Mary the Dawn

Mary the Dawn, Christ the Perfect Day

Mary the Dawn was first published in 1949 under the pen name 'Paul Cross', believed to be a pseudonym for Fr. Justin Mulcahy, C.P. (1894-1981). A Passionist Priest from the St. Paul of the Cross Province, he studied at the Pius X School of Liturgical Music in New York and eventually earned a degree in Church Music from the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, Vatican. The haunting melody of Mary the Dawn is an adaptation of Gregorian Mode IV. In some hymnals, the text is attributed to 'Anonymous', while others show the author as Paul Cross.  In the Liturgy of the Hours it is used in the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary and on the Feast of the Assumption. The 1st video below features a choral version conducted by Richard Proulx from the album, Marian Classics. The 2nd video features a contemporary interpretation by the Daughters of St. Paul from their album, Stella Maris.