3 Awesome Catholic Movies

Since my husband and I turned off our television set for lent, we thought that it would be a good opportunity to explore that shelf of Catholic movies that we have never found the time to watch. I was pleasantly surprised by each of them-- I definitely did not expect to enjoy these films so much! If you haven't seen the following, drop what you are doing immediately, head to amazon.com and click on buy (or update your Netflix queue).

1) Into Great Silence- This documentary of the Carthusian monks provides a fascinating and inspiring glimpse of the order's contemplative way of life. The monks live a life of solitude, silence, poverty, fasting and prayer. One aspect about their daily schedule that I found most interesting was that they pray their matins every night from 11:30pm until 2 or 3am. I thought parenthood was the only sleep-challenging vocation!

2) Molokai: The Story of Father Damien- This biography tells the heroic story of Saint Damien, the first missionary priest who went to the Hawaiian leper colony of Molokai. Knowing that he would never be allowed to leave the miserable island, Father Damien brings the love and hope of Christ to the sick and exiled, caring for their bodies and their souls.

3) Padre Pio: Miracle Man-- This made-for-TV movie surprised me the most. It was almost four hours long, but I honestly could have watch it for even longer! The film tells the beautiful story of Saint Pio, a great modern saint who, as he describes, witnessed many of God's miracles. Experiencing this excellent movie felt more like a meditation than a form of entertainment.