Monday, June 22, 2009

Celtic Santon

Celtic Santon: Slán go fóill to Father Steve Concannon
A Pastoral Adieu - A Bientot
By Juliana L’Heureux

Genealogy teaches us the ultimate lesson in humanity. The more we understand genealogy, the more we learn how closely we are related, one to another

Therefore, it’s with a great deal of unscientific certainty, meaning it’s pretty likely, the Celtic nations are more related to the French than either culture wants to readily admit.

This ancient genetic connection can be useful when creating metaphor. In this particular occasion, the characterization of a Celtic Santon is one St. Patrick would embrace, because we can assume he is one of those blessed iconic features standing nobly inside many a porcelain crèche. He’s the Santon tipping his hat in homage to the New Born King. A Santon is the holy witness to Christian history. It’s a French tradition to include Santons in the manger scene as humble representatives of the human race, in an otherwise gloriously mystical occasion.

And so, our Celtic Santon of St. Charles has led us, by oratory and example, through the liturgies of the holiest New Testament scenes. He gave faithful parishioners brilliant insight into the dash between the years of birth and death.

“From the crèche in the manger to the man on the cross”. We’ve followed our Celtic Santon through this journey. He compares his witness to our own frazzled lives, so ordinary when contrasted to the agony we vision in the genealogy of our Christian faith.

A Santon is also a person the culture refuses to forget. In other words, Santons are little saints. Not big saints like St. Patrick, of course. But, more like the followers who this charismatic Christian man converted during his journey from birth to death

We never say goodbye or adieu or slán go fóill to our Santons. Like fine jewelry, they thankfully adorn our Christian family, representing genetic spirituality with sparkling resonance. We are affirmed about who we are because we actually knew them. As we are like branches in a tree, Santons remind us about the roots of our faith. And so, our Celtic Santon is a transcendent figure – the wind will always blow gently at his back as we tip our hats to his future happiness. We know he is genetically connected to who we are; knowing, we are all related, after all.

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