To Jesus Christ, Our Sovereign King

Praise and Homage Do We Bring

To Jesus Christ, Our Sovereign King was written in 1941 by Msgr. Martin B. Hellriegel (1890-1981). It is a response to the pretentious claims of Third Reich at the time, and a reminder for us that it must be Christ who Reigns in our lives. Fr. Hellreigel, who was born in Germany, came with his family to the United States as a child, and was ordained a Priest in 1914. In 1940 he was assigned to Our Lady of the Holy Cross Church in St. Louis, Missouri; which served a largely German-American community. In 1943 he built a new side altar to the Blessed Mother there which included on it's side a panel listing the names of all the young men from the Parish who fought in World War II. To Jesus Christ, Our Sovereign King is sung to the tune, Ich Glaub' an Gott, first published in 1870 as part of the Mainz Gesangbuch. In the Liturgy of the Hours it is used on the Solemnity of Christ the King.



TO JESUS CHRIST, OUR SOVEREIGN KING by Martin B. Hellriegel, 1941 (Public Domain)

1. To Jesus Christ, our Sov’reign King,
Who is the world’s salvation,
All praise and homage do we bring,
And thanks and adoration.

Refrain: Christ Jesus Victor,
              Christ Jesus Ruler!
              Christ Jesus, Lord and Redeemer!

2. Thy reign extend, O King benign,
To ev’ry land and nation,
For in Thy kingdom, Lord divine,
Alone we find salvation.

3. To Thee and to Thy Church, great King,
We pledge our hearts’ oblation,
Until before Thy throne we sing,
In endless jubilation.