1907 and 1935 compiled by the Sisters of Notre Dame; CROWN HYMNAL, 1913; CLEVELAND DIOCESAN HYMNAL, 1926; OUR LADY OF MERCY HYMNAL, VOL. II, 1927 compiled by the Sisters of Mercy from the Providence, Rhode Island Community and THE ST. FRANCIS PARISH HYMNAL, 1954. A complete list of hymnals can be downloaded clicking on the following link Jesus Teach Me How to Pray – Hymnal Survey

The Melodies

I found twelve different melodies that have been composed for this hymn. Several of the composers and sources have been identified including Frank N. Birtchnell (1860-1941); Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847); a Suabian Air; a Sister of Mercy; a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur; Arthur De Meulemeester; a melody from Muenster’s 1866 Gesangbuch, and a melody by Bishop Schrembs (1886-1945) of Cleveland, Ohio. There are four melodies that I could not identify. (Click on any image to enlarge)

The first melody to be used for Jesus, Teach Me How To Pray, is identified as a Suabian Air. It is found in the musical edition of EASY HYMNS AND SACRED SONGS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN compiled by Father Henry Formby in 1853. It also appears in the CROWN OF JESUS MUSIC compiled by Henry F. Hemy (1818-1888) and published by Thomas Richardson & Sons of London in 1864, and the CROWN HYMNAL, compiled by Msgr. Leslie J. Kavanagh and James M. McLaughlin and published in 1913 by Ginn & Company of Boston.

Monsignor Kavanagh was the Superintendent of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and James M. McLaughlin was the organist at St. Mary’s Church in Boston, Massachusetts. James McLaughlin was also Editor of the School Music Department at Ginn & Company, and later Director of Music in the Boston Public Schools, joined with James A. Reilly to form McLaughlin & Reilly Music Company. McLaughlin & Reilly became one of the largest publishers of Catholic Music in America until the 1970s.

The second melody appeared in the PAROCHIAL HYMN BOOK’s of 1883 and 1897 compiled by Father Anatole Police, S.M., The Parochial hymn books were published in Dublin, London, and New York. Father Police came to Boston, sometime during the 1890s, and issued the American version in 1897. The Parochial hymn books contained many of his own hymn tunes with references to other hymn collections such as Oratory Hymn Book, the Holy Family Hymn Book, Hymns for the Year, and of the Rev. J. Furniss’ Sunday School Manual; a selection from the Rev. Fr. Stanfield’s and the Rev. W. Maher’s Hymn Books; besides a large proportion of French, Italian, and German melodies.

This melody also appeared in the ST. PAUL HYMNAL of 1915 compiled by the Diocese of St. Paul, Minnesota. None of the hymn books identify the composer.

The next melody is found in the LAUDATE PUERI published in 1886 by the Sisters of Notre Dame of Cleveland, Ohio. This community of sisters came from Coesfeld, Germany to Cleveland in 1874, at the request of Bishop Richard Gilmour (1824-1981), who was approached by Father F. Westerholt, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Cleveland who wished to have the sisters come and teach at St. Joseph’s School. The composer’s name is not given but many of the tunes were taken from Gesangbuchs of Trier, Cologne, Mainz, and Joseph Mohr’s Cecilia. The LAUDATE PUERI is one of the early German oriented collections that used English text with German melodies.

The fourth melody is found in the SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN BOOK published in 1887, 1907, and 1935 by Oliver Ditson Company. This collection of hymns was compiled by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur from the Philadelphia Community. The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur first arrived in Cincinnati, Ohio in the 1840s and quickly spread across the United States establishing convents, schools, and academies.

When trying to identify Sisters who wrote hymns or composed music, difficulties arise. It was the custom in many religious communities not to give credit to individuals but the whole community. In some rare cases, authorship has been known in a verbal tradition and passed down by Sisters who knew the author or composer. In other cases, authorship has been meticulously reconstructed by hymn researchers. In addition, a photograph of an individual Sister is somewhat rare and yet some photographs were taken, usually in groups. It wasn’t until after the 1960s that this custom began to change.

There is one Sister out of all the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur who is generally considered the leader in the publication of all the American hymns and songs found in hymn collections. Her name was Sister Aloysius (Josephine) Dorman (1835-1913). I have written about Sister Dorman in a previous the hymn write-up. To learn more, I invite you to read about this wonderful musician by clicking on the following link. Mother Dearest, Mother Fairest.

