Archive for the ‘Saints of 1820-1829’ Category
Above: St. Peter’s Church, Yoxford, England
Image Source = Google Earth
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HENRY PARR (AUGUST 16, 1815-MAY 4, 1905)
Anglican Priest and Hymn Tune Composer
Henry Parr comes to this, A Great Cloud of Witnesses: An Ecumenical Calendar of Saints’ Days and Holy Days, via The Hymnal (1941) of the old Evangelical and Reformed Church as well as that hymn book’s companion volume.
Information about Parr is scarce.
- Parr, born in Lythwood, Hall, Shropshire, England, on August 16, 1815, took holy orders in The Church of England in 1845.
- His ministerial record, with some gaps, was: Vicar of Taunton (1849-1859); Curate of Tunbridge (1859-1861); Perpetual Curate of Ash Church, Gloucestershire (1861-1862); and Curate-in-Charge then Vicar of Yoxford, Suffolk (1867f).
- Parr composed chants and hymn tunes–chants, mainly. His hymn tunes included ST. QUINTON, NORTON, and WINMARLEIGH.
- He edited The Church of England Psalmody (First Edition, 1847; Eighth Edition, 1880).
- Parr, aged 89 years, died on May 4, 1905.
The paucity of information about Henry Parr disappoints yet does not surprise me. Compared to most of his contemporaries, a wealth of information about this faithful priest and liturgist survives. The most important factor is his legacy of fidelity, manifested in parish ministry and in liturgical contributions.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 18, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-SECOND DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT LEONIDES OF ALEXANDRIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR, 202; ORIGEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIAN; SAINT DEMETRIUS OF ALEXANDRIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; AND SAINT ALEXANDER OF JERUSALEM, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, BISHOP, THEOLOGIAN, AND LITURGIST
THE FEAST OF ELIZA SIBBALD ALDERSON, POET AND HYMN WRITER; AND JOHN BACCHUS DYKES, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAUL OF CYPRUS, EASTERN ORTHODOX MARTYR, 760
THE FEAST OF ROBERT WALMSLEY, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST HYMN WRITER
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Holy God, whose majesty surpasses all human definitions and capacity to grasp,
thank you for those (especially Henry Parr)
who have nurtured and encouraged the reverent worship of you.
May their work inspire us to worship you in knowledge, truth, and beauty.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
1 Chronicles 25:1-8
Psalm 145
Revelation 15:1-4
John 4:19-26
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 27, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JAMES INTERCISUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
THE FEAST OF HENRY SLOANE COFFIN, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGIAN
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Above: St. Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo
Image in the Public Domain
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SAINT GIUSEPPE BENEDETTO COTTOLENGO (MAY 3, 1786-APRIL 30, 1842)
Founder of the Little House of Providence
Also known as Saint Joseph Benedict Cottolengo
Also known as the Italian Vincent de Paul
Also known as the Workman of Divine Providence
Alternative feast day = April 29
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When I am in Heaven, where everything is possible, I will cling to the mantle of the Mother of God and I will not turn my eyes from you. But do not forget what this poor old man has said to you.
–St. Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo, on his deathbed
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St. Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo–the Italian Vincent de Paul, the Workman of Divine Providence–comes to this, A Great Cloud of Witnesses: An Ecumenical Calendar of Saints’ Days and Holy Days, via the Roman Catholic Church.
Cottolengo came from a devout, middle-class family. He, born in Bra, Piedmont, Kingdom of Sardinia, on May 3, 1786, was the first of twelve children, half of whom died in infancy.
Our saint pursued his priestly vocation. He, having become a Franciscan tertiary on October 2, 1802, matriculated at the seminary at Asti in 1805. The closing of that institution two years later forced Cottolengo to continue his theological studies at home. He joined the ranks of priests on June 8, 1811. The new Curate to Corneliano D’Alta obtained his doctorate in theology in Turin. Then our saint became the canon at the Basilica of Corpus Domini, Turin.
