A Jesuit’s Hymn to Our Beautiful Mother

Beauty: devotional hymn of the 19th century

The composer of this beautiful hymn was a Belgian Jesuit, Louis Lambillotte, SJ (1796-1855), who is also credited with the restoration of Gregorian chant in the 19^th century. This industrious priest visited virtually every country of Europe to rifle through secular and monastic libraries in an effort to find the earliest manuscripts of Gregorian chant and return the genre to its roots and purity.

He also composed an incredible amount of his own music: choral music, cantatas, canticles, motets, oratorios, and orchestral pieces.

Yet, even with all the good he did in these endeavors, this humble Jesuit will be more remembered for his hymn to the Blessed Virgin which has come down to us under the English title, “On This Day, O Beautiful Mother”.

Many of us from a certain generation may remember this sweet blessing from our childhood, when the churches were more devotional.

It’s a real gem!

Men’s and Women’s Choir | St. Francis de Sales Church | Ajax, Ontario, Canada (4:15)