Mother of Christ

Star of the Sea, Our Beacon in Distress 

Mother of Christ was written by the Scottish Jesuit priest, theologian and hymnodist; Fr. James Quinn, S.J. (1919-2010). It was first published in 1969 as part of the collection: New Hymns for New Seasons. After Fr. Quinn lamented the fact that there were too few hymns in the vernacular to compliment the New Mass, his fellow priest in the Edinburgh parish where they served, challenged him to write some of his own. All total, Fr. Quinn would eventually write about 300 hymns, some of which have become standards. Mother of Christ is sung to the tune Farley Castle, written in 1638 by Henry Lawes (1596-1662) as a setting for Psalm 72. It can also be sung to the tune: Old 124th (see the following video). In the Liturgy of the Hours it is used for the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord and in the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary.


ALTERNATIVE TUNE: OLD 124TH