The other famous Loreto Sister songwriter from Australia is Deirdre Browne and a song attributed to her, “Gift of Peace” was taken from the collection Throw Open Your Hearts for the Praise to God parish hymn book.
This song is so far out of print it seemed to leave almost no trace on the world.
I found a reference to the original record from 1967 at Discogs.
I found this song from the album to give you an idea of their sound:
I found this uncredited backing:
I made my own backing:
Refrain
His peace he gives to us, his peace he gives to us,
Not for us alone, but that we might give it again to everyone.
1 All who look for God in the depths of their hearts
Will find a hidden quiet, that nothing can disturb or take away.
2 All who see their lives as an open door,
Through which all come and go to love and give again, will know true peace.
3 All whose joy it is to discover the world,
And meet the eyes of God in the beauty that is his, will sing of peace.
4 All who know that God has prepared them a home,
For all eternity to rejoice and to be free, will have true peace.
The text might appear dated but I find it congenial. One problem is that the Dominican Fathers have altered the words in some way, but I found the lyrics to the chorus on Facebook that went:
‘His peace he gives to us, His peace he leaves with us,
Not for us alone but that we might give it again to all men.
and elsewhere:
The man who looks for God in the depth of his heart…
… so maybe they just tidied up the unnecessary maleness.
Then to add to the weirdness and obscurity, I found this song attributed to Sister Germaine Habjan. I also found an old article in The Catholic Transcript, Volume LXXIII, Number 11, 3 July 1970, page 8, alluding to Sister Germaine’s song.
I did check at Godsongs earlier and found nothing but with all this extra information I found Mary’s post on this song and sheet music.
Apart from thanking the Dominican Fathers for dropping the key from G to E, the mystery remains, which nun wrote the song. The sheet music in PTG says by permission of Allan’s Music Australia, so I assume they claimed copyright. Looking back at the Discogs information for the Loreto sisters 1967 record, this song is attributed to the Glenmary Sisters, which is Germaine Habjan’s convent. My best guess is that the error was made by the editor of PTG when transcribing the music and the song is by Sister Habjan.
Interesting! I wonder if Deirdre Brown and Germaine Habjan maybe met in the late 1960s and collaborated? Maybe one wrote the words and one the tune? the listing on Discogs credits “music by …”
That said, it doesn’t sound like Deirdre was in the USA in the 1960s. (https://melbournecatholic.org/news/sr-deirdre-browne-a-fulfilling-life-of-faith-and-music). Was Australia a destination for idealistic young American sisters from new religious orders at the time? Or maybe there was some common point???
(I’m thinking about how Irene O’Connor met sisters from all over the world in Singapore in the late 1960s: her biggest hit overall is , “Love it was that made us” which isn’t that well known in Australia, from what I can see.)
Or it might have been a typo: I’d say that Alleluia Amen! (edited by a university-based women) was more probably carefully edited than PTG.
Perhaps PTG mis-credited it to Sr Deirdre Browne simply because it was included on the Loreto album Throw Open Your Hearts, as you mentioned at the top of your post.
I guess the only way to know for sure would be to email Sr Deirdre Browne herself and ask if she wrote it!