UPCOMING

Catholic theater company brings ‘Vianney’ to Valley

By Ambria Hammel | Nov. 4, 2009 | The Catholic Sun

The confessional was a place where St. John Vianney spent 10 to 12 hours per day, not only hearing confessions, but also battling the devil.

Phoenix Catholics can see those battles unfold on stage when “Vianney” makes its way through the diocese Nov. 8-14 in celebration of the Year for Priests. St. Luke Productions will put on its latest one-man, multimedia drama at six Valley parishes.

“Vianney” centers on the priestly ministry of the “Cure of Ars” and the subsequent conversion of countless Catholics throughout Europe. It also alludes to his stint in the military and subsequent struggle through the seminary.

“This is a very incredible story of heroism and perseverance under almost impossible odds,” said Leonardo Defilippis, founder of St. Luke Productions.

The deck was seemingly always stacked against St. John Vianney.

“He got slammed with everything you can think of,” said Defilippis, including accusations of sexual abuse. Delfilippis wrote and stars in the dramatization of the renown priest’s life.

The life of St. John Vianney wasn’t always well-known though, even among other priests.

That all changed about a year ago when Defilippis began testing scenes of the play in preparation for the 150th anniversary of the saint’s death in June, a day that also marked the beginning of the Year for Priests.

Priests, bishops, parents and teens worldwide are now finding an inspiring example in St. John Vianney, who Pope Benedict XVI declared a patron saint of this holy year.

Priests in Vianney’s time had less respect for him. The bishop quickly sent him to “the worst assignment” in the diocese, a southern French town known for “its tepid faith and widespread immorality,” Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted wrote in the first of a four-part series about the patron saint of priests in the Aug. 6 edition of The Catholic Sun.

The Cure of Ars, who was also a secular Franciscan, worked tirelessly on both the exciting and mundane tasks of priesthood — from refurbishing the church to teaching catechism — and took his assignment as a challenge. St. John Vianney wasn’t afraid to say the unpopular things about not sinning, Defilippis said.

The people listened. Taverns were eventually closed on Sundays and railway cars were later added to trains to accommodate pilgrims wanting to encounter Christ through St. John Vianney’s ministry.

“His life was a sign of hope for struggling communities. Right now, I think many of our communities are struggling in many different ways,” said Fr. Pete Rossa, pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Scottsdale.

He said those parallels would help audiences better relate to the priest when “Vianney” plays at St. Bernadette Nov. 10.

His life and ministry also provide encouragement for Fr. Rossa. Both had military careers and a big conversion experience before entering the priesthood.

Not only that, but a first-class relic of St. John Vianney, which resides in Fr. Rossa’s office, constantly reminds him of what a priest should be.

For Fr. Chuck Kieffer, pastor of St. Theresa Parish, bringing “Vianney” to churchgoers serves two purposes — both focused on tradition. It continues the Church’s tradition of being a patron of the arts and strengthens the parish’s culture of vocation awareness, he said.

No matter what the task, St. John Vianney had a “humble reliance on God’s grace,” said Fr. Paul Sullivan, director of the diocesan Office of Vocations. His only “program” for parishioners was the Lord’s, which was grounded on confession and the Eucharist, he added.

“I pray that those who see the play will see how the saints can inspire us with their example and remind us that they too were as human as we are,” Fr. Sullivan said. “We too are called to be saints.”