SON OF GOD Movie: Recommended for Lent and Easter by Catholic Leaders

Catholic cardinals and archbishops across the country are recommending that Catholics use the hit movie about Jesus’ life called SON OF GOD and its free Catholic catechetical companion study guide and video series as tools for reflection during the Lenten Season in preparation for Holy Week and Easter Sunday.

“Personally, I would recommend to individuals, but particularly to families, this wonderful story of the Son of God, in order to be inspired all over again with the story of God’s love for us,” said Cardinal Donald Wuerl and Archbishop of Washington DC, an early supporter of SON OF GOD.

“In SON OF GOD, through a cinematic recreation of events, we get to witness the sacrifices Jesus endured for our sins. The scenes of the movie, particularly of Our Lord’s Passion, bear a striking resemblance to the Stations of the Cross, and can be used as a way to meditate and reflect on His self-giving loving sacrifice for us during this season of Lent,” Archbishop Louis Kurtz from the Archdiocese of Louisville, KY and President of the US Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB).

“The movie SON OF GOD is a very important film, because it gives us the opportunity, especially now as Lent begins – to realize God’s daily presence in our own lives, just as the apostles experienced it in the person of Jesus,” said Archbishop Jose Gomez from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, CA.

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More Catholic bishop endorsements, resources and the companion study guide and video series can be found on www.seesonofgod.com, SON OF GOD’s official Catholic website.

Monsignor J. Brian Bransfield, Associate General Secretary of the USCCB and the Archdiocese of Washington DC worked together in creating the guide and video series, in order to help deepen Catholics’ faith and for further meditation on important truths the film conveys.

According to Bransfield, himself an accomplished Catholic author, it’s helpful if one uses the tools after viewing the entire SON OF GOD movie. This is crucial, since it can serve as a type of meditation on the identified and highlighted Scriptural verse.

Available in English and Spanish, SON OF GOD’s study guide and video series (Spanish one contains sub-titles and uses the film’s Spanish-language version, with For Greater Glory and Bella actor Eduardo Verastegui as the voice of Jesus), draws on sacred scripture to discuss six movie scenes – creation of the world, the Incarnation, call of Saint Peter, walking on water, the Last Supper and the confrontation between Jesus and Pilate.

Released by Twentieth Century Fox on February 28, 2014 – five days before Ash Wednesday, SON OF GOD claimed that weekend’s number two box office spot with $25 million worth of tickets sold and total revenues to date of $51 million. Included in that number, and for the first time, were multi-city theater buyouts in Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia and Washington DC, thanks to generous Catholic benefactors who purchased and then donated tickets to various Catholic dioceses in those cities.

SON OF GOD also made Hollywood history, representing the second-biggest opening ever at the box office for a Jesus movie, the first being the Passion of The Christ. Clearly, movie-goers were impressed, receiving it with great warmth, affection and enthusiasm, according to two industry standard movie-pollster companies, CinemaScore and PostTrak, and the popular fan-rated website Fandango.

On opening weekend, audiences gave SON OF GOD a 90% positive response and a 5-star rating for likability, tying it with 3D-animated Lego on PostTrak. Their movie “grade” was equally high, with CinemaScore reporting an A-, compared to an A for this year’s Academy-Award Best Picture film 12 Years a Slave. Fandango fans rated it as number one.

SON OF GOD was produced by actress Roma Downey, a Catholic, known for her work in the TV series “Touched by an Angel” Downey also appears in SON OF GOD as Mary, the mother of Jesus. Her husband and SON OF GOD co-producer is Mark Burnett, the reality-TV mega producer of shows “Survivor,” “The Voice,” “Shark Tank” and “The Bible.”

Told with the scope and scale of an action-packed epic, the film features excellent performances, exotic locales, dazzling visual effects and a rich orchestral score from Oscar®-winner Hans Zimmer. Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado beautifully portrays the role of Jesus as the film spans from His humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension into heaven.

SON OF GOD can be seen in theaters throughout the US. Check www.sonofgodmovie.com for movie times and locations.

