Religious Figure. Phillips Brooks received notoriety for writing the lyrics of the Christmas carol, "O Little Town of Bethlehem," which has been a long-time favorite into the 21st century. He has been called "the greatest American preacher of the 19th Century." He attended the Boston Latin School at Harvard University, where Phillips Brooks House was named in honor of him, and the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. He became an Episcopal priest on July 1, 1860, and became Rector of the Church of the Advent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born into a wealthy family, three of his five brothers also became Episcopal priests. During the American Civil War, he was known for his support of freeing the slaves and later allowing former slaves to vote. His sermons on the subject, especially President Abraham Lincoln's assassination, received national attention. Collections of his sermons have been published in several volumes. In 1869, he became Rector of Trinity Church in Boston. In 1872, he helped design the Trinity Church building, which today stands in Boston's Back Bay. On October 14, 1891, he became the Episcopal Bishop of Massachusetts, but died 15 months later. Brooks wrote about his horseback journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, where he assisted with the midnight service on Christmas Eve of 1865: "I remember standing in the old church in Bethlehem, close to the spot where Jesus was born, when the whole church was ringing hour after hour with splendid hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I could hear voices I knew well, telling each other of the Wonderful Night of the Savior's birth." He never married. He received a Doctorate Degree in Divinity from Oxford University in England, delivering a sermon at Westminister Abbey, and another in Queen's Victoria's chapel.
Religious Figure. Phillips Brooks received notoriety for writing the lyrics of the Christmas carol, "O Little Town of Bethlehem," which has been a long-time favorite into the 21st century. He has been called "the greatest American preacher of the 19th Century." He attended the Boston Latin School at Harvard University, where Phillips Brooks House was named in honor of him, and the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. He became an Episcopal priest on July 1, 1860, and became Rector of the Church of the Advent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born into a wealthy family, three of his five brothers also became Episcopal priests. During the American Civil War, he was known for his support of freeing the slaves and later allowing former slaves to vote. His sermons on the subject, especially President Abraham Lincoln's assassination, received national attention. Collections of his sermons have been published in several volumes. In 1869, he became Rector of Trinity Church in Boston. In 1872, he helped design the Trinity Church building, which today stands in Boston's Back Bay. On October 14, 1891, he became the Episcopal Bishop of Massachusetts, but died 15 months later. Brooks wrote about his horseback journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, where he assisted with the midnight service on Christmas Eve of 1865: "I remember standing in the old church in Bethlehem, close to the spot where Jesus was born, when the whole church was ringing hour after hour with splendid hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I could hear voices I knew well, telling each other of the Wonderful Night of the Savior's birth." He never married. He received a Doctorate Degree in Divinity from Oxford University in England, delivering a sermon at Westminister Abbey, and another in Queen's Victoria's chapel.
Bio by: Sue Modolo
Inscription
Phillips Brooks
Dec 13, 1835 - Jan 23, 1893
Rector of the Church of the
Advent, Philadelphia
1859 - 1862
Rector of the Church of the
Holy Trinity, Philadelphia
1862 - 1869
Rector of the Trinity Church
Boston 1869 - 1891
Bishop of the Diocese of Mass.
1891 - 1893
Family Members
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Records on Ancestry
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