June 22-24: Activities around the Phoenix Diocese plus TV, film options.
Fortnight for Freedom — A two-week, nationwide period of prayer, education and action in support of religious freedom. Details.
8:30 a.m. June 22 at St. Thomas More Parish in Glendale. Mass with Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted.
9 a.m. June 24 at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix. Mass with Bishop Olmsted. Also carried live on TV.
10 a.m. June 24 at St. John the Baptist Parish in Laveen (map). Mass with Bishop Eduardo A. Nevares.

Rummage Sale — June 22-June 23 at St. Thomas The Apostle Parish in Phoenix. Find deals on housewares, furniture, appliances, computers, tools, clothing, jewelry, books, toys, home decor and more. Hours: 7 a.m.-2 p.m. June 22 and 7 a.m.-1 p.m. June 23.
The parish’s Sodality chapter is hosting its annual sale with funds benefiting activities including meals to the homeless, shelter and pro-life outreach and scholarships.

Donate blood — Drop by before/after Mass or make an appointment June 24 at the following parishes:
St. Anne in Gilbert 7 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
St. Andrew in Chandler 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
St. Rose in Anthem 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Santa Teresita in El Mirage 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

FILM and TV OPTIONS

“Brave” — in theaters June 22. Reviews from Catholic News Service and Decent Films.
This 3-D animated adventure about a Scottish princess carries a worthy reminder for rambunctious teens: evil actions have dire consequences. Pixar’s first fairy tale and its darkest film to date, according to Catholic News Service.

“Dolphin Tale” — 8-10 p.m. EDT June 23 on HBO. The true story of Winter, a dolphin which received the first artificial tail, is brought to the screen in this 2011 family-friendly film that offers lessons in faith, perseverance, and respect for persons — and animals — with disabilities. Reviews from Catholic News Service and Decent Films Guide.
Eleven-year-old Sawyer (Nathan Gamble) finds Winter washed up on a beach, badly injured from a fishing trap. His new friend is transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, run by Dr. Clay Haskett (Harry Connick Jr.) and his father, Reed (a very grizzled Kris Kristofferson), with a little help from Clay’s young daughter, Hazel (Cozi Zuehlsdorff). When Winter’s tail is amputated, his survival is threatened, until Dr. Cameron McCarthy (Morgan Freeman), a master of prosthetics, decides to take on the challenge. A refreshing diversion for the entire family. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

“The Circus” — 8-9:30 p.m. EDT June 24 on TCM. Charles Chaplin wrote, directed, produced and starred in this 1928 silent feature for which he has written a musical score as well as a song for the sound version. Charlie, on the run from the police, hides in the circus and becomes a prop man but inadvertently proves funnier than the clowns. He falls in love with the bareback rider (Merna Kennedy) but she loves the high-wire artist and the circus goes on leaving Charlie walking off alone. Admittedly not his best, it is nevertheless a real gem of comic invention and sympathetic understanding of human nature and the human condition. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was G — general audiences. All ages admitted.

“The Help” — 10 p.m.-midnight June 24 on Showtime. This warm, deftly acted 2011 drama compellingly portrays the efforts of a rebellious white Southerner and would-be journalist (Emma Stone) to write a book documenting the lives of group of black housemaids (most prominently Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer) in her hometown of Jackson, Miss., in the early 1960s. To complete this secret and potentially dangerous project, the novice reporter braves the opposition of her good-hearted but traditional-minded mother (Allison Janney) and the wildly racist thinking of her privileged peers (personified most viciously by Bryce Dallas Howard). Reviews from Catholic News Service and Decent Films Guide.
Writer-director Tate Taylor’s adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel uses vivid characterizations to bring the Civil Rights-era struggle for human dignity alive. But a harsh scatological plot development marks this as off-limits for younger viewers, who might otherwise benefit from its generally uplifting story, and will even be off-putting for many adults. Graphic scatological theme, brief violence and medical gore, veiled sexual references, a half-dozen uses each of profanity and crude language, a few racial slurs. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

“Aquinas College: Dr. Peter Kreeft, Prof. Eduardo Echeverria.” — 10-11 p.m. EDT June 24 on EWTN.  Speakers at Aquinas College’s Evangelizing the Culture Conference in Grand Rapids, Mich., include Boston College professor Peter Kreeft and professor Eduardo Echeverria of Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. Part of the series “EWTN on Location.”