The Silent Santa
by Father Frank Ruff

Father Gus

Take one look at the picture of Father Gus Guppenberger on this page and you'll know why he is known throughout Glenmary's missions as "the Santa Claus priest."

For more years than he cares to admit, Father Gus has been playing Santa to boys and girls of all ages, always ready to bring a little holiday joy and a message of the Christ Child to anyone seeking the Christmas spirit. His encounters in parish halls, civic centers, schools, and nursing homes have left him with a rich legacy of Christmas stories—few more touching than the day Santa was left speechless.

Father Gus . . . er, Santa Claus was to make an appearance at an Arkansas home for problem teenagers, youngsters who had been placed there by the courts. And so, when Father entered the room looking as jolly as ever in his red suit and bushy white beard, he was greeted as might have been expected. There were giggles from the girls and guffaws from the boys. The entire group was a bit unruly, and obviously "too mature" to be taken in by this make-believe Santa.

Among the most rowdy was a 13-year-old girl named Barbara, whose laughter seemed to be several decibels above the others.

As soon as Santa had situated himself, the director of the home asked if anyone would like to have their picture taken sitting on Santa's lap. "I wanna do it! I wanna!" screeched young Barbara, rushing to the front and making an exaggerated show of plopping down on Santa's lap.

"At first I thought she was trying to be cool—trying to show off, to get laughs," Father Guppenberger remembers. "But her clowning was just a cover-up."

The rest of the youngsters were doubled over with laughter upon seeing her antics . . . and that's when a strange and unexpected change came over Barbara.

Suddenly she leaned forward and whispered in Santa's ear. The silliness was gone. Her voice quivered, brimming with emotion!

"You know what I want for Christmas?" she said to this very special Santa. "I want the judge to let me go home for Christmas ... to be with my family! That's what I want, Santa!"

Father Gus could almost hear tears in her voice. "I can't tell you how touched I was," he recalls. "This wasn't some child's Christmas fantasy I was hearing . . . this was an emotional expression of hope! This young girl was seeking freedom—not freedom from her confinement, but freedom to enjoy the love and companionship of her family.

"I was so stunned by her words-I was speechless," Father Guppenberger admits. ''I didn’t say anything to her. I do remember giving her a little hug of reassurance,” Father Gus adds, "sort of to let her know that someone cared . . .  but I know I was at a loss for words!" It had all taken less than a moment or two, and before Father was able to collect his thoughts, Barbara bounced up from his lap and hurried to rejoin her friends, giggling and seemingly as cool as ever .

Father Gus never did find out if Barbara was able to be with her family that Christmas season. He just remembers the hope echoing in her voice that day. Even now, it reminds him of the hope the Infant Jesus brought to the world nearly two thousand years ago.