Here is the full list of Catholic religious leaders who endorsed SON OF GOD – Cardinal and Archbishop of Washington DC, Donald Wuerl; Archbishop Louis Kurtz from the Archdiocese of Louisville, KY and President of the USCCB; Archbishop Jose Gomez from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, CA; Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, Diocese of San Antonio, TX; Archbishop Jerome Listecki, Archdiocese of Milwaukee, WI; Bishop William F. Murphy, Diocese of Rockville Centre, NY; Bishop Kevin Vann, Diocese of Orange County, CA; Bishop David Zubik Diocese of Pittsburgh and Bishop David Ricken, Diocese of Green Bay, WI.

http://www.sonofgodmovie.com/

‘Heaven is for Real’ Comes to Film Soon

Many Catholics have long wondered, “What is Heaven like? Is it peaceful? Whom will I see?” Now Catholics have an opportunity to see a captivating story from someone who has claimed they have experienced heaven. From the international bestseller, and with an impressive Hollywood creative team and cast, HEAVEN IS FOR REAL — the spellbinding story of 4-year-old Colton Burpo’s trip to Heaven . . . and back — comes to theaters April 16, 2014.

Based on the No. 1 New York Times bestselling book of the same name, HEAVEN IS FOR REAL brings to the screen the true story of a small-town father who must find the courage and conviction to share his son’s extraordinary, life-changing experience with the world.

Kathie Lee Gifford, co-host of the Today Show, says HEAVEN IS FOR REAL is “a perfect family movie.”

Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-ewaCVARtM.

Academy Award® nominee and Emmy® winner Greg Kinnear (AS GOOD AS IT
GETS, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, WE WERE SOLDIERS) stars as Todd Burpo.

“What appealed to me most at the end of the day is that Randy (director and co-writer Randall Wallace) had tackled this very human story and the eternal question everyone has about what comes after,” said Kinnear. “Whatever your feelings on the afterlife—even in your current life, right here, right now — there is this beauty all around you that’s been nicely captured for this film through the eyes of a little boy. If you don’t have any personal inspiration, HEAVEN IS FOR REAL will give you some.”

“What do you do when your 4-year-old son looks at you and says, ‘I went to Heaven and this is what it’s like,’ . . . and you’re a pastor? That, for me, is the stuff of drama,” said Director/Co-writer Randall Wallace. Alongside producers Joe Roth and T.D. Jakes, Wallace considers heaven from a boy’s-eye view, and from the here and now.

“Todd grounds the story in day-to-day reality, the way it really unfolded,” Wallace said. “Colton doesn’t just blurt it all out. It comes out in little bits and pieces in the course of everyday life.”

Wallace and Christopher Parker adapted their screenplay from HEAVEN IS FOR REAL, written by Colton’s father, Todd Burpo, with Lynn Vincent, which spent 64 weeks at No. 1 on the New York Times best sellers list. The book remains on the Times’ best-seller list after more than three years, with nearly 8 million copies sold, and has been translated into 25 languages.

Wallace is the Academy Award®-nominated screenwriter of BRAVEHEART; among others, he directed WE WERE SOLDIERS and SECRETARIAT. Roth is a TV and film veteran whose 60 movies and television programs include MALEFICENT, Anger Management, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL and SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN. Jakes–pastor, author, entrepreneur, producer–is known to movie audiences for WOMAN, THOU ART LOOSED, SPARKLE, JUMPING THE BROOM, and BLACK NATIVITY.

In addition to Kinnear, HEAVEN IS FOR REAL’s top cast includes Kelly Reilly (SHERLOCK HOLMES, FLIGHT) as Colton’s mom, Sonja and newcomer Connor Corum as Colton Burpo. The film also features Emmy® winner Margo Martindale (Justified) and Academy Award® nominee Thomas Haden Church (SIDEWAYS, Wings).

