Today our education is so poor that we aren’t as familiar with our ancestors’ history as we should be. One thing that isn’t taught is the degree to which the various European nations suffered. In many cases, persecutions came from the outside: the Muslims had frequently conquered large portions of Europe. Slavery was common. For seven consecutive centuries the Spaniards and Portuguese suffered under Muslim control and slavery. The word “slave” is derived from the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe. They were so frequently enslaved by the Muslims that the term came to be associated with them. It’s not often that you hear that white people suffered slavery as much as any other nation.
But worse than being invaded and conquered from the outside is being persecuted by your own blood. This, too, was common; and every European nation suffered slavery at some period in history. In Britain and Ireland it was finally abolished — by demand of the Church — in the 12th century.
Still, the European peoples lived in the crucible of wars and internal persecutions for much of history. For the latter, Fr. Frederick Faber wrote this hymn and dedicated it to all the English and Irish martyrs, and in particular for those who suffered so much after King Henry VIII completely lost his mind. It seems that all throughout history there is always some goon that’s eager to persecute the Church. BUT WE’RE STILL HERE!
The hymn, used with the tune Sawston, is very popular in England and Ireland as it rouses a great patriotic spirit; it used to be played before Irish sporting events back when they were still a Catholic country. In the Americas the tune used is typically St. Catherine. We don’t have much of a history of religious persecution in the US, but we better get prepared because it’s surely coming. I think the future holds that we’re going to suffer a sort of “dual persecution”. The first with the treasonous persecution from our own blood (the leaders and revolutionaries), and secondly by the invasion of the third world. We will have to draw on our ancestors’ strength to make it through, remembering that they, too, suffered much at times.
With the way things are going in our countries, we should probably memorize these lyrics pretty quickly.
Faith of Our Fathers
Tune: St. Catherine (Henri Hemy, 1864)
Text: Fr. Frederick William Faber (1849)Faith of our Fathers! living still
In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword:
Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene’er we hear that glorious word.Faith of our Fathers! Holy Faith!
We will be true to thee till death.Our Fathers, chained in prisons dark,
Were still in heart and conscience free:
How sweet would be their children’s fate,
If they, like them, could die for thee!Faith of our Fathers! Holy Faith!
We will be true to thee till death.Faith of our Fathers! Mary’s prayers
Shall win our country back to thee:
And through the truth that comes from God
Our land shall then indeed be free.Faith of our Fathers! Holy Faith!
We will be true to thee till death.Faith of our Fathers! we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife:
And preach thee too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life:Faith of our Fathers! Holy Faith!
We will be true to thee till death.