MARY'S DOWRY PRESENTS - As seen on EWTN - The Martyrs collection, volume one - 6 Catholic films

MARY'S DOWRY PRESENTS

THE MARTYRS COLLECTION - VOLUME ONE

Visit our online shop for a selection of authentically Catholic film biographies on the lives of the English Martyrs, as broadcast on EWTN, now available in sets.

Volume One of the Martyrs collection is compiled of a set of 6 DVD on the lives of:

Saint Edmund Campion: God's Champion

Saint Anne Line: The Safe House Keeper

 Saint Polydore Plasden - Defender of the Eucharist

 Saint Edmund Gennings: The Hunted Priest

Saint Swithun Wells: The Secret Mass Room

and Saint Margaret Ward

An informative, detailed and factual account of these Martyrs of England in an authentically Catholic and prayerful film experience - set in the Elizabethan Era.

Read more about our films here:

THE MARTYRS COLLECTION: VOLUME ONE

Individual DVDs on the lives of the Saints and English Martyrs are also available.

Filming for Saint Padre Pio - New film from Mary's Dowry Productions PART TWO, DVD, Catholic films

FILMING FOR SAINT PADRE PIO

PART TWO - FILMING DAY ONE

Our first filming day for our new film about Saint Padre Pio took place on October 4th, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. We recreated some selected imagery from the later years of Saint Padre Pio's life with the help of our 'Young Saint Padre Pio' actor's father (see previous post), who is also a relative of ours and who has portrayed various Saints and historical figures for Mary's Dowry Productions since 2008, including Saint Thomas More.

We were on location locally again in a former Catholic Church now used by the Anglican Church. It still has many beautiful features including a rood, altar rails, solid wood pews and a high altar as well as many Catholic features remaining unused such as an area to the right of the former High Altar where water used in the purification of the Sacred Vessels at Mass was disposed of through the wall to the earth. We have used this church with permission for several of our films.

As well as showing Saint Padre Pio in prayer, particularly praying the Rosary, we showed him seated in the choir loft, reading, continuing his spiritual correspondence and in one moment we showed him with a rose which he took out of a bunch of roses given to him and asked for it to be sent to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii.

These images will feature towards the latter half of our film about Saint Padre Pio which we will have available on DVD through our online shops.

Filming for these scenes took about an hour and a half and our actor captured the humility and peace of Saint Padre Pio in his later life as well as his continued suffering, profound prayer and mystical life. We hope to have our film completed by the end of the year (2017) or early 2018.

'SAINT PADRE PIO: PRAY HOPE AND DON'T WORRY'

by Mary's Dowry Productions

will be available through our online shop:

www.marysdowryproductions.org

and

www.marysdowryproductions.co.uk

Visit our online shops for a full listing of our Catholic films available worldwide on DVD.

Filming for Saint Padre Pio - new film from Mary's Dowry Productions - PART ONE of two filming days, DVD coming soon

FILMING FOR SAINT PADRE PIO (part one)

NEW FILM COMING SOON 

FROM MARY'S DOWRY PRODUCTIONS

Over the past several weeks we have been working on a new film from Mary's Dowry Productions about Saint Padre Pio. We love to recreate photographs or paintings of Saints and Martyrs for our films and have been pleased with our two specific filming days out on location for our own film about Saint Padre Pio. Our unique style is specifically intent upon capturing both the spiritual atmosphere and impression of a Saint and, where possible, physical similarities. For Saint Padre Pio, we wanted to have imagery of his early life as well as his later life.

The most famous and recognisable images of Saint Padre Pio are mainly from his later life. We recreated specific images and important/inspiring moments from Saint Padre Pio's latter life first, but for the purpose of this post we will share images from our second filming day, which focused upon Saint Padre Pio's early life, and in our following post we will share images and information about our first filming day, which focuses upon Saint Padre Pio's later life.

Our actor for 'Young Saint Padre Pio' is a member of our family and has portrayed many Saints for us over the past ten years, including Saint Nicholas Owen: The Priest Hole Maker, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Benedict of Nursia, Saint Simon Stock, Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne and Saint David of Wales. Now in his mid twenties he looks similar to Saint Padre Pio in early photographs.

We spent a good solid hour on location inside a local church capturing specific moments from Saint Padre Pio's life as best we could. There was a beautiful atmosphere of peace which made the whole filming excursion very prayerful.