Turin was experiencing turmoil. Recovery from Napoleonic occupation was underway. Also, many people were moving into the city from the countryside. Rapid urbanization brought crises, including poverty, illiteracy, poor sanitation, epidemics, and high infant mortality. The forty-one-year-old priest, having read a biography of St. Vincent de Paul, perceived charity as his true vocation.
One incident affected Cottolengo deeply. He encountered a large family from Lyons traveling to Milan. The pregnant mother had tuberculosis. Her disease kept her out of Maggiore Hospital. Her fever prevented her admission to the maternity hospital. The mother and child died; he gave the mother last rites and baptized the baby shortly before the child died. Four children survived the mother.
Cottolengo simplified his lifestyle. He sold his possessions and started living in two rented rooms. On January 17, 1828, our saint’s new life of charity began; he offered free lodging to an elderly paralytic. This was the beginning of Cottolengo’s charity hospital for people turned away from other hospitals.
The hospital was not universally popular. Local authorities, citing fear of contagion during an outbreak of cholera, closed the hospital in 1831. Immediately, our saint opened the Little House of Divine Providence, on the outskirts of town. The first patient suffered from cancer.
Cottolengo founded fourteen other charitable communities to serve God and the people of Turin.
Cottolengo, aged fifty-five years, died in Chieri, Piedmont, Kingdom of Sardinia, on April 30, 1842. He contracted typhus while tending to patients there.
Holy Mother Church has formally recognized Cottolengo. Pope Leo XIII pronounced him a Venerable. Pope Benedict XV beatitfied our saint. Pope Pius XI canonized Cottolengo.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS
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Lord God, your Son came among us to serve and not to be served,
and to give his life for the world.
Lead us by his love to serve all those to whom
the world offers no comfort and little help.
Through us give hope to the hopeless,
love to the unloved,
peace to the troubled,
and rest to the weary;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hosea 2:18-23
Psalm 94:1-14
Romans 12:9-21
Luke 6:20-36
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 37
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Above: Samuel Sebastian Wesley
Image in the Public Domain
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SAMUEL SEBASTIAN WESLEY (AUGUST 14, 1810-APRIL 19, 1876)
Anglican Organist and Composer
Samuel Sebastian Wesley comes to this, A Great Cloud of Witnesses: An Ecumenical Calendar of Saints’ Days and Holy Days, via a multitude of hymnals.
Wesley, widely regarded during his lifetime as the best organist in The Church of England, was a grandson of Anglican priest and hymn writer Charles Wesley (1707-1788). Our saint grew up in a musical home. Wesley, born in London on August 14, 1810, was a son of Samuel Wesley (1766-1837) and Charlotte Wesley. Samuel had introduced the music of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) to England. The father named the son after himself and Bach. Our saint, a chorister in the Royal Chapel from the ages of nine to seventeen years, began his career as an organist when sixteen years old.
Wesley spent nearly half a century playing the organ professionally. He worked at five parish churches, as well as the cathedrals in Hereford, Exeter, Winchester, and Gloucester. Our saint, whom Oxford University awarded the Doctor of Music degree when he was twenty-nine years old, had competing reputations. On one hand, Wesley was an outstanding organist. On the other hand, he was also an argumentative eccentric who valued fishing about as much as the quality of church music. Wesley possessed many gifts, but he did not excel in personal diplomacy. His priority on properly worshiping God translated into a life-long effort to raise musical standards in The Church of England.
Wesley also composed. He wrote anthems, services, hymn tunes, and works for the organ. You, O reader, may have encountered our saint’s work. You may, for example, have heard or sung an anthem, Lead Me, Lord. And you may have sung a hymn, The Church’s One Foundation (text by Samuel John Stone), by Wesley. Our saint composed AURELIA in 1864 for The Voice that Breathed O’er Eden, a wedding hymn by John Keble (1792-1866). In 1872, fellow hymn writer Henry John Gauntlett (1805-1876) panned AURELIA as “inartistic,” subpar, and “secular twaddle.” The tune has stood the test of time, despite Gauntlett’s opinion. Wesley’s Evening Service in E was another masterpiece.
Wesley published The European Psalmist (1872). The volume included 733 tunes, 130 of which he had composed.
