Top Catholic Songs

I recently completed a new hymn text based on the Advent Mass of The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Although the Feast of the Visitation is celebrated on May 31, the Gospel is also proclaimed on the Fourth Sunday of Advent in Year C. The text draws directly from the Mass formulary, including the readings, antiphons, prayers, and preface. Themes of Daughter Zion, the Incarnation, Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant, Elizabeth's greeting, John's leap of joy, and the Magnificat are woven together into a congregational hymn in 87.87 D meter.

The hymn may be sung to HYFRYDOL (Alleluia! Sing to Jesus) or HYMN TO JOY (Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee). I like HYMN TO JOY myself. 

I'd be interested in any comments or observations from fellow hymn writers and church musicians. 

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Title: Shout For Joy, O Daughter Zion!
Meter: 87.87 D

Verse 1
Shout for joy, O Daughter Zion! 
With your heart, exult be glad! 
See, the King of Israel triumphs,
In your midst, He takes His part! 
God has come to set us free now, 
Mighty Savior raised to save, 
Mary bears the fruit of blessing, 
Hasting through the hills so brave.   

Verse 2
Mary enters house and dwelling, 
Where her greeting voice is heard; 
Ark of the New Covenant, who
Bears the saving Word of God. 
For the infant in the womb leaped, 
Leaped for joy at Mary's voice; 
Blessed is the Virgin Mother, 
Who believed and made her choice!   

Verse 3
"Now my soul proclaims His greatness, 
And my spirit shall rejoice, 
In the Lord, my God and Savior," 
Sings the Virgin with her voice. 
He has looked upon his handmaid, 
Thrown the rulers from their throne, 
Lifted up the low and humble, 
Filled the hungry as His own.   

Verse 4 (Doxology)
Praise to God, the Father Holy, 
Praise to Christ our Savior King, 
Praise the Holy Spirit pouring 
Gifts of joy that make us sing! 
God of Abraham our father, 
One true God whom we confess, 
Lives and reigns for endless ages, 
Whom all generations bless!

For those interested in the historical roots of Catholic devotional music, I wanted share a recent research project from Mother of Mercy Catholic Hymns that dives deep into our shared musical past.

The Parish Inheritance Project takes a look at how past generations gave voice to major solemnities. Focusing on the Feast of the Assumption, a survey of historical hymnals (1849–1964) revealed a distinct, enduring corpus of 20 classic hymns—including works by brilliant nineteenth-century translators and composers like Fr. Edward Caswall, Fr. Frederick Faber, and regional American collections.

These pieces reflect a time when doctrine, devotion, and rich choral/congregational music were beautifully intertwined. If you love exploring traditional Catholic hymnody, historical texts, and the stories behind sacred music, you can read the full overview and access the survey list here:
ttps://www.motherofmercycatholichymns.com/the-voice-of-the-assumption/

Would love to connect with other musicians here who have a passion for bringing historical sacred music back to light!

Over the past four years, I’ve been working through a large collection of historic Catholic hymnals to map the repertoire of hymns dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I’ve just published a preliminary analysis drawing on 1,300+ occurrences across more than 160 hymnals from the 19th and early 20th centuries, revealing a remarkably stable core repertoire that shaped parish devotion for generations and remains highly usable today. 

The study explores how this tradition developed across publishers, regions, and immigrant communities, and concludes with a rare archival audio collection from St. Mary’s in Akron (1982), where these very hymns—“O Sacred Heart, O Love Divine,” “To Jesus’ Heart All Burning,” and others—are heard alive in real parish practice decades later. I’ve also included two companion resources to help make this repertoire accessible for modern use.

If this is of interest, I invite you to read the full survey—I’d be very grateful for any feedback, especially from those working to revive this repertoire in parish or choral settings.

https://www.motherofmercycatholichymns.com/sacred-heart-hymns/