This is just for fun.
Crystal Mary said something interesting in the comment box the other day. I quote: "I picture him (Fr Ignatius) as slightly overweight and with white hair and a sweet face."
I replied: "You know ... I never quite describe Father Ignatius ... either in my books or in these stories. I just say that he wears glasses which he sometimes cleans unnecessarily just to buy him some time before speaking.
The reason for this is because I'd like each reader to imagine him as they wish. Each has his/her own "Father Ignatius" so to speak."
This set me thinking.
How do YOU imagine Father Ignatius looks like? How is he in your mind's eye? Tall, short, thin, fat, with a beard, a moustache, curly hair, bald ... etc?
Of course, I cannot give you my description because this would spoil the illusion each one of you has of your particular Father Ignatius.
God bless.
I imagine him slim, quite tall with glasses obviously and dark grey hair. He often sits and stares out of the windoww, from his desk, as he ponders things. To come out with such wise replies takes a lot of pondering, I would imagine. Also, his replies show he actually cares about people, he isn't just trying to have the 'right' answer.
ReplyDeleteI see him in long black priestly vestments too, not just trousers and shirt. And when people walk away after he has spoken, I imagine him smiling, looking up at God and getting on with the next duty.
Hope this isn't detracting too much from your original idea of Fr Ignatius, Victor!!
I haven't quite formulated a physical picture of Fr. I. yet, but Shadowlands seems to have described his demeanor and personality perfectly. He is a cross between Fr. O'Malley (Bells of St Mary's) and Jan Karon's character Fr. Tim- also a man with many pearls of wisdom :)
ReplyDeleteHe has light brown hair, cut in a crewcut, cleanshaven, and his glasses are the black frame rectangular shape. He is about 5'11" tall and slim. He always wears his black clerical clothes with a collar and a scapular underneath. His voice is soft and warm, full of confidence, and his demeanor is quiet and prayerful. He is the perfect priest!
ReplyDeleteThe first impression that comes to my mind, he is a pleasant, calm man of average build with thinning brown hair, glasses over brown eyes with expressions that when directed at you, you just know everything is going to okay. He is almost too good to be true.....as Anne says the perfect priest!.........:-) Hugs
ReplyDeleteI picture him as thin, average height, half-bald with greying tufts of hair around the balding part and wise brown eyes behind the spectacles he fiddles with. His eyebrows are greying, also. He obviously doesn't have a beard or he wouldn't have to fiddle with his glasses - he'd stroke his beard instead :)
ReplyDeleteOh, and he's 58 years old because he was 55 in 2007 ;)
I particularly liked Shadowlands description of him!
Thank you for all your descriptions thus far.
ReplyDeleteYou know ... you're not far off my imagination of Father Ignatius. Forgetting the physical features for a while, which as I said, should remain personal to each reader as they wish (or imagine) him to be. You got his character right: soft spoken, calm, friendly, approachable, never in a panic and wise. (Just like me - NOT!).
Mary got his age right. In my book "Visions" I said he's in his mid-fifties; and the book was published in September 2007.
(Thinks) "Wait a minute ... Mary must be joking and I fell for it ... if a character is 55 in a book, he remains 55 no matter when you read the book ... even years later ... let me sit down and figure this out!"
The storyline in the book, and in these stories, is set somewhere in the mid to late fifties ... that's why there's never a mention of computers, cell phones and such other technical wonders which make our lives so complicated.
Thanx for your contributions. If anyone has a particular subject which they wish incorporated in any of the Father Ignatius stories, please let me know.
God bless you Shadowlands, Karinann, Anne, Bernie and Mary. And your families too.
I think I first visualized Father Ignatius a quiet but not imposing figure. Clean shaven with graying hair and glasses. He is a reflective man. He doesn't make quick judgments and ponders things before offering comment. He can be quick witted and funny, but he knows when it is appropriate. As a matter of fact I know this man. He was once our parish priest, Fr. Tim. Wishing you well!
ReplyDeleteLoL...SO SWEET, THE AIR IS BUZZZZZING!!!
ReplyDeleteNar....
His eyes are blue, so soft and peaceful.
They twinkle with mirth as he gives a serious answer while chuckling inside. A very intellegent man, he remains humble gentle caring and loving.
OH...and he reads the comic strips from the paper every day....and
...has a secret desire to play the violin in church one Christmas Midnight Mass!
In my mind he's always looked this way:
ReplyDeleteA solidly build man in that "middle-ish age" (even without the insight of Mary I always though him in his 50s); with a slightly thickening waistline and receding hairline. Fair skin, light brown hair, and glasses over his clear, kind, hazel eyes. Thoughtful and kind in his manner, with a quiet strength about him.
Hello Crystal Mary and Tracy,
ReplyDeleteSo ... he reads comic strips and plays the violin? That's a new one to me ... I'll have to consider this in one of my stories perhaps.
Is it blue eyes or hazel?
It's so nice that so many of my readers have a different image of this priest in their mind. And that is why I did not describe him in my book and stories. He is your Father Ignatius, hopefully guiding and dispensing helpful advice.
God bless you Crystal Mary and Tracy.
Sorry Cathy,
ReplyDeleteI seem to have missed your comment above. Thank you so much for writing in and God bless you always for your kindness.