The Wolf of Gubbio

This past summer we found out our beloved Associate Pastor was leaving. Being that he is a member of the Secular Franciscan Order, SFO, we thought it most appropriate to put the play "The Wolf of Gubbio" by Mother Mary Francis, P. C. C. (Not to mention that I have an incredible fondness of Saint Francis and Clare!)



I had bought the collection of plays "Praise Him with Your very Life!" by Mother Mary Francis, P.C.C. about a year ago from Catholic Heritage Curricula. We only had about 3 weeks to prepare but the play came out fabulous. It was a way to show our Priest just how much we love him, which is something we as the Laity forget to do often. I hope eventually to have my husband help me to post the video, but for now I am sharing the pictures. The play started by an into that I wrote specifically for our Associate Pastor................


Introduction to the Wolf of Gubbio
(Holy Mother Clare and Mother Mary Francis enter the stage from opposite ends and meet in the middle.)


Mother Mary Francis: Welcome to our little production of the Wolf of Gubbio. Before we begin, Holy Mother Clare and I thought that we would tell you just how this production came to be and a bit about our Holy Father Saint Francis.


Holy Mother Clare: (Addresses Father ) When we found out you were leaving us Father , we thought we would do something special. Perhaps we could have given you a plaque or some small token of our esteem that one would soon find lying on a shelf collecting dust bunnies. Instead we decided to give you a memory.


Mother Mary Francis: With only four weeks to prepare this will certainly not be equivalent to a Broadway production. What is it though, is a production done with great love.


Holy Mother Clare: It is a production done in the spirit of thanksgiving to our Lord for the blessing of having you with us sharing our lives for the past two years and for the blessing of your vocation.


Mother Mary Francis: (Now addressing the audience as a whole) It is also most appropriate that we spend a moment to share with our guest a bit about our Holy Father Saint Francis who is a most misunderstood saint.


Holy Mother Clare: You see him pictured feeding birds, holding a dove, talking to various forest animals, or petting a wolf.


Mother Mary Francis: (nodding in agreement) I dare say Holy Mother Clare, poor Francis could be mistaken for a vet and is most often portrayed as an absent minded flower-child.


Holy Mother Clare: So true Mother Mary Francis, but to see him this way is to be totally blind to the beautiful work that God has done in the soul of this most important saint in our Church. What many do not know is that our beloved Francis bore the stigmata……………the wands of Christ. (With her arms stretched out like a cross.)


Mother Mary Francis: Francis had the ability to see God in everything and everyone. His story is a love story between a soul and his creator.


Holy Mother Clare: He had a most passionate love for the poor and humble Christ. Christ poor in the crib, Christ suffering on the Cross, and as he often referred to our Lord in the Eucharist, Christ the poor-man in the tabernacle.


Mother Mary Francis: For Francis, holiness is simple and obtainable by all. It consists of Love. God loves us and we love him in return. Knowledge must never be separated from love. Knowledge indeed must always be in the service of love.


Holy Mother Clare: (Moves towards Father ) Most notable was his great respect for the Priesthood. Do you see these hands? (Says as she points to Father's hands)


Mother Mary Francis: (bends to look closer with a scowl on her face.) What I see are hands in bad need of a manicure. (Says sarcastically)


Holy Mother Clare: That’s just what most people would see. Francis however would see these hands just as we all should see them. (Pause and look thoughtfully at his hands and then dramatically says) Francis would see the hands that bring us Christ, because Francis was most aware that the poor Christ descends from Heaven through the Priest to the altar as he did one time into the wound of the Blessed Virgin.


Mother Mary Francis: There is much more that could be said about this humble saint. His simplicity of life and dedication to the Church is what many find so attractive about him.


Holy Mother Clare: The brilliant man, the noble man, the common man, the poor man have all been drawn by his example to Christ.


Mother Mary Francis: Well enough of that for now.


Both together: We would like to present to you our little production of Mother Mary Francis’s “The Wolf of Gubbio”

.
(As they leave the stage)
Mother Mary Francis: Mother did you see the one who is to play Francis? A bit tall isn’t he?


Holy Mother Clare: OH Well , you can’t have everything.

Our Cast

In the front Row: Brother Wolf, Beledonna, Brother Francis, Brother John the Simple, Mother Mary Francis, and Holy Mother Clare

In the rear: Luchesius (whom we affectionately dubbed Luigi)

Our Humble Guest of Honor

Father S. with My Dear Hubby

Father S., Our Pastor Father B., and two of our Diocesan Seminarians Enjoy the show!

Mother Mary Francis and Holy Mother Clare give the Introduction

Brother Francis and Brother John: I wish someone might be inspired to give us a fiddle.

Brother Luigi

Luigi, Brother Francis, Brother John, and enter Belledonna

"It is to love still more in return"

Brother Francis talks to the Wolf with the other creatures of the forest looking on.

"Sit down Brother Wolf, and I will tell you a story."

"Once many, many centuries ago, God made a garden. "

Our cast was awesome with the short amount of time we had. The reason they were able to do this in such a short time is because they understood how important it is to show our love and gratitude to one who has served us so well. We will miss you Father!
In this Year For Priest and every year, what will you do to show your gratitude to your Priest..........."The hands that bring you Christ." Its a small way to show Christ just how much you love him.