Dear Confirmation Class Parents:

The summer would be a great time for your teens to watch some inspiring saint movies to help make a decision about a Confirmation name.

I find Ignatius Press has many wonderful videos that are well worth seeing where the Saints are presented as normal, struggling individuals, who, like all of us, struggle to make the right decisions. I know the St. Francis Spiritual Reading Center has a number of these videos. I also recently saw how Formed.Org (which carries many of them) has a 7-day free trial. When you know your teen will have plenty of free time, you could have him/her binge watch for that week and view as many Saint movies online as they can during that week. Then you can cancel. When you sign up temporarily, you would sign up as an individual. This is only a suggestion. You may have other avenues of finding these movies. I know the Knights of Columbus obtain many of their videos, etc. from Lighthouse Media.

The class saw a St. Maria Goretti movie in January which was both moving and inspiring. These movies are that same kind and I know they enjoyed that.

Some of these movies are long and should be seen in two parts.

Here are a few of my favorites.

The first four are videos of young people searching for their paths and struggling to make the right decisions. Joan of Arc (2016) Leelee Sobieski

Clare and Francis (2007) Mary Petruolo and Ettore Basso

Mary of Nazareth - Alisa Jung – first half of movie

Pope John Paul II - Jon Voight and Ben Gazzara – first half of movie (only John Paul II movies appeared in categories, so I had to SEARCH and type in Pope John Paul II to get the version I love)

Other movies I know they would enjoy and hope they have the chance to see and be inspired: Mother Teresa – Olivia Hussey

St. John Bosco, Mission to Love – a saint who worked with children living on the streets of Italy.

St. Philip Neri, I Prefer Heaven – saint with a good sense of humor

Some of the movies I have also enjoyed and know they would find inspiring:

Bakhita, From Slave to Saint

St. Rita of Cassia, No Cause is Ever Lost

If you do get on Formed.org temporarily you will have to scroll down quite a bit to find the Saints videos and then go looking through one of these categories: Movie Night, Modern Day Saints (I personally don’t find the John Paul II movies in this section most interesting for the teens), Saints of History, and Men and Women of Faith.

After I preview some more of these movies, I will send out an email letting you know what I think your teen will find most interesting and inspiring.

Blessings.

Sr. Karen