Franciscan monks accompanied the Spanish soldiers who invaded what is now New Mexico, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the Cathedral and Basilica in the heart of Santa Fe is dedicated to Saint Francis. How did those monks justify their founder's commitment to peace with conquest? A question for another time perhaps.
There are two statues of St. Francis at the cathedral, one showing him with the tamed wolf of the village of Gubbio and the other which is a whimsical dancing saint. I appreciated the dancer much more. His body is covered with quotes from the prayers attributed to St. Francis. The third statue is on a downtown street corner and shows Francis contemplating a prairie dog as the rodent regards him. I had to take a photo.
Which one tickles your fancy?
3 comments:
Prairie dog for sure... if only the animals could speak our language... what we would learn about the world and ourselves!
The one that tickles my fancy - the dancing Saint Francis - it speaks to me of engaging life - of celebrating the gifts of life - of taking delight in and enjoying all aspects and mysteries of life. It is a delightful and inspiring piece of art. Thank you for all the photos David.
I agree with both of you about those two sculptures. They represent wonderful variations on the St. Francis theme. I do like the legend of Francis negotiating with the wolf to stop terrorizing the village of Gubbio.
Have you ever been around prairie dogs Not Alone. They are vocal lil' beggars and it would be good if we could speak their language. Nice description Susan.
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