This melody also appeared in the St. Joseph’s Hymnal compiled by the Sisters of St. Joseph from Nazareth, Michigan published in 1930. Both the 3rd and 6th editions.

Frank N. Birtchnell (ca. 1900) composed the fifth melody. This melody appeared in CATHOLIC HYMNS compiled by Augustus Edmonds Tozer (1857-1910) and published by Carry & Co., of London, and The Frederick Harris Co., of Toronto, in 1898. It would also appear in another collection by Tozer in 1905 and 1933, the CATHOLIC CHURCH HYMNAL, published by J. Fischer & Bro., of New York City.

Augustus Tozer 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.

Frank Birtchnell along with Moir Brown, compiled and edited the NOTRE DAME HYMN TUNE BOOK. This hymn collection was published in 1905 by the Rockliff Brothers, LTD., of Liverpool, England. Several hymn tunes by both men can be found in this collection.

A sixth melody appeared in the HOLY FAMILY HYMN BOOK compiled by Father Francis J. Butler, a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston in 1904, and published by Thomas J. Flynn & Co. The hymn book contains the words and music of the Hymns found in Butler’s Holy Family Series of Catholic Catechisms, together with the music for Vespers and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Butler’s Holy Family Series of Catechisms was a three-part series for Communion Class, Confirmation Class, and an Advanced Class. In the Preface of the hymn book, it states that The hymn book was compiled mainly for the benefit of Sunday Schools and especially of those schools in which the Holy Family Series of Catechisms was used. The melodies are not new but are approved by long experience as suitable for large bodies of young people. Gratitude is given for the assistance of the Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph’s Academy, Brighton. In this collection, the editors provide several melodies for some of the hymns, and a few indicate the composers name.

The next melody appeared in the NOTRE DAME HYMN TUNE BOOK compiled by Frank N. Birtchnell and Moir Brown and published in 1905 by Rockliff Brothers, LTD., of Liverpool, England. The melody is attributed to Mendelssohn. I believe this to be Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1874) although the hymn book does not give any additional information. Felix Mendelssohn was a German composer, pianist, organist, and conductor.

The eighth melody appears in three separate hymnals. The PSALLITE, 1907 and 1923; HYMNS FOR THE ECCLESIASTICAL YEAR, 1908; and the SURSUM CORDA, 1925. Information regarding the composer is only vaguely hinted at in the SURSUM CORDA which indicates that Singenberger’s organ book and Mohr’s Caecilia along with other good books on the market were used as resources for the melodies. The PSALLITE ORGAN ACCOMPANIMENT edited by Father Ludwig Bonvin, S.J. (1850-1939), gives specific details indicating that the melody was taken from Johann Singenberger (Herder’sche Verlagshandlung, Freiburg i. Br.) collection.

Arthur De Meulemeester (1876-1942) composed the melody found in the ST. CECILIA’S HYMN BOOK published in Dublin, Ireland by Cahill & Company, Limited in 1911. Arthur De Meulemeester compiled, edited, and arranged the hymn book. He was the organist and choirmaster at the Redemptorist Church of the Most Holy Redeemer in Belfast for most of his life.

This same melody appeared in the third edition of the REDEMPTORIST HYMN BOOK WITH MUSIC ACCOMPANIMENTS published by Burns, Oates & Washbourne in 1955. The first edition was published in 1947, and the second edition in 1951.

Bishop Joseph Schrembs (1866-1945) composed the tenth melody. He was the Fifth Bishop of Cleveland, Ohio from 1921 to 1945. It appears in the Diocesan Hymnal Part 2 published by J. Fischer & Bro., of New York City in 1928. Bishop Schrembs compiled the Diocesan hymnals which consisted of three books.

Part 1 – Communion and Confirmation Hymns, 1926
Part 2 – Devotional Hymns, 1928
Part 3 – Eucharistic Hymns, 1935

Bishop Schrembs was elevated to the office of Archbishop in 1935 and was the Promoter of the Seventh National Eucharistic Congress and Protector of the Priests’ Eucharistic League in the United States.