Other published works included:
- The Psalter, or Psalms of David; with Chants Arranged for the Daily Morning and Evening Service (1843); and
- A Selection of Psalms and Hymns: Arranged for the Public Services of the Church of England (1864), as music editor.
Our saint, husband of Mary Anne (Merewether) Wesley and father of six children, died in London on April 19, 1876. He was sixty-five years old.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF DAG HAMMARSKJÖLD, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS
THE FEAST OF AMOS NIVEN WILDER, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER, POET, LITERARY CRITIC, AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF EDWARD BOUVERIE PUSEY, ANGLICAN PRIEST
THE FEAST OF HENRY LASCELLES JENNER, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND
THE FEAST OF HENRY WELLINGTON GREATOREX, ANGLICAN AND EPISCOPAL ORGANIST, CHOIRMASTER, AND HYMNODIST
THE FEAST OF JOHN CAMPBELL SHAIRP, SCOTTISH POET AND EDUCATOR
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Holy God, whose majesty surpasses all human definitions and capacity to grasp,
thank you for those (especially Samuel Sebastian Wesley)
who have nurtured and encouraged the reverent worship of you.
May their work inspire us to worship you in knowledge, truth, and beauty.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
1 Chronicles 25:1-8
Psalm 145
Revelation 15:1-4
John 4:19-26
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 27, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JAMES INTERCISUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
THE FEAST OF HENRY SLOANE COFFIN, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGIAN
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Above: Bishop Simon Bruté
Image in the Public Domain
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SIMON WILLIAM GABRIEL BRUTÉ DE RÉMUR (MARCH 20, 1779-JUNE 26, 1839)
Roman Catholic Bishop of Vincennes
Bishop Simon Bruté comes to this, A Great Cloud of Witnesses: An Ecumenical Calendar of Saints’ Days and Holy Days, via Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget (1763-1850).
Simon-Guillaume-Gabriel Bruté de Rémur (Jr.), born in Rennes, France, on March 20, 1779, came from a wealthy and large family. His mother was his father’s second wife; the first wife had died. Our saint grew up with seven half-siblings and a full brother in the Palace of Justice, Rennes. Simon (Sr.) died in 1886, depriving the family of opulence. The mother, Renée Le Saulnier de Vauhello (twice a widow), managed the family’s finances capably, if not in the condition she preferred.
Bruté, who had priests and an abbot in the family, was always a faithful Roman Catholic. He worked in the print shop (the family business his mother operated); this job kept our saint of the revolutionary regiment of boys. During the Reign of Terror, Bruté, disguised as a prison baker’s assistant, received and delivered letters for incarcerated priests and took the Eucharist to them. He also studied medicine (1796-1803), but never practiced. Instead, our saint matriculated at Saint Sulpice Seminary, Paris, in November 1803. He, ordained to the priesthood in 1808, taught at the seminary (1808-1810).
Benedict Joseph Flaget recruited Bruté to become a missionary to the United States. Flaget, Bruté, et al sailed in June 1810. Our saint spent a quarter of a century living on the East Coast. He taught philosophy at St. Mary’s College, Baltimore (1810-1812). Then, assigned to St. Mary’s College, Emmitsburg, Maryland, Bruté taught and performed pastoral duties. The priest, renowned for his erudition and lack of selfishness, served as the spiritual director of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821). He retrieved his library from France in 1815 then donated those volumes to St. Mary’s College, Baltimore, whose President he had just become. Starting in 1817, at Emmitsburg, Bruté started teaching theology and moral philosophy.
Above: Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, Vinennes, Indiana
Image in the Public Domain
Holy Mother Church carved the Diocese of Vincennes (spanning eastern Illinois and all of the State of Indiana) out of the Diocese of Bardstown, Kentucky, in 1834. The new diocese needed a bishop. Bruté accepted the appointment. The challenges were great. The territory was vast, and there were only three priests. One priest was on loan from another diocese. Bruté himself was the third priest. Our saint raised funds, recruited priests, and founded churches, schools, a library, and the seminary. He also taught at the seminary.
Bruté, aged 60 years, died in Vincennes, Indiana, on June 26, 1839. The good work fell to Célestine Guynemer de la Hailandière (1798-1882), briefly the Bishop Coadjutor.