“A lot of things in this story appealed to me, and one was Todd’s conflict. Should he stir up the townspeople with his son’s story or put it aside?” Roth said. “And he did the unsafe thing. He backed his son’s vision, though it could cost him his job and make him quite unpopular in town.”

“The great gift of HEAVEN IS FOR REAL is the possibility of the impossible, the touchability of the abstract — so powerful that we feel as if we are one with something we just can't touch,” Jakes said. “That’s what faith is.”

“But the faith in this film is far from simplistic,” Jakes adds. “It's no quick solution, nothing magical. It's a struggling, stumbling, groping, grasping faith, reaching through dark fear and confusion to solidify the abstractions of life. And it's appropriate that a little child teaches adults how to believe again, how to trust again.”

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL is directed by Randall Wallace. The screenplay is by Randall Wallace and Christopher Parker based on the book by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent. The movie is produced by Joe Roth and T.D. Jakes.

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL was filmed in Winnipeg, Canada, and is being released and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing.

New Film 'Son of God': Behind the Scenes

“Son of God” will explode on screens nationwide February 27. EWTN viewers have two exclusive opportunities to get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this extraordinary film.

First, tune in to “The World Over” with Host Raymond Arroyo for an exclusive interview at the Malibu home of Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, the couple behind the film. (Airs 8 p.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 20 on EWTN, www.ewtn.com/channelfinder.)

Then, tune in to “Faithful Reflections on Son of God,” a half-hour documentary, which is also hosted by Arroyo. (Airs 9 p.m. ET, Sunday, Feb. 23; 2 a.m. ET, Tuesday, Feb. 25; and 2:30 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Feb. 26 on EWTN.)

This exclusive program features interviews with Rwandan Genocide Survivor Immaculee Llibagiza, Father Barron’s “Word on Fire Ministries” (which produced the wildly popular series “Catholicism,” which aired on EWTN and PBS), Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Los Angeles Archbishop José Gómez, Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik, Catholic Bloggers Lisa Hendey and Brandon Vogt, and many others who reflect on how they were personally moved by scenes from the film, which are included in the documentary. (Click here, bit.ly/1m75Qtq, for a video preview of this documentary.)

“Son of God” brings the story of Jesus’ life to audiences through compelling cinematic storytelling. It is told with the scope and scale of an action epic and features powerful performances, exotic locales, dazzling visual effects, and a rich orchestral score. Some Christian leaders are already saying they plan to rent out every screen in numerous cities for the film’s long-awaited premiere. 

You won’t want to miss this behind-the-scenes look at the first major release on the life of Jesus in a decade! 

EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 33rd year, is available in over 230 million television households in more than 140 countries and territories. With its direct broadcast satellite television and radio services, AM & FM radio networks, worldwide short-wave radio station, Internet website www.ewtn.com, electronic and print news services, and publishing arm, EWTN is the largest religious media network in the world.

Gimme Shelter Now in Theaters

Pro-life champion Kathy DiFiore has had a remarkable life filled with redemption and hope. A suburban wife and mother, she escaped an abusive marriage only to find herself homeless and on the street. She focused on saying the prayer of St. Francis and eventually was able to reclaim her life. DiFiore went on to found Several Sources Shelters, which provides a home and safety net for pregnant women, who are often desperate, alone and homeless, and worked hand-in-hand with Mother Teresa to change shelter laws in New Jersey. Her compelling life is the inspiration behind the gritty pro-life movie GIMME SHELTER, which comes out tomorrow.

The film has been endorsed by an impressive group of prominent Catholics, including His Excellency, Bishop Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life; Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York; Kevin Ryan, president and CEO of Covenant House; and Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life.

“The remarkable narrative of GIMME SHELTER expresses a powerful reality and the heroic love of a mother for her unborn child,” said His Excellency, Bishop Ignacio Carrasco de Paula. “Exploring the hard questions regarding the meaning of life, family, love and suffering, our heroine, ‘Apple,’ fights against all odds and finds hope in the kindness of some key people, including a hospital chaplain who expresses the true nature of a priestly soul of service, guidance, and the deep Love of God for every single man, woman and child from the moment of conception. Out of rejection shines the courageous beauty of a mother’s love, and out of tragedy, shines hope!”

