Filming day in Arundel - Shrine of Saint Philip Howard, Castle, town and Newman

Mary's Dowry Productions was out and about in Arundel this morning filming all of the presentation segments needed for our film production about John Henry Newman. We started the session off at Arundel train station where a paragraph from our film speaks about Newman travelling by train when the first tracks were laid throughout England and his amusing letters and observances he recorded, showing his humour and personality.

Emily was our presenter. She narrates most of our films and presented out film about Our Lady of Walsingham from Arundel back in 2012. We love to bring the English Martyrs into our films and John Henry Newman has links with Arundel. It was Henry, the 15th Duke of Norfolk, who encouraged Pope Leo XIII to give Newman the Cardinal hat.

Duke Henry also built Arundel Cathedral which was first dedicated to Our Lady and Saint Philip Neri due to the Duke's personal devotion to Saint Philip Neri, having been educated at the Oratory school under Newman, who was an Oratorian.

We spent half an hour in the Cathedral filming some relevant segments at the Shrine of Saint Philip Howard, who is an ancestor of the Duke of Norfolk. Newman had a great love for the English Martyrs and the history of England and the English Martyrs is crucial to Newman's biography.

As well as a beautiful statue of Saint Philip Neri opposite the Shrine of Saint Philip Howard, there are some excellent stained glass windows showing many scenes from the life of Saint Philip Neri and information about Saint Philip Howard too.

Our next stop was to present some segments in the town and outside the church of Saint Nicholas at the top of the hill too. Being out and about making our films always brings us in contact with people who ask questions about what we are filming. We were able to talk about John Henry Newman and his upcoming canonization with several people. All of them had heard of Newman, some through the schools in our local area that are named after him.

Arundel is a great place to film for Mary's Dowry Productions because it is the Cathedral of our Diocese and the cathedral, castle, town and many buildings have significant links to Catholicism.

Now that the presentation has been acquired the next step in the film-making process is to record the rest of the narration. We also have a friend and narrator currently recording the words and quotes of Newman at the BBC for us which will be sent through to add to the film over the next week or two.

Going out and about in costume or for presentation is the hardest part for Mary's Dowry Productions with the most effort needed. We're pleased with the result and look forward to putting our DVD about John Henry Newman together soon!

Hanging in Arundel castle is the original painting of John Henry Newman in his cardinal robes painted in 1881 by Sir John Everett Millais. There are also other objects inside such as a beautiful statue of Saint Cecilia given by Newman to Duke Henry. There is a fascinating and important bond between the English Martyrs, England as Mary's Dowry, Duke Henry, Pope Pius XI, Pope Leo XIII, Blessed Dominic Barberi, Saint Dominic Savio and lots more which will be explained and shared in this NEW film about the life of our soon to be NEW Saint, John Henry Newman.

Check back for more updates!