To begin with, we filmed our young Saint Padre Pio in prayer, preaching, hearing confessions, praying the rosary, writing his spiritual correspondence, absorbed in celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, eating his sparse meals. We used various areas of the interior of the church as locations fitting for each of these. The church is an Anglican church, Catholic before the Protestant Reformation, so it was good to be working on such fundamentally Catholic Truths and spirituality in this beautiful building which is now used for worship in the Church of England.

Our emphasis was on the rosary throughout. In the narration, which is told in Saint Padre Pio's own words, we encounter much of Saint Padre Pio's thought and his mystical encounters with Our Lord. It was good to be able to linger upon Saint Padre Pio's spirituality, advice and the Sacraments.

Following an hour spent in the church, which was thankfully warm due to the unusual sunny day for November 1st, we gathered our props and costumes, cameras and tripods and set up a base in the church porch. We then spent half an hour in the church grounds, recreating several photographs of Saint Padre Pio as well as imagery for our narration.

  

After a costume change, we set about focusing upon military imagery. There is a photograph of Saint Padre Pio in the Italian Army where he suffered because of the swearing and blaspheming among the soldiers as well as his supernatural illnesses. We wanted to recreate this too for a small segment in our film.

 We also had our actor pray the rosary which we thought would be an effective element to see in this part of Saint Padre Pio's life.

Finally, another costume change, into some civilian clothing, to capture moments from the beginning of Saint Padre Pio's life. As a young man, Saint Padre Pio used to go away from the crowd, preferring to spend his time alone in prayer. Even as a boy he began to practice penance and acts of mortification, choosing to use a stone as his pillow. He also had conversations with Our Lord, Our Lady and his guardian angel. This was truly lovely to recreate with such an atmosphere of peace and prayer. It was a good conclusion to the afternoon filming.

The filming captured on this day will make up part of the first half or more of our film about Saint Padre Pio.

For the second half of our film, or latter part, we had filmed on 4th October, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, scenes and images of an older Saint Padre Pio. We were pleased that the filming days were arranged, by 'chance' for these specific Feast Days - the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi and the Feast of All Saints - we like to ask for the assistance of the Saints during our film production work so these days were significant. 

We are also blessed to have a 1st Class relic of Saint Francis of Assisi, given to our Apostolate by the Poor Clares in Arundel several years ago, so this came with us on both filming days!

Read about our first filming day for Saint Padre Pio in our next post.

Our film

'SAINT PADRE PIO - PRAY, HOPE AND DON'T WORRY'

will be available on DVD from

www.marysdowryproductions.org

and

www.marysdowryproductions.co.uk

This month we remember Saint Richard Gwyn, one of the 40 Martyrs of England and Wales

Saint Richard Gwyn is one of the 40 Martyrs of England and Wales, executed during the Elizabethan Era for refusing to deny the Catholic Faith. He was interested in history and studied the Welsh Bards. The Welsh Bards were especially known for using song and rhyme to keep alive the persecuted Truths of the Catholic Faith. Saint Richard Gwyn, a school teacher, husband and father, imitated their style and is most famous for his own poetry and outspoken defense of the Catholic Faith in Wales.

After being hunted, fleeing with his family, keeping good cheer and driving Protestant preachers and judges to frustration with his blunt and sometimes humorous banter, he was executed in Wrexham Market on 15th October 1581 aged 47. His feast day is celebrated on 16th October and in some places on 17th.

We were keen to produce a film about this great Welsh Catholic Martyr that not only gives a biography of Saint Richard Gwyn's life but also looks at the Welsh Bards and Catholicism in Wales during the persecutions.

There is only one portrait of Saint Richard Gwyn (seen on the cover of our DVD) so we recreated our own visuals for this film. 

