In “The Power of Silence” by Cardinal Robert Sarah, silent music is defined as “the notes produced by the harp of our heart when it is consumed with love.” But the first Christmas night was likely not silent. References in the second chapter of Luke’s Gospel describe the praising of God by angels and shepherds, presumably in song. As such, this was likely the first Christmas music, but the magic and holiness of the season continue to inspire composers. A particular favorite of many is “Silent Night,” with words by Father Joseph Mohr and music by Franz Gruber.
Neither of these two men made a lasting impression in music beyond this collaboration. Father Mohr (1792-1848) was ordained not long before writing the six-stanza poem in 1816 that subsequently became “Silent Night.” Gruber (1787-1863), like so many with a keyboard background, worked a second gig as a church musician to supplement his income.
Their collaboration originates from 1818 in Oberndorf, Austria, when Father Mohr asked Gruber to set his poem to music. The church’s organ was unplayable for reasons that are difficult to separate fact from fiction (mice, rust, etc.). At any rate, the instrument was unusable for Christmas Eve Mass and thus the world premiere of “Silent Night (Stille Nacht)” occurred with the priest and Gruber, who accompanied on guitar, at St. Nicholas Church.
The well-known version in America varies slightly from the original melody but would be recognizable. The music is set as a “siciliana,” a slower piece in compound meter featuring dotted rhythms frequently used for a pastoral scene, appropriate for this work. The lyrics used in contemporary churches stem from a translation by the Episcopalian John F. Young and have since been translated into hundreds of languages, even Klingon!
The original St. Nicholas Church is no longer in existence, but a small chapel now stands to commemorate this beloved carol’s unassuming history. A replica of the chapel can be found in, of all places, Bonner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan.
Deacon Matthew Newsome, campus minister at Western Carolina University and deacon at St. Mary, Mother of God Parish in Sylva says of the hymn: “There is something in the human heart that wants to elevate our speech when we communicate with God by putting it to music. In a homily on the psalms, St. Augustine wrote that ‘it belongs to the lover to sing.’ Because of Father Mohr’s desire that his words of love for God be put to music, we have this beautiful hymn today that continues to give expression to the love of our own hearts.”
— Christina L. Reitz, Ph.D.
Pope Leo XIV is the first pope from the Order of St. Augustine, also known as the Augustinians, an ancient religious order with thousands of members worldwide.
The Order of St. Augustine came together nearly 800 years ago, first composed of a union of many religious communities that were using the Rule of St. Augustine, a document written in the fourth century that continues to be highly influential among Catholic orders today.
St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430)
St. Augustine was an early Catholic bishop, theologian and doctor of the Church whose ideas and writings shaped Catholic doctrine for over a millennium.
As documented in his autobiographical work, “Confessions,” Augustine was brought up Christian but later abandoned the faith for a life of worldly pleasure and revelry, while at the same time becoming a philosopher and rhetorician.
After years following the Manichaean heresy (which believes the world is in a struggle between dark and light), Augustine met St. Ambrose, a bishop and fellow doctor of the Church, who inspired Augustine to seek the truth in the Christian faith he had rejected. Augustine returned to his Catholic faith, fulfilling many years of fervent prayer by his mother, St. Monica.
After returning to Africa, Augustine was proclaimed priest and then bishop against his will. He accepted it as the will of God and spent the rest of his life as pastor of the North African town.
The order forms
As bishop, Augustine led a monastic community life with his clergy. Vows were not obligatory, but the possession of private property was prohibited, the Catholic Encyclopedia reports.
Many sought to copy his way of life, and Augustine wrote instructions during his lifetime to guide monastic communities. The Lateran Synod in 1059 approved Augustine’s rule, which emphasizes love for God and neighbor, stresses the importance of communal living and prioritizes humility. Pope Innocent IV in 1244 united all the communities in Italy using the rule, thus forming the Hermits of St. Augustine, a mendicant order (meaning they take a vow of poverty and rely on the support of the faithful).
The Order of St. Augustine today includes 2,800 Augustinians in 47 countries throughout the world.
An Augustinian pope
The future Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost, attended an Augustinian seminary high school near Holland, Michigan. He later earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Villanova University, which is sponsored by the Augustinians and located in Pennsylvania.
He made his solemn vows as an Augustinian in 1981 and was ordained to the priesthood in June 1982 after studying theology at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago.
After being ordained, he earned a doctorate in canon law from Rome’s Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in 1987.
Prevost returned to Chicago for a short time in 1987, serving as pastor for vocations and director of missions for the Midwest Augustinians. He was then sent to Peru, where he served the Augustinians in various capacities including as a regional ecclesiastical judge and teacher of canon law in the diocesan seminary for Trujillo, Peru, for 10 years.
After being elected the head of the Augustinian Province of Chicago, Prevost returned to the U.S. in 1999. He was elected prior general of the Augustinians in 2001 and then re-elected in 2007, serving as head of the order until 2013.
— Jonah McKeown, Catholic News Agency