Joseph Gelineau

Joseph Gelineau, born on October 31, 1920, in Champ-sur-Layon, France, was a French composer and priest of the Society of Jesus. He joined the Jesuits in 1941 and dedicated his life to liturgical music, composing numerous hymns for Catholic services. Gelineau studied theology at the Jesuit theologate of Fourvière in Lyon and musical composition at César Franck School in Paris. His reworking of the Jerusalem Bible Psalter with Raymond-Jacques Tournay and Raymond Schwab led to the publication of Psautier de la Bible de Jérusalem and the recording Psaumes, which won the Charles Cros Academy Prize in 1953. He played a significant role during Vatican II as a liturgical consultant and was part of the translation committee for the Jerusalem Bible. Gelineau's compositions are widely used in churches and monasteries worldwide. Gelineau passed away on August 8, 2008.