Bruté is officially a Servant of God; the cause for his eventual canonization is underway.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 29, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE BEHEADING OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST
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Almighty God, whose will it is to be glorified in your saints,
and who raised up your servant Simon William Gabriel Bruté de Rémur
to be a light in the world:
Shine, we pray, in our hearts,
that we also in our generation may show forth your praise,
who called us out of darkness into your marvelous light;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Isaiah 49:1-6
Psalm 98 or 98:1-4
Acts 17:22-31
Matthew 28:16-20
–Adapted from Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), 717
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Above: The Flag of England
Image in the Public Domain
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GEORGE RAWSON (JUNE 5, 1807-MARCH 25, 1889)
English Congregationalist Hymn Writer
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By Christ redeemed, in Christ restored,
We keep the memory adored,
And show the death of our dear Lord
Until he come.
–George Rawson (1876), quoted in The Hymnal Revised (1911), #336
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George Rawson comes to this, A Great Cloud of Witnesses: An Ecumenical Calendar of Witnesses: An Ecumenical Calendar of Saints’ Days and Holy Days, via The Hymnal (1941), of the old Evangelical and Reformed Church.
Rawson, born in Leeds, England, on June 5, 1807, was an attorney–a solicitor, to be precise–in Leeds for many years. On the side, he wrote hymns and compiled hymnals. Our saint wrote hymns under the pseudonym “A Leeds Layman” until friends persuaded him to publish under his name. He compiled at least three hymnals:
- Psalms, Hymns, and Passages of Scripture for Christian Worship; the Congregational Collection, a.k.a. The Leeds Hymn Book (1853);
- Psalms and Hymns for the Use of the Baptist Denomination (1858); and
- Hymns, Verses, and Chants (1876).
Rawson’s hymns included:
- In the Dark and Cloudy Day;
- Come to Our Poor Nature’s Night; and
- Holy Ghost, the Infinite.
Our saint, aged 81 years, died in Clifton, England, on March 25, 1889.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 26, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN PAUL I, BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF FREDERICK WILLIAM HERZBERGER, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER, HUMANITARIAN, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT LEVKADIA HARASYMIV, UKRAINIAN GREEK CATHOLIC NUN, AND MARTYR, 1952
THE FEAST OF SAINTS LUIGI BELTRAME QUATTROCCHI AND MARIA CORSINI BELTRAME QUATTROCCHI, ITALIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC HUMANITARIANS
THE FEAST OF SAINT TERESA OF JESUS, JORNET Y IBARS, CATALAN ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE ABANDONED ELDERLY
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Holy God, whose majesty surpasses all human definitions and capacity to grasp,
thank you for those (especially George Rawson)
who have nurtured and encouraged the reverent worship of you.
May their work inspire us to worship you in knowledge, truth, and beauty.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
1 Chronicles 25:1-8
Psalm 145
Revelation 15:1-4
John 4:19-26
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 27, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JAMES INTERCISUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
THE FEAST OF HENRY SLOANE COFFIN, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGIAN
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This is post #2400 of SUNDRY THOUGHTS.
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Above: Blessed Marie-Louise-Élisabeth de Lamoignon de Molé de Champlâtreux
Image in the Public Domain
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BLESSED MARIE-LOUISE-ÉLISABETH LAMOIGNON DE MOLÉ DE CHAMPLÂTREUX
(OCTOBER 3, 1763-MARCH 4, 1825)
Founder of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Louis
Also known as the “Angel of the Garrets”
Blessed Marie-Louise-Élisabeth de Lamoignon de Molé de Champlâtreux comes to this, A Great Cloud of Witnesses: An Ecumenical Calendar of Saints’ Days and Holy Days, via the Roman Catholic Church.
Our saint entered the world in Paris, France, on October 3, 1763. She was the second of six children of Chrétien François de Lamoignon (1735-1789) and Marie-Élisabeth Berryer. Most of the men in the family were politicians. Lamoignon grew up with Christian values, such as caring for the poor. Strong influences during her formative years included a maternal grandfather and Father Louis Bourdaloue, a Jesuit priest and the parents’ spiritual director.
