Faith & Film Night: The Long Walk Home

Tomorrow's film presentation is The Long Walk Home. The film, which stars Sissy Spacek and Whoopi Goldberg, centers around a white family in Montgomery, Alabama, during the beginning of the civil rights movement. The following is a great treatment of the film from Amazon.com:

"This underrated 1990 film directed by Richard Pearce (Country, Leap of Faith) features exceptionally nuanced performances by both Sissy Spacek (Coal Miner's Daughter) and Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost).... Spacek plays a Southern socialite who becomes gradually enlightened by the plight of her housekeeper, played by Whoopi Goldberg, as she struggles to raise her family amid the increasing turmoil, prejudice, and violence around her. A well-done treatment of an important period of American history, The Long Walk Home is an effective and accurate period drama. It is also an opportunity to see fine, understated performances by two very popular actresses in an earnest and socially conscious setting." --Robert Lane

I can't embed the trailer here, but you can see it by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post. This is going to be a great film to discuss, and we look forward to viewing it with you. Please join us tomorrow, Friday evening, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi955646233/

Please Join Our Lectio Divina Group

We are still in the initial stages of organizing our Lectio Divina group, which meets every other Tuesday to read and pray the Scriptures together. Our next meeting time is tomorrow, October 27th, at 6:30 p.m. Please consider joining us; you will be amazed by the power and grace of God's Word to daily transform your life.

The saints knew this, which is why they steeped themselves in the scriptures. So must we.

"To get the full flavor of an herb, it must be pressed between the fingers, so it is the same with the Scriptures; the more familiar they become, the more they reveal their hidden treasures and yield their indescribable riches" (St. John Chrysostom, A.D. 347-407).

Upcoming Book Signing Event

We are pleased to announce that we will be hosting Fr. Andrews Amritharaj, author of the book From a Spiritual Perspective--Life is Meaningful, for a book signing here in our Pauline Center on Friday, October 30th, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Father teaches moral theology and spirituality at St. Patrick's Seminary and University in Menlo Park and is associate pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel in San Leandro.

Please plan on joining us to meet Fr. Andrews and find out a little about his new book.

Sr. Kelly's First Profession of Vows

I'm sure many of you remember our novice, Sr. Kelly, who was with us for several months last year. Well, you'll be pleased to know that at the end of August she professed her first vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience as a Daughter of St. Paul! Her religious profession name is Sr. Kelly Andrew Marie, and we are blessed to welcome our newest professed sister to our province.

For those of you who are interested, we are happy to share with you two videos of the profession ceremony that were done by one of our sisters in Boston. The second video contains the actual profession of vows. Enjoy, and please keep Sr. Kelly and all religious vocations in your prayers!

We Need Your Help

Our Marketing Department in Boston has just added a great new feature to their blog: reader polls. They've put up a poll this week about social networking book sites.

If you have a chance to respond to this very brief poll, it will help them with the feedback they need to create the best possible online experience for you, our privileged customers and friends. And if you get a chance, please visit our new website, which is currently in development.

Two New Saints' Biographies

This Sunday, October 11th, Pope Benedict will canonize two new saints: Jeanne Jugan, foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor, and Fr. Damien, the famous leper-priest of Molokai. Both of these persons lived heroic, selfless lives that serve as models of inspiration and holiness for others.

We at Pauline Books & Media are very pleased to announce that we have two new publications available on these saints. Song of Silence: The Journey of St. Jeanne Jugan, details the incredible ordeal the saint underwent in establishing her community--including repeated betrayals and rejection (to the point that she was not recognized as the foundress of her own Order until after her death). Still, she clung to faith and transformed her trials into a path toward holiness. St. Damien de Veuster, Missionary of Molokai is a 32-page booklet that includes a brief biography and novena prayers to the extraordinary priest who gave his life for the lepers of Hawaii.

Stop by the Center today to learn more about these two remarkable individuals who are the newest canonized saints of the Church.

Faith & Film Night: The Kid

The next feature film presentation in our Lights, Camera...Faith series is Disney's The Kid, starring Bruce Willis. This film ties in with the liturgical readings for this coming Sunday, the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

If you haven't seen it yet, this is a charming comedic film with important life themes. Here's a great write-up about it from Amazon.com, followed by the trailer. Please join us this Friday, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Disney's The Kid

Russ Duritz (Bruce Willis) is an ultra-cynical, 40-year-old L.A. image consultant who fashions bogus façades for scumbag clients. Oblivious to his own need for a makeover, he's a tyrant in the office (to the chagrin of his sarcastic assistant, played to perfection by Lily Tomlin), and he's emotionally unavailable to the morally centered woman (Emily Mortimer) who senses goodness beneath Russ's hardened veneer. Not a moment too soon, a pudgy kid (Spencer Breslin) mysteriously appears in Russ's life, revealing himself to be Rusty Duritz--that is, Russ's 8-year-old self, arriving by some magic to put the adult Russ's life into beneficial perspective. This variation on A Christmas Carol has Rusty guiding Russ on a tour of his past to reveal how he became a loveless, hard-shelled loser. It takes a bit of smarmy chicken-soup psychology to explain it all, but The Kid is an otherwise charming and involving fantasy, suggesting that perhaps we'd all benefit from a bit of counseling by our younger selves. Written with admirable restraint by Audrey Wells (who brought a similar appeal to The Truth About Cats and Dogs) and directed by Jon Turteltaub (Cool Runnings), the movie doesn't force its supernatural elements or attempt to explain Rusty's existence. It's just a fable for our modern age and a reminder to embrace the better angels of our nature. Delivered with an easy blend of humor and sentiment, that message makes The Kid an unexpected pleasure. (Look closely for Matthew Perry as Willis's shaggy-haired client.) --Jeff Shannon