We loved the contemplative spirit that he kept with him constantly amidst his family life, writings, debates, arrests and imprisonment.

www.marysdowryproductions.org 

NEW FILM RELEASE - Blessed BARTOLO LONGO, the former Satanist who became the Apostle of the Rosary, Bartolo Longo

BLESSED BARTOLO LONGO

Now available on DVD

Our NEW FILM about Blessed Bartolo Longo is now available on DVD worldwide through our online shops:

www.marysdowryproductions.co.uk

and

www.marysdowryproductions.org

Bartolo Longo was an Italian lawyer who, while studying for his law degree in Naples, Italy, drifted away from his childhood Catholic Faith, was influence by the anti-Catholic thoughts in the university and fell into occult practices. His search for meaning in life drew him towards Spiritualism which was popular among the students in the college. His experiences with the occult, New Age practices and Mediums attracted the demonic. Bartolo eventually decided that he wanted to be the one to communicate with these beings. He joined a Satanic cult, was ordained into the order and received an evil spirit who communicated with him about everything, often giving him contradictory answers and information. Gradually Bartolo was living a life of terror, nightmares and darkness. The prayers of his family assisted his escape from the occult. A Dominican priest gradually led Bartolo back to the Truth through Confession and exorcisms of his mind. On the Feast of the Sacred Heart Bartolo Longo was reconciled to the Catholic Church and longed to give his life totally to God. Our Lady guided him. After much searching, Bartolo was inspired to help catechize the people in Pompeii and build them a church. Over the years, the church became a famous Shrine to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii and a Basilica where the miraculous painting of Our Lady of the Rosary in housed. Bartolo wrote many works about the Rosary, the Fifteen Saturdays devotion, and led a long life spreading devotion to Our Lady.

Blessed Bartolo Longo's experience with the occult and demonic activities, influence and deception makes him a powerful teacher against the dangers of the New Age. In this film we cover many aspects of the New Age that have crept into Catholic Churches, parishes, schools and sometimes convents and monasteries. We look at Church documents and statements that clarify the Church's teachings against practices such as Reki, Labyrinth, Astrology, Horoscopes, Yoga etc...

Bartolo Longo had a very deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus after joining a prayer group dedicated to the Sacred Heart. He had a very special love for Our Lady and advocating the power of the Most Holy Rosary which earned him the title of APOSTLE OF THE ROSARY.

Our film about Blessed Bartolo Longo runs for 50 minutes.

Our unique film production style has been praised for not only presenting facts and biographical information but a prayerful and spiritual film experience

AVAILABLE NOW - OCTOBER 2017

SOLDIER OF THE CROSS - Saint Alexander Briant, English Martyr

SOLDIER OF THE CROSS

SAINT ALEXANDER BRIANT - ENGLISH MARYTR

When Father Alexander Briant was arrested, his thoughts were immediately drawn to the Cross. His had been a mission where the Cross had always been present. He had had to leave England to study for the priesthood and return as a hunted man. His journeys would have taken place in all sorts of weather, oftentimes cold, wet, uncomfortable and he would have rested or slept often without a roof over his head. He could not wear his cassock in public if he wished to maintain his missionary work for he would have been arrested and the people would have been deprived of the outlawed Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. His heart would have been saddened to see the destruction of England's Catholic heritage about him and the majority of Elizabethans following the State Church. There were times of joy when he reconciled Protestants to the True Faith, heard Confessions, administered the outlawed Sacraments, but he knew he would one day be captured and so, like Our Lord, he kept the Cross, his final destination, always before his eyes.

Once in his prison cell, Saint Alexander carved a small Cross out of wood which he held with him at his trial. Before that, he was subjected to torture on the infamous rack. While suffering, he united himself to the sufferings of Christ and afterward manged to write to his superior that it seemed to him as though he experienced the hidden stigmata. He no longer felt the pains of the rack. He was profoundly moved.

St. Alexander Briant was chosen to be executed with St. Edmund Campion and St. Ralph Sherwin at the Tyburn gallows, December 1581.

He was a serene presence for both priests who suffered before him and the crowd came to look upon the young Fr. Briant as an angel for his face was radiant with light. He earned his crown of martyrdom on December 1st and was canonized a Saint in 1970.

Our unique film production style has been praised for not only presenting facts and biographical information but a prayerful and spiritual film experience.

Our film about Saint Alexander Briant is available through our online shops:

www.marysdowryproductions.co.uk

and

www.marysdowryproductions.org

Shipping worldwide.