Our saint continued to practice her spiritual values of living simply and caring for the poor after she married. Her husband (from February 9, 1779) was Édouard-François Mathieu Molé (1760-1794), also a politician and a nobleman. Our saint, the “Angel of the Garrets,” gave birth to five children, only two of whom lived to adulthood. She pondered joining a religious order, but her spiritual advisor, but her spiritual advisor, Father Antoine Xavier Mayneaud de Pancemont, advised waiting until after the death of her husband. She became a widow on April 20, 1794, as a the Reign of Terror.
Napoleon Bonaparte finally put the French Revolution out of its misery. In 1802, Mayneaud, who had become the Bishop of Vannes, encouraged our saint to found a new religious order. So, on May 25, 1803, Lamoignon founded the Sisters of Charity of Saint Louis and became its Mother Superior. The purpose of the new religious order was to educate poor and abandoned girls. Pope Pius VII blessed our saint and the new religious order in person in 1804. Pope Gregory XVI formally recognized the order in 1860.
Lamoignon, aged 61 years, died in March 4, 1825, as she grasped a crucifix.
Holy Mother Church has formally recognized Lamoignon. Pope John Paul II declared her a Venerable in 1986. Pope Benedict XVI made her a beatus in 2012.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 19, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIXTUS III, BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF BLAISE PASCAL, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC SCIENTIST, MATHEMATICIAN, AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF GEERT GROOTE, FOUNDER OF THE BRETHREN OF THE COMMON LIFE
THE FEAST OF IGNAZ FRANZ, GERMAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMNAL EDITOR
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MAGNUS AND AGRICOLA OF AVIGNON, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF AVIGNON
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM HAMMOND, ENGLISH MORAVIAN HYMN WRITER
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Lord God, your Son came among us to serve and not to be served,
and to give his life for the world.
Lead us by his love to serve all those to whom
the world offers no comfort and little help.
Through us give hope to the hopeless,
love to the unloved,
and rest to the weary;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hosea 2:18-23
Psalm 94:1-14
Romans 12:9-21
Luke 6:20-36
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 37
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Above: The Flag of Denmark
Image in the Public Domain
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CHRISTOPH ERNST FRIEDRICH WEYSE (MARCH 5, 1774-OCTOBER 8, 1842)
Danish Lutheran Organist and Composer
Christoph Ernst Friedrich Weyse comes to this, A Great Cloud of Witnesses: A Great Cloud of Witnesses, via the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), Lutheran Worship (1982), and Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006).
Above: A Map of Schleswig-Holstein (1905)
Image in the Public Domain
Altona is near Hamburg, in the south.
Weyse was a musical prodigy. He, born in Altona, Schleswig-Holstein, Denmark (now Germany), on March 5, 1774, was a son of an herb peddler who doubled as a captain in the militia. Our saint’s mother was a pianist. Weyse’s father died when our saint was seven years old. The mother eventually remarried. Weyse received his first musical lessons from his maternal grandfather, C. B. Hauser, a violinist. Our saint started piano lessons in 1782 and began composing two years later.
Weyse grew up. His stepfather wanted him to choose a practical profession–being a merchant. The young man, therefore, became an apprentice to a merchant. After eight days, however, that merchant terminated the apprenticeship and pronounced Weyse to be useless. OUr saint was free to pursue his vocation. The Mayor of Altona arranged for the young man to live with and study under Johann A. P. Schulz (1747-1800) in Copenhagen (1790-1793). Schulz gave Weyse violin and organ lessons and introduced him to the royal court. There, the young man performed his original compositions. Weyse also blossomed into a capable concert pianist. Yet he chose to cease in that capacity in 1802, after suffering a stroke the previous year. Our saint never fully recovered from that stroke, which also created a hiatus in his composing.
