From the Pastor’s desk—August 21, 2022

Dear Sacred Heart Family

This week is a significant moment for American Catholics.  Whereas as it is not the first time Catholic movies have made it into public theaters, this is only the second time, a founder of a religious order has made it to the silver screen.  There have been several releases about St Francis of Assisi and now with St Anthony Claret (founder of the Claretian Missionaries), Slaves and Kings, we have our second film that will show tomorrow August 22^nd at 7pm at the Regal College Station Theater (415 W College St) FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY.

Some of the reviews have said it better than I can, so I would like to share their thoughts.  Fathom Films, the organization bringing this movie to the screen, has chosen St Anthony Claret as their first in a series of Catholic films for public release.   “SLAVES AND KINGS, set in the mid-1800s Spain, brings to the screen the compelling story of Saint Anthony Mary Claret, a Spanish Roman Catholic Archbishop, writer and publisher, missionary, and confessor to Queen Isabella II of Spain.  Their CEO Ray Nutt, adds, “this full-length feature film about such a prominent figure in history and the life of Catholicism is a watershed moment for us and our ability to connect with Catholic audiences and beyond.”

Lucia Gonzalez Bandairan of Bosco Films further notes, “SLAVES AND KINGS presents a Catholic hero, a special friend of slaves and kings, who was unwavering despite persecution and whose story is largely unknown. It’s important for us to look to those who exemplify heroic virtue and show us the way of faith amid trials.”  St Anthony, as director Pablo Moreno notes “is a man for our times” as his world was just as tumultuous as ours and he gave everything he had to bring others back to God.  

It wasn’t until my trip to Spain and Portugal that I learned how significant St Anthony was.  I hope this movie will help our Americans to see what a gift he has been to our world, his legacy has left us the Claretian Missionaries, one of the largest in the world today with 3,000 members worldwide.

Although the movie does not cover the entirety of his life, it does give a start to our ongoing conversation at Sacred Heart to get to know St Anthony better and it is nice to know there is more to explore.  What is even better about this movie is that this movie gives us an opportunity to live as he lived, as an evangelizer.  To share the news of this movie with others from this church, your family, or even other churches,  is a way to live our faith.    This movie is Good News for our world and as we share about it, we are doing what he did, what we were born to do- to share the Good News.

With a heart for Mission,
Fr. Ray