From a young Catholic boy in Somerset to a hunted missionary priest in the City of London, St. Alexander Briant gained a reputation throughout Elizabethan England for being a Catholic force of good. He preached the Truths of the Faith not only during his celebration of the outlawed Mass, the priesthood and the Sacraments but in the shining example of his young, fervent life. Father Alexander Briant traveled the country in disguise, sharing hidden lodgings with Fr Robert Persons who organised great Catholic missions for the hunted missionary priests. Although he was eventually arrested, his time before his trial and death was spent showing everyone the power of prayer. He declared that he was a Soldier of the Cross and stood like an angel of encouragement for his fellow Martyr Saint Edmund Campion. 

Saint Alexander Briant is one of the 40 Martyrs of England and Wales. 

St. Francis - A Legacy of fire and blood - Saint Francis of Assisi, Feast Day 4th October, Mary's Dowry Productions 2011 DVD

SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI

A LEGACY OF FIRE AND BLOOD

DVD

His heart was on fire with such love of God that Saint Francis has been compared to the Seraphim. His love was so profound that he shed his own blood through the gift of the stigmata, bearing the Wounds of Christ in his hands, feet and side.

Our 2011 film about Saint Francis of Assisi is a good way to journey prayerful and spiritually with Saint Francis while refreshing ourselves with the details and events of his life and mission. Not all of us are called to give such a striking witness of our conversion and love of God and although Saint Francis stands out in an almost extreme way, his message is profoundly simple.

We are called to imitate him in our own unique journeys in the way that God calls each of us, and Saint Francis is a powerful guide to help us along that path daily.

Someone recently wrote to us to thank us for our style of film, saying 'I hate films about the Saints (but) this is how films should be done. Mary's Dowry, great job!'

It is true that we put a great deal of trust in filmmakers and many films can be off-putting especially when they deal with matters of our precious Faith.

Our film production style offers a personal way to encounter a Saint or English Martyr.

Saint Francis of Assisi DVD blurb:

He was "the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation." (- Pope Francis).

In this film we look at the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, probably the most popular Saint in the Catholic Church. He was an Italian Roman Catholic friar, deacon and preacher. He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of Saint Clare, the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land and remains one of the most venerated religious figures in history, not because of his achievements but because of his life and message of simplicity, love and peace as well as his profound love for the Church, the Passion of Christ and his great example of prayer.

We journey with Saint Francis through his whole life including his conversion, his miracles, prayers, devotions and his legacy which is especially relevant today.

In 2007 Mary’s Dowry productions created a new form of film media to present the lives of the saints. Mary’s Dowry Productions recreates stunning silent visuals, informative, devotional narration, and original contemplative music that touches your spirit to draw you into a spiritual encounter with the saint. Watch with your spiritual eye, listen with your spiritual ear. Our films seek to offer a window into the lives of our saints. Using your spiritual senses we invite you to shut out the world, sit prayerfully and peacefully and go on a journey of faith, history and prayer with this Holy Saint and Founder.

Length and Format:

The film runs for 45 minutes and is available on Region Free DVD worldwide.

www.marysdowryproductions.org

NEW film, Catholic DVD, Saint Aidan of Linisfarne, the Apostle of the English

NEW DVD

SAINT AIDAN OF LINDISFARNE

The Apostle of the English

Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne is known as the Apostle of the English. This inspiring Irish monk is most famous for his missions to the British from Lindisfarne, also known as Holy Island. His specific approach to evangelization was met with great success due to his own personal witness of faith and piety. In our new film,we look at Saint Aidan's life and mission as well as Saint Bega of Bees who is linked to Bishop Aidan, Celtic Christianity in the history of the British Isles, the great Precepts of the Church and Lindisfarne today.

We have wanted to produce a film about Saint Aidan for years. This film has been in production for two years and we are pleased to finally have it stocked in our online shops and through AMAZON. Not only is this a good way to learn and appreciate Saint Aidan's life and mission, but it is a devotional resource for one of our great British Saints.

Saint Aidan's method of evangelization was fruitful due to his simple, clear preaching of the Truths of the Faith and the Catholic Church. We take a look at the Precepts of the Church in a likewise way, a useful tool for people today who are not aware of our obligations as Catholics in the life of Faith.

As well as looking at Saint Aidan's life and walking his missions with him, we explore the facts about Celtic Christianity as well as its myths and legends, leading us to the present day and how Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne remains a shining light of truth and inspiration for the English and the Universal Church.

Our film about Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne is now stocked in our online shops and through AMAZON under our seller profile Mary's Dowry.

