Celebrating 200 Years of Silent Night

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the beloved Christmas carol, Silent Night. This cherished song has close ties to the Episcopal Diocese of Florida as it was translated by Bishop John Freeman Young, the second Bishop of Florida. In 1859, the Rev. Young published a 16-page pamphlet titled Carols for Christmas Tide. The first of the seven carols in this pamphlet was his definitive English translation of the great Lower Austrian hymn Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! under the title Silent Night, Holy Night.

To celebrate this treasured carol, the Diocese of Florida invites you to attend a special gathering at Bishop Young's grave on Wednesday, December 19 at 5:00pm in the Old City Cemetery (located on E. Union Street in Downtown Jacksonville). The Rev. Canon Douglas Dupree will give a brief history on Bishop John Freeman Young and musicians from Saint John's Cathedral will lead us in singing Christmas carols. The event is free, but registration is required.