Come join us in the John Paul II Center for 9 Friday Evenings at 6:30 pm to watch some of the best acclaimed Catholic Movies or Catholic Issue Movies. Bring a Comfortable Camp Chair, grab some popcorn and a snack from our Youth and get ready to laugh, cry, and grow in faith as you watch these incredible stories. Following each movie, you will have the opportunity to reflect in an educational facilitated discussion of what insight into our beautiful Catholic faith you may have gained. Come and join in!

3 June 2022 – The Cardinal (1963, 2hr 55min) On his path to the College of Cardinals, Stephen Fermoyle (Tom Tryon), a newly ordained Catholic priest, is confronted with family, personal and social crises that cause him spiritual turmoil. First, his sister (Carol Lynley) conceives a child out of wedlock; then he is tempted away from the Church by a woman (Romy Schneider); later he contends with racial bigotry within the Church and encounters Nazism in Austria. Will Stephen overcome his trials and reach the rank of cardinal?

17 June 2022 – 6:30 pm – Trouble with Angels (1966, G, 111 min) St. Francis Academy for Girls used to be a quiet sedate convent school – quiet and sedate, that is, until it was invaded by its newest pupil, Mary Clancy. A coming-of-age story for two girls, Mary Clancy and Rachel Devery, who find themselves as students at the St. Francis Academy, a Catholic boarding school for girls. The story spans three years and follows the girls and their many pranks including setting off fire alarms, smoking cigars in the basement and putting bubble baths in the nuns’ sugar bowls. As the girls mature, they gain a greater respect for their teachers and the commitment and devotion required to be a nun, leading one of them to make a life changing decision.

24 June 2020 – 6:30 pm – My All American (2015 PG 1h 58m) From the writer of Hoosiers and Rudy, My All American tells the true story of Freddie Steinmark. Although deemed too small as an athlete, Freddie (Finn Wittrock) dreams of playing football and brings a fight to the game that is noticed by legendary coach Darrell Royal (Aaron Eckhart), leading to a scholarship to play college football. With dedication and grueling practices, a victorious season is within reach, but Freddie then receives a shocking diagnosis and discovers what it truly means to have a heart of a champion.

8 July, 6:30 pm – Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995, PG, 2hr 23 min) Acclaimed star Richard Dreyfuss gives the performance of a lifetime (1995 Academy Award(R)-nominee, Best Actor — MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS) in this uplifting hit cheered by audiences everywhere! Glenn Holland (Dreyfuss) is a passionate musician who dreams of composing one truly memorable piece of music. But reality intrudes when he reluctantly accepts a “day job” as a high school music teacher to support his family. In time, however, Mr. Holland realizes that his real passion is teaching, and his legacy is the generations of young people he inspires. — you’re sure to find this electrifying motion picture both entertaining … and unforgettable

22 July, 6:30 pm Family Special – Cinderella (2015 PG 1h 45m) When her father unexpectedly dies, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and her scheming stepsisters. Never one to give up hope, Ella’s fortunes begin to change after meeting a dashing stranger. Bishop Barron calls Kenneth Branagh’s “Cinderella” the most surprising Hollywood movie of 2021. He views this film as an allegory of the fall of the human race. God created us as beautiful, indeed in his own image and likeness, but through sin and the ministrations of the devil, we descended into dysfunction, and our beauty was covered over. Like God taking our sin from us and giving us his grace, the unmerited love of the prince indeed transformed Cinderella into a princess. Interestingly … Cinderella, upon escaping from the cruel oppression of her stepmother, turned not to curse her, but to offer a word of forgiveness. There could be no more compelling proof that she had thoroughly taken on the character of the bridegroom. Cinderella is a deeply Christian story.

5 August, 6:30 pm – Bella (2008, PG-13, 91 min) In the opening scene of Bella, there is a gorgeous view of the ocean surf with seagulls crying overhead. Eduardo Verastegui’s resonant accent is heard in a voice over, saying, “My mother always told me, ‘If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” An international soccer star (Eduardo Verástegui) is on his way to sign a multi-million-dollar contract when something happens that brings his career to an abrupt end. A waitress (Tammy Blanchard), struggling to make it in New York City, discovers something about herself that she’s unprepared for. In one irreversible moment, their lives are turned upside down…until an impetuous action brings them together and turns an ordinary day into an life-changing experience.

19 August, 6:30 pm – Father Stu (2022 R 2h 4m) Follows the true story of Father Stuart Long, a boxer-turned-priest who inspired countless people during his journey from self-destruction to redemption. Deeply moving, this dramatization of the life of Stuart Long (Mark Wahlberg) is also hard-edged, particularly in terms of its dialogue. Yet that’s part of the point. The movie is fundamentally about God’s ability to use seemingly unpromising people to do his will. It is also about the courage of one man to overcome every obstacle to become God’s instrument of grace in the world to everyone he encounters. Father Stu is a story of God’s providence and a life of vocation.

2 Sept – 6:30 pm – Saul: Journey to Damascus (2014, PG14, 1h 26m) This epic Biblical movie brings to life one of early Christianity’s most notable figures Saul of Tarsus. As a dedicated leader, Saul fights to defend his faith and traditions -his fanatical behavior reaching its climax when he organizes a brutal scheme to rid Judea of anyone who follows Christ, earning him the title Butcher of Tarsus. While on a mission, Saul is blinded, forced to re-evaluate his beliefs and transformed by the forgiveness of a woman. But joining the Christian ranks has deadly consequences as Saul must escape his former allies who want him to pay the ultimate price for his “betrayal”….death.

16 Sept 6:30pm – Risen (2016, PG13, 1h 47m) Roman military tribune Clavius (Joseph Fiennes) remains set in his ways after serving 25 years in the army. He arrives at a crossroad when he’s tasked to investigate the mystery of what happened to Jesus (Cliff Curtis) following the Crucifixion. Accompanied by trusted aide Lucius (Tom Felton), his quest to disprove rumors of a risen Messiah makes him question his own beliefs and spirituality. As his journey takes him to places never dreamed of, Clavius discovers the truth that he’s been seeking.