Above: Christoph E. F. Weyse
A portrait by Christian Albrecht Jensen
Image in the Public Domain
Weyse earned his living as a professor, a composer, and a church organist. he was the deputy organist (1792-1794) then the principal organist (1794-1805) at the Reformed Church in Copenhagen. His next job was as organist at Roskilde Cathedral, Roskilde (1805-death). Overlapping appointments included a professorship at The University of Copenhagen (1816f) and the royal court composer (1819f). Compositions included symphonies, works for piano, cantatas, hymn tunes, and folk songs.
I refer you, O reader, to YouTube for recordings of many of these compositions.
Above: Roskilde Cathedral
Image Source = Google Earth
Weyse was a Grundtvigian Lutheran–a “Happy Dane.” He, of the school of Bishop Nikolai Grundtvig (1793-1872), enjoyed “worldly amusements” that Pietistic Danish Lutherans (“Sad Danes”) condemned as sinful. These alleged occasions of sin included the theater and folk dancing. Our saint, a lifelong bachelor, was also a “foodie” and a bookworm. He collected a large library and read widely. Topics that interested him included theology, geography, astronomy, mathematics, history, and linguistics. Our saint read in English, French, Latin, and German, beside Danish, of course. Weyse’s Grundtvigian sympathies were evident in an original hymn tune, DEN SIGNEDE DAG, written in 1826 for a text Bishop Grundtvig had composed. The hymn tune, with its Romantic style, was thoroughly Grundtvigian.
Weyse remained an excellent musician until the end of his life. In 1841, Franz Liszt (1811-1886) visited Copenhagen. Our saint impressed him by improvising a five-voice double fugue that lasted for half an hour.
Weyse, who received an honorary doctorate from The University of Copenhagen in 1842, died on October 8 that year. He was 68 years old.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 18, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ARTEMISIA BOWDEN, AFRICAN-AMERICAN EDUCATOR AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST
THE FEAST OF ERDMANN NEUMEISTER, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF FRANCIS JOHN MCCONNELL, U.S. METHODIST BISHOP AND SOCIAL REFORMER
THE FEAST OF JONATHAN FRIEDRICH BAHNMAIER, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF PETTER DASS, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN MINISTER, POET, AND HYMN WRITER
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Eternal God, light of the world and Creator of all that is good and lovely:
We bless your name for inspiring Christoph Ernst Friedrich Weyse
and all those who with music have filled us with desire and love for you;
through Jesus Christ our Savior,
who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Chronicles 29:14b-19
Psalm 90:14-17
2 Corinthians 3:1-3
John 21:15-17
–Adapted from Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), 728
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Above: The Flag of England
Image in the Public Domain
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EDWARD DEARLE (MARCH 2, 1806-MARCH 20, 1891)
Anglican Organist and Composer
Edward Dearle comes to this, A Great Cloud of Witnesses: An Ecumenical Calendar of Saints’ Days and Holy Days, via two hymnals and their companion volumes. The first hymnal, in chronological order, is The Hymnal 1940 (1943), of The Episcopal Church. The second volume is The Methodist Hymnal/The Book of Hymns (1966), of The Methodist Church then The United Methodist Church.
Our saint, son of John Dearle and Harriet Harrison Dearle, entered the world at Cambridge, England, on March 2, 1806. He, a chorister at St. John’s College, Cambridge, earned the Bachelor of Music degree from there in 1836. Six years later, Dearle earned the Doctor of Music degree from Cambridge, too.
A career in church music followed. Dearle served as the organist at St. Paul’s, Deptford (1827-1830); Blackheath, Wisbeach (1830-1832); and St. Mary’s, Warwick (1832-1833). Then, until 1864, our saint served as the organist of St. Mary Magdalene Church and as the master of the song school, Newark-upon-Trent. He moved to Camberwell, London, in 1864. Eleven years later, Dearle helped to found Trinity Church, London.
Dearle composed oratorios, anthems, and service music. Services included Evening Service in A, Evening Service in G Minor, and Morning Service in C. Israel in Egypt was one of his oratorios. Our saint won the Gresham Prize for his anthem, Turn Thee Again, in 1837. A hymn tune, PENITENTIA, composed for Samuel John Stone‘s text, “Weary of Earth, and Laden with My Sin,” debuted in Church Hymns with Tunes (1874), edited by Arthur Sullivan.