His melody was harmonized by Monsignor Peter Griesbacher (1864-1933). The Rt. Rev. Msgr. Peter Griesbacher was responsible for a large number of harmonization’s of the hymns found in the Diocesan Hymnals. He was German born and ordained a priest in 1886. He edited a number of publications of Catholic church music and has composed some forty mass settings, a number of cantatas, various choral works, and organ manuals.

Sister Mary Alexis Donnelly, R.S.M., (1857-1936) composed the next melody and it appeared in OUR LADY OF MERCY HYMNAL VOL. II, published by the Sisters of Mercy of Providence, R.I., in 1927. This is the third hymnal compiled by Sister Donnelly during her lifetime. She was recognized by her superiors to be musically gifted. From 1910 to 1916, she served as Reverend Mother of the Providence Community.

Her name and contributions have been forgotten in the history of Catholic musicians. She was a close friend of James A. Reilly, president of the Catholic Music Publishing Company, later McLaughlin & Reilly Company, one of the major publishers and distributor of Catholic music in America. She compiled three hymnals:

THE HOLY FACE HYMNAL (1891)
OUR LADY OF MERCY HYMNAL (1899
OUR LADY OF MERCY HYMNAL VOL. II. (1927)

Many of her compositions were featured in a series of hymn pamphlets which proved to be an enormous success for McLaughlin & Reilly and were sold continually during the company’s existence. You can learn more about Sister Mary Alexis Donnelly and listen to some of her compositions by visiting The Devotional Hymns Project website, and the HYMN OF THE MONTH: Jesus, Keep Me Close to Thee.

The last melody appeared in the LAUDATE CHOIR MANUAL originally compiled around 1904 by Father Joseph Hohe (d. 1925). The LAUDATE, a German centered collection of hymns with English text, continued as the official choir book for the Diocese Leavenworth, Kansas when in 1942, Bishop Paul C. Shulte (1890-1984) approved the revised edition prepared by Father Herman Koch and Father Andrew Green, OSB.

The melody is taken from the Gesang-und Gebetbuch, Muenster, 1866. The same melody is used for the German hymn Jesu, Jesu, Komm’ zu mir or the English version Jesus, Jesus, Come to Me also found in the LAUDATE. I could not locate a copy of the Gesangbuch to confirm the composers name.

Reflection

This hymn was extremely popular at St. Mary’s Parish, Akron, Ohio, where I grew up, especially during daily Mass for the school children and for First Communion. I remember singing this hymn with the choir on many occasions especially for First Communion. I joined St. Mary’s Choir in 1977 and this hymn continued to be used by the parish for nearly thirty years.

The melody I learned to sing is from the Sunday School Hymn Book compiled by the Sisters of Notre Dame De Namur, the fourth melody above. When I started researching this hymn, I was not prepared to encounter so many melodies. It is difficult to say which melody is traditional to the hymn. The Suabian melody was the first melody children sang. But I think the melody that has endured out of all those presented here is by the Sisters of Notre Dame, but of course, I favor the melody I learned.

The hymn reminds me of when the apostles asked Jesus, Lord, teach us to pray. (Luke 11:1) This is a good hymn, with a simple melody which is characteristic of children’s hymns. I can’t tell you how many times I have knelt in prayer, at church or at home and invariably my thoughts are interrupted, or some distraction occurs. Sister M. B. must have been keenly aware of these distracting elements in a child’s life when she writes Suffer not my tho’ts to stray, Send distractions far away.

The fourth verse touches me deeply, Make me love Thy Mother Blest, Safe beneath her care to rest, As a bird within its nest, Sweet, Holy Child. It reminds of another verse from another hymn Mother of Mercy, Day By Day, when Father Faber writes, Get me the grace to love thee more, Jesus will give if thou wilt plead, And, Mother! When life’s cares are o’er, O, I shall love thee then indeed.

The hymn was written for children, but as I grow older, I see the wisdom of Sister M. B.’s words in my own daily life as I am sure you will. Take a moment to reflect on the verses and I think you’ll agree.

A special thank you to Peter Meggison, producer of The Devotional Hymns Project for granting permission to use a newly commissioned recording of Jesus, Teach Me How to Pray, from the Holy Cross Cathedral in Boston.

Below is a play list of the melodies presented above. 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. All the hymns are in the public domain. Music directors, if you use any of these selections in your Sunday or weekly music programs and you make a recording, contact the author and I may feature it in the What’s New section of the website.

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