We Praise Thee, O God

Julia Buckley Cady Cory was an American hymn writer whose work was deeply rooted in the architectural and spiritual heritage of old New York. Born in New York City in 1882, she was the daughter of the renowned architect J. Cleveland Cady, the man responsible for designing the original Metropolitan Opera House and the American Museum of Natural History. Her father’s influence was double-edged: while he shaped the city's skyline, he was also a devoted Sunday School superintendent and an amateur hymnologist. Growing up in this environment, Julia began composing hymns as a young girl, nurtured by the rich liturgical life of the Brick Presbyterian Church.

Her most significant contribution to hymnody came in 1902 when she was just twenty years old. At the request of her church's organist, she wrote a new set of lyrics for a Thanksgiving service to be paired with the traditional Dutch melody "Kremser." The result was "We Praise Thee, O God, Our Redeemer, Creator," a majestic hymn of gratitude. Unlike the older "We Gather Together," which carries a more nationalistic and militaristic undertone, Cory’s text focused on the themes of divine guidance, redemption, and the "kindly" nature of God's providence. Her version became an instant favorite and remains a standard Thanksgiving anthem in hymnals across the globe.

In 1911, she married Robert Haskell Cory and moved to Englewood, New Jersey, where she remained a pillar of the Presbyterian Church for the rest of her life. Despite her domestic responsibilities, raising three sons and eventually having fifteen grandchildren, she stayed active in the theological community. She was a lifelong member of The Hymn Society of America, contributing her expertise to the preservation and promotion of high-quality sacred music. Her writing was characterized by a refined, classic sensibility that reflected her upbringing in the "Gilded Age" of New York Presbyterianism.

Julia C. Cory died in 1963, leaving behind a legacy that elegantly bridged the gap between traditional European melodies and the American congregational experience. While she wrote various poems and hymns throughout her eighty-one years, she is immortalized by that single, powerful call to "worship Before Thee, our tribute we bring," a song that continues to echo through sanctuaries every autumn as a testament to her family's enduring devotion to the "God of our fathers."