THE
P RTAL
August 2012
an Ordinariate
Film Evening
It’s a
way of raising funds – and it’s also a good way to bring
people together, and to enjoy some superb films that we might not
otherwise see.
It began at the 2011 Towards
Advent Festival at Westminster
Cathedral Hall. Mgr Keith was
one of the speakers, and we met in
the hall as I was scurrying about
organising things. “Is everything
all right for your talk?” I asked.
“Yes, of course...” he answered
“But I’m not worried about that.
What I’m interested in is the DVD
you’re carrying. I’ve been wanting
to watch that film for ages!”
Coming soon to a
parish near you...
Page 6
na
wri tes
a great number of excellent films
“Let’s do more” was the general cry after this,
so we certainly shall. There are a great number of
truly excellent films that deserve to be watched
in a communal and Catholic setting. Here are
some for starters: Of Gods and men, the powerful
depiction of the heroic monks martyred in
Algeria in the 1990s, The Scarlet and the Black,
the classic film starring Gregory Peck as the
wartime Monsignor who helped Allied prisoners
and others in Rome, I Confess, the ultimate
priest-can’t-reveal-confessional-secrets story, The
It was an American film about Blessed John Paul, not Keys of the Kingdom, The Song of Bernadette, A Man
easily available in Britain, and I had been showing a for All Seasons ... and that’s before we even get to Bing
short clip from it as part of another talk at Towards Crosby and Going My Way and The Bells of St Mary’s
Advent. There and then I decided that we’d have an and all that, and epics such as The Robe ... Then think
Ordinariate Film evening, and enjoy John Paul.
about some of the TV stuff that is now available on
DVD – Brideshead, anyone? Brother Cadfael?
everyone enjoyed the film
The evening we booked turned out to be bitterly
cold, and numbers were disappointing. But everyone
enjoyed the film, and the whole event went well. We
raised quite a bit from sales of coffee and cake. The next
was held at Croydon – in the (glorious and beautiful)
church which the Ordinariate group had long loved
and cherished and from which they were shortly to
embark on a new pilgrimage...We had extremely good
numbers on this occasion, lovely refreshments, a very
special atmosphere.
all very high-tech
Next came Balham, in the Holy Ghost parish in
Nightingale Square where young deacon – oops, now
Father – James Bradley was then staying. We used the
excellent facilities at Visitation House, right next to the
church– all very high-tech with drop-down screen etc.
– and everyone enjoyed snacks as they settled to watch
the film, which was actually another one about JPII, a
different version.
A decent venue is essential
Interested? The mix is: pleasant venue, wine, coffee
(NOTINSTANT! The Real Thing!), light snacks, decent
chairs, friendly chat and prompt start. It does require
organising, and there are pitfalls (DVD gets stuck,
screen is a nightmare to handle, etc.) And a LOT of
good advance publicity in the parish and surrounding
parishes is required, otherwise you get “Oh, if I’d
known I’d have loved to come...I’ve always wanted to
see that film” etc. A decent venue is essential – doesn’t
have to be large, could even be someone’s home.
No fixed fee, this isn’t a commercial thing, and in any
case the film itself is free – it’s the coffee and snacks
etc. for which people offer a donation. And the aim
isn’t just to have a get-together or even to put some
modest funding into the Ordinariate coffers: it’s also
to offer the opportunity of enjoying something worth
watching. Contact me at [email protected]
if you think this could work for your group.