Suzanne toolan biography

Hymn

"I Am the Bread of Life" is a Christianhymn composed by Sr. Suzanne Toolan in 1966, based on the Bread of Life Discourse in John 6, and John 11.

History

Suzanne Toolan was born in Lansing, Michigan, on October 24, 1927. She joined the Sisters of Mercy in Burlingame, California, in 1950, where she taught chorale at Mercy High School.^[1] Toolan wrote the words to the hymn in 1964 during her time in between classes. Toolan claims to have discarded the original copy before being inspired by a student to keep it.^[2] She originally presented the hymn in its final form at a diocesan music educators' conference in 1966.^[1] The popularity of the hymn coincided with the use of vernacular languages following the Second Vatican Council.^[2]

Along with its use in the Worship hymnal for the Catholic Church, the hymn also appears in the Episcopal Church'sThe Hymnal 1982 and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Evangelical Lutheran Worship.^[3]

References

By Liz Dossa

In honor of Sister Suzanne Toolan’s approaching 94^th birthday and the 55 years since she composed the seminal hymn, “I Am the Bread of Life,” Mercy is publishing a reflection she wrote recently on the piece’s composition and reception, along with the following introduction, to set the context.

Sister Suzanne Toolan published “I Am the Bread of Life” in 1966, soon after Vatican II shifted the celebration of Mass and singing of hymns from Latin to the vernacular. The change from a liturgy in Latin was huge. As a choral director and liturgist, Suzanne knew congregations needed encouragement to sing. She intended to write a memorable piece with a refrain—although, as she now says of the composition, “It’s difficult to sing.”

Difficult or not, “I Am the Bread of Life” became wildly popular. The National Association of Pastoral Musicians founder, Father Virgil Funk, calls it “the most significant piece of music before Michael Joncas [the composer best known for “On Eagle’s Wings”]. It became the most sung piece of music of the time.”

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