Mitzi's Silent Night

This is a Christmas picture book for reading with young children. In 1816, in Austria, when Europe was finally at peace after the Napoleonic wars, Father Joseph Mohr wrote the poem known as 'Silent Night'. Just before Christmas in 1818, the organ at St Nicholas Church in Oberndorf was broken. Father Joseph remembered his poem and asked his friend Franz Gruber to set the poem to music. Franz was the school master and the church organist, but Joseph wanted Franz to write a simple tune that could be played on the guitar as Joseph would then be able to play the carol himself. On Christmas Eve Joseph performed the carol 'Silent Night' for the first time. The organ repair man heard the carol and took it to his village. It was not long before the carol became famous throughout the world, translated into many different languages. This book tells the story through the eyes of Mitzi the moggy who herself finds peace and reconciliation in time for Christmas. Following an encounter between Mitzi and a hungry stray cat, the kind Father Joseph takes him into his home, bringing him in out of the cold. Joseph names the stray cat Fritzle. Mitzi allows Fritzle to sleep on her rug in front of the fire and eventually they are both content to share the rug in friendship.

Royalties from the sale of this book will be donated to CAFOD (Catholic Agency For Overseas Development).