The composers of Silent Night include Fr. Joseph Mohr, who wrote the lyrics, and Franz Gruber who set it to music.

Image of Silent Night sky provided by www.freeimages.co.uk

But do you know the history of this special Christmas carol?

On December 11, 1792 Joseph Mohr was born to a humble peasant woman in Salzburg, Austria. Her husband had gone off to be a musketeer and left her alone and in poverty.

Joseph was cared for by his mother, and elderly grandmother. The choirmaster at the cathedral became sort of a foster father, and made sure that he received a good education which included studies in music.

In 1815 Joseph Mohr was ordained into the priesthood. He had attended a seminary in Salzburg, Austria. His first assignment as a local Roman Catholic priest was in a small parish in an Alpine village. While there he wrote a Christmas Poem entitled, "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht" which means, "Silent Night, Holy Night."

He sat on the poem for a long time, and it was kept for his own enjoyment untile he was assigned to St. Nicholas Parish in Oberndorf.St. Nicholas Parish how appropriate, because there he met church organist, Franz Gruber. He asked her to set his Christmas poem to music, and he shared this song with his parish to sing at Christmas Eve Midnight Mass. And this is the history of the most famous, and beloved Christmas song the world has ever known.

So share your talents with the world. Just don't keep them to yourself!

Information from

and The Little Blue Book-Advent and Christmas Seasons 2006-2007, Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, Saginaw, MI, 2006