It’s summertime and since I don’t often find much programming of value on TV this time of year — except to marvel at the varying gifts God bestowed on His people while watching “America’s Got Talent” — I’m offering some other programming options that should be of a higher value.
Most of them have to do with spiritual mothers and fathers.
[quote_box_right]RELATED: Interview with actress who portrayed Mother Teresa in the 2003 film[/quote_box_right]”Mother Teresa” — First half of a two-part documentary about the life of the woman who called herself, “a pencil in God’s hands.”
Documentary airs 5-6:30 p.m. June 14 on EWTN and online. Concludes June 21
Fathers know Best — Four dads in the Diocese of Phoenix, with 19 children among them, and twins expected any day now for one of them, discuss fatherhood on “The Catholic Conversation,” a weekly podcast produced by the Diocese of Phoenix Office of Communications.
Listen at your leisure. Don’t forget the Mother’s Day episode.
Celebrating Catholic dads — The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles compiled a thoughtful list of five ways to honor your dad on Father’s Day.
Check it out
“The Yearling” — (1946) A young boy’s attachment to an orphaned fawn relieves the loneliness of life in the Florida wilderness but brings grief as the deer grows to threaten the family’s crops in this classic version of the Marjorie Kinnon Rawlings story. With credible performances by Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman as the parents and Claude Jarman Jr. as the youth, director Clarence Brown has fashioned a genuine portrait of rural American life as well as a sincere celebration of family values.
Catholic News Service rated it A-I, general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rated it G — general patronage.
Airs 5-7:15 p.m. June 15 on TCM
Desert Fathers and Mothers — Tom Donlan, Ph.D, on staff at Brophy College Preparatory’s Religious Studies department, discusses desert fathers and mothers with Michael Dixon, host of The Bishop’s Hour, a weekly podcast produced by the Diocese of Phoenix Office of Communications.
Listen at your leisure. Cue up the 5:32 mark for a preview and the 6:57 mark for the full (15 min.) interview.
“Ida” — Catholic News Service called the 80-minute film a “starkly beautiful minimialist masterpiece” that navigates two “horrific eras” of Polish history as an aspiring nun discovers her true identity. Read full CNS review. You can also check out this video review by Steven Greydanus of Decent Films.
Showing at Camelview 5 in Scottsdale and select theaters nationwide.
“Fighting Father Dunne” — (1948) Inspirational tale of a Catholic priest (Patrick O’Brien) in 1905 St. Louis who starts a residence for homeless boys, then struggles to find adequate funding as his efforts expand in rehabilitating a growing number of youths, one of whom (Darryl Hickman) proves incorrigible. Directed by Ted Tetzlaff, the subject is certainly worthy and the treatment sincere but the result suffers from a bland sentimentality which wears thin today.
Catholic News Service rated it A-I, general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.
6-7:45 a.m. June 18 on TCM
Solemnity of Corpus Christi: Mass and Procession From Rome — Live broadcast as Pope Francis celebrates Mass at Rome’s Basilica of St. John Lateran, followed by the eucharistic procession to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Airs 10 a.m.-1 p.m. June 19 on ETWN and online
John Mulderig, with Catholic News Service, contributed to this post.