Forced to flee her abusive mother (Rosario Dawson), and turned away by her Wall Street father (Brendan Fraser), “Apple Bailey” (Vanessa Hudgens) finds herself on a desperate and isolated journey of survival. In the depths of despair, she meets a compassionate priest (James Earl Jones), who ultimately leads her to redemption and unprecedented support in a suburban shelter for homeless teenagers. With gained confidence, and the warmth of her new home, Apple breaks from her inhibiting past, embracing the future with clarity and hope.

Hudgens immersed herself in the character and delivers a transformative and stunning performance. To prepare for her role, she lived for weeks in the Several Sources pregnancy shelter, interacting with the young, homeless mothers who also appear in the film, completely altering her appearance unrecognizable.

Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE42YdC70E8.

Download resources for churches and ministries: http://gimmeshelter.ministryresources.org.

Vatican Official Endorses Film: Gimme Shelter

His Excellency Bishop Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life, provided his glowing endorsement of GIMME SHELTER, a forthcoming movie with a distinctly pro-life message.

Here is his full endorsement:

“The remarkable narrative of GIMME SHELTER expresses a powerful reality and the heroic love of a mother for her unborn child. Exploring the hard questions regarding the meaning of life, family, love and suffering, our heroine, “Apple,” fights against all odds and finds hope in the kindness of some key people, including a hospital chaplain who expresses the true nature of a priestly soul of service, guidance, and the deep Love of God for every single man, woman and child from the moment of conception. Out of rejection shines the courageous beauty of a mother’s love, and out of tragedy, shines hope!”

Based on the inspiring true events, GIMME SHELTER centers on the courageous story of Agnes “Apple” Bailey (Vanessa Hudgens) and her incredible path to motherhood as a pregnant, homeless teenager. Forced to flee her abusive mother (Rosario Dawson), and turned away by her Wall Street father (Brendan Fraser), Apple finds herself on a desperate and isolated journey of survival. In the depths of despair, she meets a compassionate stranger (James Earl Jones), who ultimately leads her to salvation and unprecedented support in a suburban shelter for homeless teenagers. With gained confidence, and the warmth of her new home, Apple breaks from her inhibiting past, embracing the future with clarity and hope.

The film is inspired by the David and Goliath true story of devout Catholic Kathy DiFiore and her founding of Several Sources Shelters – a maternity home for unwed mothers that has changed lives all across New Jersey. DiFiore has been lauded by presidents and worked hand-in hand with Mother Teresa to change shelter laws in New Jersey.
Check out the trailer: http://youtu.be/pE42YdC70E8.

Hudgens immersed herself in the character and delivers a transformative and stunning performance. To prepare, she lived for weeks in pregnancy shelters, interacting with the young, homeless mothers who also appear in the film, completely altering her appearance unrecognizable.

Written and directed by Ronald Krauss, GIMME SHELTER opens in theaters across the country on January 24, 2014.

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha: New Cartoon for Kids

In an effort to help fill the void in quality media for Catholic children, GenOneArt.com launched a campaign to produce a saint inspired, Catholic cartoon utilizing Kickstarter.com to fund the production.

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The production will focus on the virtue of courage in the life of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, and her devotion to Jesus on the Cross as her source of strength in times of persecution.

Kickstarter.com is a crowd-funding platform where anyone can help support a project in exchange for incentives also known as “backer rewards.” The rewards for supporting the project include everything from a DVD of the finished cartoon, to original artwork from the development of the project. The goal is to raise at least $60,000 to finish production and to help launch a marketing campaign for the film.

Here is a link to the project page: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/464375548/saint-kateri-tekakwitha-catholic-cartoon?ref=live

St. Augustine Larger than Life in Restless Heart: Watch Trailer

St. Augustine of Hippo is one of the Christian world’s most beloved and well-known saints. However, his amazing conversion and heroic life have not been told on the big screen … until now.

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