The Hymnal 1940 (1943) and The Methodist Hymnal/The Book of Hymns (1966) pair PENITENTIA with “Here, O My Lord, I See Thee,” by Horatius Bonar.
Our saint, husband of Catherine (Mullins) Dearle (1817-1880) and father of eleven children, died in Camberwell, London, on March 20, 1891. He was 85 years old.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 29, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MARY, MARTHA, AND LAZARUS OF BETHANY, FRIENDS OF JESUS
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Holy God, whose majesty surpasses all human definitions and capacity to grasp,
thank you for those (especially Edward Dearle)
who have nurtured and encouraged the reverent worship of you.
May their work inspire us to worship you in knowledge, truth, and beauty.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
1 Chronicles 25:1-8
Psalm 145
Revelation 15:1-4
John 4:19-26
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 27, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JAMES INTERCISUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
THE FEAST OF HENRY SLOANE COFFIN, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGIAN
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Above: The Flag of England
Image in the Public Domain
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HENRY JOHN GAUNTLETT (JULY 9, 1805-FEBRUARY 21, 1876)
Anglican Organist and Composer
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His literary attainments, his knowledge of the history of music, his acquaintance with acoustical laws, his marvelous memory, his philosophical turn of mind, as well as his practical experience, rendered him one of the most remarkable professors of the age.
–Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847), on Henry John Gauntlett; quoted in Armin Haeussler, The Story of Our Hymns: The Handbook to the Hymnal of the Evangelical and Reformed Church (1952), 667
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Henry John Gauntlett comes to this, A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES: AN ECUMENICAL CALENDAR OF SAINTS’ DAYS AND HOLY DAYS, via The Hymnal (1941), of the old Evangelical and Reformed Church.
You, O reader, may not recognize the name of this saint. Yet, if you listen to the Festival of Lessons and Carols from England each Christmas Eve, you know one of his compositions–the tune to “Once in Royal David’s City.”
Our saint, born in Wellington, Shropshire, England, on July 9, 1805, came from a musical family. His father, Henry Gauntlett, was the Vicar of Olney, Buckinghamshire. At times, the elder Gauntlett doubled and tripled as the organist and choirmaster, too. The father became the son’s first teacher of music. At age nine, the younger Gauntlett began to serve as the organist in his father’s church. Our saint also served as the choirmaster (1819-1825). He continued to play the organ while studying and practicing law (1826-1842).
Gauntlett left the practice of law to devote his life to music. He was the organist and choirmaster of:
- St. Olave’s Church, Southwark
- Christ Church, Newgate Street;
- Union Chapel, Islington;
- All Saints, Kensington Park; and
- Church of St. Bartholomew the Less, Smithfield.
Gauntlett participated in the production of hymnals, psalters, and related works, including:
- Hymnal for Matins and Evensong (1844);
- Cantus Melodici (1845);
- The Comprehensive Tune-Book (1846-1847);
- The Hallelujah: or, Devotional Psalmody (1848-1866)
- The Church Hymnal and Tune-Book (1852, 1855), with William John Blew (1808-1894);
- The Choral Use of the Book of Common Prayer (1854);
- Carlyle’s Manual of Psalmody (1861);
- The Congregational Psalmist: A Companion to All the New Hymn-Books, Providing Tunes, Chants, and Chorales, for the Metrical Hymns and Passages of Scripture Contained in Those Books (1861);
- One Hundred and Fifty-Six Questions on the Art of Music-Making and the Science of Music (1864);
- Tunes, Old and New (1868); and
- Pohlmann’s National Psalmody, or New Supplement to Houldworth’s Cheetham’s Psalmody, for Home and Congregational Use (1879, posthumously).
Gauntlett’s compositions included organ music, songs, and thousands of hymn tunes.
In 1853, Archbishop of Canterbury William Howley conferred an honorary doctorate of music upon our saint. No Archbishop of Canterbury had conferred such a degree in nearly 200 years.
