THE POOR MAN OF ASSISI - A CHRISTIAN MYSTERY - In Five Acts and an EPILOGUE

Sep 29, 2026

Copyright statement and bibliographic microform record for “The Poor Man of Assisi: A Christian Mystery in Five Acts and an Epilogue,” including publication and preservation metadata from Columbia University Libraries. The text provides an introduction discussing the historical separation of Church and stage since the mid-1500s, the efforts toward reconciliation through religious dramatizations, and an appraisal of Father Henry Gaffney’s play, highlighting its stagecraft, poetic language, character grouping, scene design, and faithful depiction of St. Francis’s life progression.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages38

Reading Time1 h 36 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Church and Stage Reconciliation

Appraisal of the Play’s Stagecraft

Tradition of Dramatising Saint Stories

MASTERNEGATIVENO.92-80489-7 MICROFILMED 1992 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES/NEW YORK as part of the”Foundations of Western Civilization Preservation Project” Funded by theNATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES Reproductions may not be made without permission fromColumbia University Library # COPYRIGHT STATEMENT The copyright law of the United States --Title 17,UnitedStates Code --concerns the making of photocopies or otherreproductions of copyrighted material… Columbia University Library reserves the right to refuse toaccept a copy order if,in its judgement,fulfillment of the orderwould involve violation of the copyright law. AUTHOR: GAFFNEY,MICHAELHENRY TITLE: THE POOR MAN OFASSISI:A CHRISTIAN... PLACE: DUBLIN DATE:[1926] # COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIESPRESERVATION DEPARTMENT BIBLIOGRAPHICMICROFORM TARGET Original Material as Filmed -Existing Bibliographic Record | 932.3F
HG
Gaffney,Ionry
Thc poor n c!Assini.A Cristiaun rystory in
ive acts nd m omilc0 by1…I.GrTfncy…
it?!an int,rolcticn by. Becde Jarrett..
Dublin,Irisl rosary 1738
54 p. 19 cn. | | --- | Restrictions cn Use: TECHNICAL MICROFORM DATA FILM SIZE:_35um__ REDUCTION RATIO:___1x IMAGE PLACEMENT:IA IA IB IIB INITIALS_ eiou DATE FILMED:__2Ω9_1992____ FILMED BY:RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS,INC WOODBRIDGE,CT 。 Association for Infornation and Image Management 1100 Wayne Avenue,Suite 1100Silver Spring,Maryland 20910 301/587-8202 MANUFACTURED TO AIIM STANDARDSBY APPLIED IMAGE,INC. 3 T101 932.3F GENERAL LIBRARY HG 6 lutTHEPoor Man of AssisiA CHRISTIAN MYSTERYIn Five Acts and an EPILOGUEREV.FR.H.GAFFNEY,O.P.WITH ANBY # INTRODUCTION THE VERY REV.BEDE JARRETT,O.P..M.A.DUBLIN:OFFICE OF THE IRISH ROSARY(The Dramatic Rights are stricly reserved to theManager of the Irish Rosary Ofice.) 38Ue4,1929 932,3 HG INTRODUCTION. ZVER since I548,when the Confraternities of theE Passion—while receiving from the Parliament ofParis confirmation of their monopoly of the theatre(granted them by the famous royal decree of I402)—wereforbidden in future to perform sacred plays,the Stage hasbeen divorced from the Church. This has been bad forthe Stage.It has not been good for the Church.It hasremoved from the Stage the representation of the mostdivine actions of the world;it has removed from theChurch personal sympathy for and interest in the dramaof its time. Church and Stage should have played into each other'shands;as it zwas they quarrelled. This quarrel has been so obvious that good people onboth sides have been trying to patch it up,the dramatistsusing for their purposes the treasure-stories of the Chrch,the Church in turn growing more kindly to actors,ho-ever secular their theme. In the Catholic Stage Guildthe Church has entered the green-room;in the“LittlePlays of St.Francis”by Housman,in Géhon's"St.Bernard,"and in Claudel's"Tidings Told to Mary,"in Bernard Shaw's"St.Joan,"and in the Miracle-playsand Passion-play of Mgr.Benson,the Stage has goneto the Church. As another evidence of_this re-union,this play ofFather Henry Gaffney,O.P.,will give pleasure to thosewho hope for sane themes in sane plays.That it hasbeen weritten at all proves the author's good will to efectthis reconciliation;but,as the reader will soon perceive,there is more than good will here.There is undoubtedsuccess. This play,which hardly disorders the historic sequenceof St.Francis'life,makes those years of the Saint'sprowth from the joyous troubadour to the wounded lover a real poem in action.The grouping of the characters,the march of events,the incidents,the design,the orderof the scenes and their admirable juxta-position seem toshow genuine stage-craft.But these are the mere skeletonof the play,valuable and important only as its structuralanatomy.Over these Father Gafiney has laid the livingtissues,rounded form,and dainty colouring of life itself,by his choice of language,delicate and apt,ad

FAQs

What historical issue does the introduction describe between the Church and the stage?

It describes how, since 1548, sacred plays were forbidden in the future, divorcing the stage from the Church and harming both the theatrical arts and the Church’s connection to contemporary drama.

What does the introduction say about the purpose of religious dramatizations?

It explains that both sides have tried to patch up the quarrel, with dramatists using Christian treasure-stories and the Church becoming more kindly to actors, exemplified by works mentioned in the introduction.

How does the introduction evaluate Father Henry Gaffney’s play?

It states that the play shows genuine stage-craft through its grouping of characters, march of events, and ordering and juxtaposition of scenes, while also emphasizing the living, poetic language and rounded character depiction laid over the play’s structural framework.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by นรินทร์