Direct link to our online shop IS HERE:

SAINT AIDAN OF LINDISFARNE DVD

Celebrate Fatima 100 - NEW Fatima 'fridge magnets' - set of 5 Holy Reminders exclusively from Mary's Dowry Productions

CELEBRATE FATIMA 100

NEW set of 5 quality fridge magnets from Mary's Dowry Productions

We are currently re-stocking our popular sets of fridge magnets which will be appearing in our online shops and AMAZON over the next few weeks, especially as we draw near to the close of the Year of Fatima. Our set of 5 'Fatima' fridge magnets have always been popular as gifts or for personal use and we love these Holy Reminders on our own fridges at our homes.

Our line of Saints and Historical fridge magnets discontinued several years ago due to cost effective production problems but we are pleased to be able to re-start these items and stock them once more as materials and production costs have improved.

Fridge Magnets are a great way to have a Holy Reminder present in our kitchens.

Each magnet size is 6cm x 4 cm

Durable plastic with large flat magnet set in the back of each.

We use fast and reliable postage in secure, padded packaging exclusively from the United Kingdom. Many people have been adding a set to a DVD order in our online shops for good value in postage, especially to the USA. 

The FATIMA 100 set can be seen and purchased here:

FATIMA 100

Celebrate FATIMA100 with a set of 5 quality Fatima fridge magnets comprising 1 each of: 

Our Lady of Fatima
The Three Shepherd Children
Lucia dos Santos
Saint Jacinta Marto
Saint Francisco Marto.

Browse through our DVDs at our online shop for films about St. Jacinta of Fatima, St. Francisco of Fatima and many more Saints and Historical figures celebrating our Catholic faith and heritage.

www.marysdowryproductions.org

A priest's defense of the Most Holy Eucharist - Elizabethan England, English Martyr, Saint Polydore Plasden

A Priest's Defense of the Most Holy Eucharist

SAINT POLYDORE PLASDEN

ENGLISH MARTYR

In 2010, Mary's Dowry Productions produced three films, intricately linked, on the lives and missions of three English Martyrs, who were also three friends: Saint Edmund Gennings, Saint Swithun Wells and Saint Polydore Plasden. Saint Swithun was an Elizabethan gentleman with connections to Shakespeare, who left his countryside sporting life to relocate to the heart of London. There he established a safe house for hunted Catholic priests complete with a hidden, upstairs secret room where the outlawed Mass could be offered. 

Two missionary priests and friends, Saint Edmund Gennings (24 years old) and Saint Polydore Plasden (28 years old) traveled to Swithun's home in Autumn of 1591 where they greeted once more Swithun, his wife, daughter and staff, and stayed at the safe house to offer Mass.

It was during Mass that Queen Elizabeth I's chief priest-hunter, a ruthless torturer named Richard Topcliffe, stormed the house with an army of men to arrest all in attendance, especially the two priests. Young Father Polydore bargained with Topcliffe at the door that should they be permitted to finish Mass they would go quietly with him. Surprisingly, the priest catcher agreed.

Father Polydore took meticulous care to consume every fragment and particle of the Most Holy Eucharist and purify every sacred vessel used in the Holy Sacrifice, knowing that Topcliffe was waiting to drag he and Father Edmund to the Tower to torture and then execute them both. Despite imminent terror and crushing oppression, this devout, calm and deeply reverent English priest was determined that the Most Holy Eucharist would not be subjected to sacrilege or desecration at the hands of the impious Topcliffe and his men.

Father Polydore Plasden, along with Father Edmund Gennings, several laymen and women, servants and Swithun's wife, were taken under guard to be questioned, imprisoned and tortured.

On a cold, dreary December morning, Saint Polydore joyfully went to his death, parting with his friends, Saint Edmund and Saint Swithun who were executed outside Saint Swithun's house, to the infamous Tyburn Triple gallows.

Saint Polydore Plasden's incredible witness to the Catholic Faith at the gallows so moved the crowd that among them, Sir Walter Raleigh, stepped up to stop the execution. He sent a message to the Queen to spare Father Polydore, but the Queen refused. Sir Walter Raleigh insisted that this brave, young Catholic priest be allowed to hang until dead before his body was brutally butchered.

Our films about these heroic witnesses to the Faith are available on DVD through our online shop.

As seen on EWTN

www.marysdowryproductions.org