FILMS AND BOOKS

A book by Sr. Caroline Hemesath, SSF, “From Slave to Priest,” tells the true story of a man born in bondage who escaped the South as a child, gained freedom under the Emancipation Proclamation, battled prejudice, and whose irrepressible faith led him to an unspeakable triumph — the priesthood.

In hindsight, it’s easy to see why “Les Misérables” didn’t win best picture at the Academy Awards this year. Jean Valjean, played by Hugh Jackman, is essentially a pacifist. “The man of mercy,” as his foe eventually calls him, forgives 70 times 7.

Literary critics, the world over, write critiques and reviews of novels every day. Catholic novels are something different or we wouldn’t label them “Catholic.” We can suppose that such novels contain our particular set of beliefs and practices and we know that all Catholic novels teach some kind of lesson.

NEW YORK (CNS) -- In the end, Roger Ebert's doubts about his Catholic faith may not have been what really mattered. Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral was, after all, the chosen venue for his April 8 funeral Mass, and it was packed to the rafters.

If we haven’t heard by now, we should take the time to learn: all things are connected. For example, in the American Church, studies from Catholic University paint a dismal picture — approximately 35 percent of professed Catholics surveyed don’t believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Many years ago, in Quezon City, the governing General Chapter of the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans, established four priorities with which the order would pursue preaching in the postmodern world.

We’ve all read and heard the story of 12-year-old Jesus accompanying Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem for the annual Passover feast (Luke 2:41-52). Like any party with a whole gaggle of friends and relatives, even the best of parents lose track of their kids.

He’s a rockstar, literally bigger than life. His red cassock glows with the love of the Church. He’s a small town boy made good, real good, and this year he sat down with one-hundred and fourteen other cardinals to elect a new pope after Benedict XVI abdicated due to poor health, AND, he was elected president of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops.

Since the advent of cinema in the late 1800s, faith has been treated on film in a wide variety of ways, from the respectful to the satiric. With the church's observance of the Year of Faith continuing, here in alphabetical order are capsule reviews of 10 films that engage with this often elusive topic in an accomplished and illuminating manner. Sometimes directly, in other cases only by subtle implication, these screen parables provide viewers with insights into the nature of faith — as well as its effects.

While it’s often referred to as “the civil rights movement,” the network that promoted the equal treatment of all human beings is actually a series of movements. “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” which tells the story of a White House servant, fleshes out some of those complexities.