Sebastian Temple (1928 - 1997) [aka Johann Templehoff] grew up in South Africa. His early years were spent in the countryside. His mother died when he was 3 and his father turned him over to his grandparents to raise and later he moved to London, where he worked for the BBC on news broadcasts relating to South Africa. He adopted the Franciscan lifestyle and became a Secular Franciscan. Temple spent much of his time composing music for worship, much of which later was recorded into six separate collections.
He is best remembered for "The Prayer of St. Francis," which was played at the funeral of Princess Diana.

Composer of Princess Diana's favorite song dies
Staff and news service reports

TUCSON, Ariz. - The composer of Princess Diana's favorite song, Prayer of St. Francis, died at his home here Tuesday of a suspected heart attack. Sebastian Temple was 69.

His composition, also known as Make Me a Channel of Your Peace, was performed during Diana's funeral in early September by the choir of Westminster Abbey, following Elton John's Candle in the Wind.

Temple was born in South Africa on Feb. 12, 1928. At 16 he wrote a romantic novel, and its royalties paid for his move to Italy. He moved to London in 1951, where he worked for the BBC on South African news broadcasts. Temple's move to the United States in 1958 brought him to Washington D. C., where he was a Scientologist for 10 years. He dropped out of that organization and converted to Catholicism.

He was unsuccessful in his efforts to become a Catholic priest, although he was a secular Franciscan and adopted the Franciscan lifestyle. Temple spent much of his time composing music for worship, much of which later was recorded into six separate collections. He experienced great difficulties in writing Prayer of St. Francis. he recalled before his death.

'I prayed . . . I wrote . . . . Just nothing came; until I finally glanced at my statue of St. Francis [of Assisi] and said 'You write the bloody thing,' and he did,' said Temple.

A representative of the British royal family called Oregon Catholic Press to seek permission to use the hymn during Diana's funeral.

Afterward Temple wrote the organist at Westminster Abbey to say he appreciated the performance: 'The truth is that I didn't even like the song when it flowed through me. But to hear what you did to it delighted me so that I changed my mind and now am happy to have been the Instrument of God's peace in the composition of that song.'

Oregon Catholic Press, a Portland-based non-profit publisher of liturgical music and worship resources, owns Prayer of St. Francis' copyright.