Father of mercy, God of consolation

Father of mercy, God of consolation. James Quinn* (1919-2010). This compassionate hymn has found acceptance in several countries, though never widely. In the USA it was in Worship, 3rd Edition (Chicago: GIA, 1986), edited by Robert Batastini*; in Britain it was in NEH (1986); in Australia in TIS (1999); and in Canada in the Catholic Book of Worship III (Ottawa, 1994), of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. It had four unrhymed stanzas in the metre 11.11.11.5. It is described as especially suitable for the laying on of hands or the anointing of the sick, which is how it is described in NEH. It addresses human weakness (stanza 1), a downcast spirit (stanza 2), spiritual and physical...