The San Francisco call., 1909-03-15
FRANCISCAN FATHER
|. WRITES new DRAMA
Story of Savior's Passion to Be
Enacted in Hall of St.
BOnifaCe's Church

The most elaborate passion play ever
produced in America is in preparation
and will be presented in San Francisco
by the order of Franciscan monks. The
play is being written by Father JOS
ephat Kraus, who is translating and
adapting his text from original German
sources. 1t will be staged in September.
This representation of the passion of
the Savior will run three nights, and
possibly four, each performance repre-
senting one part of the holy story.
The play will begin with the Christ's
entry into Jerusalem, depicting the cru
cifixion and concluding with the resur-
rection from the dead. More than 200
persons will take part.
The play is to be produced in the
handsome hall in the basement of the
new st. Boniface church, in Golden Gate
avenue between Jones and Leavenworth
streets. This hall is one of the largest
/ and fines. entertainment halls in any
church in San Francisco. There is
large elevated stage for the production
of the play, and more than $1,000 worth
of scenery has been purchased.
CHURCH BUILT SINCE FIRE
The new st. Boniface church build
ing. with its monastery and parochial
school, is one of tile handsomest church
edifices in San Francisco and was one
of the first of those that had been lev
eled in the confiagration to be rebuilt.
The church lost $175,000 in the fire, but
within year had begun reconstruction
of the 100000 buildings that now oc-
cupy the property.
The church is for German Catholics
and all the services are conducted in the
Teutonic language.
The order of Franciscan fathers is in
charge of the parish. which covers half
of San Francisco. st. Boniface church
was established in the early seventies,
and in those days was in charge of a
regular secular priest.
The parish was poor, however. and in
1886 Archbishop Riordan urged that the
order of Franciscan fathers take charge
of the church. They came here Febru-
airy 16, 1886. Father Gerhard being the
first director of what was then but
mission. Rev. Maxilin Neumann took
charge as pastor in 1894 and is still at
the head of the parish.
Under his leadership the parish pros
pered and grew powerful. The tiny
wooden church was torn down to ac-
commodate the beautiful stone edifice
which was destroyed in the big fire. The
monks of the order took refuge in St
Joseph's hospital and from there imme-
diately directed the work for a new
structure on the old site.
The new church is one of the most
artistic III San Francisco. The mural
decorations within are eXquisitely exc
cuted and the entire building is done
| in fine harmony. The architect who de-
signed the structure was member of
the Franciscan order. being known as
Brother Adrian. and Alex Bartuszek the
artist who did the painting, was pupil
of the fathers.
HUNGRY MEN ARE FED
The entire scheme of the interior
decoration is pure Romanesque. The
exterior is in combined Gothic and gem
eral classic style.
| The charity of the Franciscan fathers
| is proverbial in San Francisco. In the
| days following the fire more than 1 900
hungry persons were fed daily at the
monastery. and now. when the DAYS OF
Hardship have Iessened. more than $50
persons join the bread line" each day
/ 1t is part of the vows of the Francis
can monks never to turn away a hungry
/ traveller when they have a. bit of bread.
and needy persons never have knocked
in vain at the doors of the monastery
! Cowled monks preside over theA dis
tributon of charity. and meals are
given twice daily, consisting OF bread
and coffee in the morning and bread and
coffee and substantial SOUP in the after
noon. The only requirement to receive
charity at the doors of the franciscan
/ fathers is to be hungry,