Story & Song
Press Release
December 16, 2019
Did you know that this most beloved and revered Christmas hymn has ties to Fernandina Beach? On Saturday, Dec. 21st at 4 pm, you’ll not only get to hear “Silent Night” performed on ukulele, but also by operatic soprano Robyn Marie Lamp. And you’ll learn about the man who translated “Silent Night” from the original Austrian hymn, Bishop John Freeman Young.
John Freeman Young’s first assignment after ordination in 1845 was St. John’s Church in Jacksonville, one of only two Episcopal clergy in the entire state. Young became the second Bishop of Florida in 1867, and is credited with expanding the church from 20 parishes or missions to 48 congregations until the time of his unexpected death from pneumonia in 1885 – including Fernandina’s own St. Peter’s Parish, constructed in 1881.
Bishop Young traveled extensively throughout the diocese on horseback, in buggies and cart, by steamer and sailboat, and sometimes on foot. Shortly after his consecration as Bishop, he purchased the former home of Confederate General Joseph Finegan in Fernandina, turning it into an exclusive girls’ school known as the Bishop’s School or St. Mary’s Priory.
The exact date that Bishop Young’s translation of “Silent Night” was published is still uncertain, but estimated to be around 1860. To this day, worshippers gather at Bishop Young’s grave in the Old City Cemetery in Jacksonville to pay tribute by singing “Silent Night.”
You’re invited to join us at Story & Song Bookstore Bistro on Dec. 21st at 4 pm for this moving tribute to Bishop John Freeman Young.