HOLY HOLY HOLY, LORD GOD ALMIGHITY
(Bishop Reginald Heber)
Brief History about the Song:
During the year 1819 in a City called Hornet, the day before the “Day of the Pentecost” on a Saturday Bishop Reginald Heber was asked to write a Song by the priest of the local St.Asaph church. The priest of that church was Bishop Reginald Heber’s own father in law. At once Bishop Heber went to one side of the room and wrote the song in few hours and the song was sung during the next day service at the very first time. Today this song is sung by Christians all over the world. This song has been translated to various languages and is found in almost all Christian song books today.
His Life:
Bishop Heber was born at Malpas in Cheshire. His father, who belonged to an old Yorkshire family, held half the living of Malpas.Till he was 7 years old he was taught by his father, and till his 17 years of age he grew up and learned in his village. November 1800 entered Brasenose College, Oxford, where he proved a distinguished student, carrying off prizes for a Latin poem entitled Carmen seculare, an English poem on Palestine, and a prose essay on The Sense of Honour.
In November 1804, he was elected a fellow of All Souls'. After completing his university career, he went on a long tour of Europe Having taken holy orders in 1807; he took up the family living of Hodnet in Shropshire. In 1809 he married Amelia Shipley, daughter of the Dean of St Asaph. He was made prebendary of St Asaph in 1812, appointed Bampton lecturer for 1815, preacher at Lincoln's Inn in 1822, and Bishop of Calcutta in January 1823. Before sailing for India he received the degree of D.D. from the University of Oxford.
He had a dream he would go across India and would spread the gospel he toured various places in North India and from Calcutta he went to Srilanka and he me back to Calcutta. The next year he visited Madras and traveled to Cuddalore, Tanjore, and at last reached Trichy. On 1826 April 3rd he took the confirmation service in the Trichy Fort and during baptism he collapsed in the baptism room itself and breathed his last breath. The alter which he gave the last sermon is still preserved even today.
The BISHOP HEBER COLLEGE in Trichy was started in his remembrance; it got its Autonomous status and was nationally reaccredited with A + grade by NAAC.
Best Regards,
Daniel Dawson.
1 comment:
The write up on Bishop Reginald Heber is good. However, there are some particulars which are not accurate. Bishop Heber drowned and died in a swimming pool. His grave is in St. John's Church, Trichy Cantonment. The Swimming pool in which he got drowned was in the present District Court Campus. You can check up these details with St. John's Church and the Trichy Tanjore Diocese. Thank you. John Daniel
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