Gauntlett, aged 70 years, died in Kensington, London, on February 21, 1876.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 20, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF F. BLAND TUCKER, EPISCOPAL PRIEST AND HYMNODIST; “THE DEAN OF AMERICAN HYMN WRITERS”
THE FEAST OF HENRY FRANCIS LYTE, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF PRISCILLA LYDIA SELLON, A RESTORER OF RELIGIOUS LIFE IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
THE FEAST OF RICHARD WATSON GILDER, U.S. POST, JOURNALIST, AND SOCIAL REFORMER
THE FEAST OF THEODORE CLAUDIUS PEASE, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
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Holy God, whose majesty surpasses all human definitions and capacity to grasp,
thank you for those (especially Henry John Gauntlett)
who have nurtured and encouraged the reverent worship of you.
May their work inspire us to worship you in knowledge, truth, and beauty.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
1 Chronicles 25:1-8
Psalm 145
Revelation 15:1-4
John 4:19-26
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 27, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JAMES INTERCISUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
THE FEAST OF HENRY SLOANE COFFIN, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGIAN
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Above: The Flag of Saxe-Weimer-Eisenach
Image in the Public Domain
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JOHANNES DANIEL FALK (OCTOBER 28, 1768-FEBRUARY 14, 1826)
German Poet, Hymn Writer, and Social Worker
Also known as Johann Daniel Falk
Johannes Daniel Falk comes to this, A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES: AN ECUMENICAL CALENDAR OF SAINTS’ DAYS AND HOLY DAYS, via The Hymnal (1941), of the old Evangelical and Reformed Church.
Falk, born in Danzig, Kingdom of Poland, on October 28, 1768, came from an impoverished family in which education was not a priority. His father, a wig-maker, wanted our saint to make wigs, not to attend school. Therefore, young Johannes’s early education was inconsistent. He, pulled out of school as a boy, wanted to study at night. The father refused to permit this. Therefore, young Johannes stood under a street light at night–even in cold weather–and read books. The more the father interfered with our saint’s education, the more young Johannes valued education. Our saint, desperate, even ran away from home.
Finally, the father relented. Falk, able to attend school consistently, starting at age sixteen, attended one school for six years. Then he studied literature and theology at the University of Halle for three more years, through 1793.
Falk made his life in Weimar, starting in 1793. Thirteen years later, he became the counselor to the legation at the ducal court in the capital of the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. These were the times of the Napoleonic Wars. Orphaned, homeless children and youth lived on the streets in the city. And, in 1813, four of Falk’s six children died of a typhoid fever during an epidemic.
Falk’s faith, influenced by his mother’s Moravian Church influence, renewed. He decided upon a strategy to help street children in Weimar. Falk convinced his friends to take street children into their homes. The former street children gathered at Falk’s home for Sunday school each week. He also helped the boys and girls become productive members of society, according to social conventions. Some boys learned a trade; others attended a university. Girls became domestic servants. Our saint’s program developed into the Falk’sche Institute and became a model for similar work in other German cities.
Falk also wrote. He composed satires, novels, and poems. One of his more noteworthy works was Prometheus, a dramatic poem. Das Vater Unser (1822) was a collection of his Sunday school talks. Falk wrote hymns, too. His most popular hymn was Allerdreifeier, translated into English as “O Thou Joyful, O Thou Wonderful,” a Christmas text.
Falk, aged fity-seven years, died in Weimar on February 14, 1826.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 16, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARGARET OF SCOTLAND, QUEEN, HUMANITARIAN, AND ECCLESIASTICAL REFORMER
THE FEAST OF SAINT GIUSEPPE MOSCATI, ITALIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PHYSICIAN
THE FEAST OF IGNACIO ELLACURIA AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS IN EL SALVADOR, NOVEMBER 15, 1989
THE FEAST OF THE JESUIT MARTYRS OF PARAGUAY, 1628
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Lord God, your Son came among us to serve and not to be served,
and to give his life for the world.
Lead us by his love to serve all those
to whom the world offers no comfort and little help.
Through us give hope to the hopeless,
love to the unloved,
peace to the troubled,
and rest to the weary;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Psalm 46
1 Corinthians 3:11-23
Mark 10:35-45
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 37
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SUNDRY THOUGHTS 
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