The Knights of Columbus is giving you access
to five powerful new documentaries,
now on FORMED!
Father Michael McGivney is a documentary that brings to life the story of one of America’s most extraordinary Catholic priests.
Born in Connecticut of Irish immigrant parents just a few years before the Civil War, Michael McGivney grew up at a time when millions of Catholic immigrants were struggling to overcome poverty and prejudice. As a parish priest in the gritty New England manufacturing town of New Haven, he made a deep impact on his community, earning the respect of the Protestant establishment and the love of his parishioners at St. Mary’s Church. Emboldened to care for families threatened by the death of the breadwinner, Fr. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus, a mutual benefit society that today remains the world’s largest Catholic lay organization with 1.8 million members in 13 nations.
This film offers a rare glimpse into the life of an extraordinary priest and visionary leader. From defending the persecuted Church to protecting widows and orphans, Father Michael McGivney celebrates the triumphs and tribulations of a priest who may very well be America’s first canonized parish priest.
In July of 2016, Catholic Youth from around the world descended on Krakow, Poland for World Youth Day with Pope Francis. These pilgrims travelled in the footsteps of St. John Paul II, and other great Saints of Krakow, discovering the rich heritage of their Catholic faith, and being inspired by Pope Francis’ chosen theme “Blessed are the Merciful, for they shall receive Mercy.”
This poignant and inspirational film captures the World Youth Day experience like never before, following youth on their journey with Pope Francis. The film also includes highlights from the program of the Knights of Columbus sponsored Mercy Centre at the Tauron Arena Krakow.
World Youth Day Krakow: A Pilgrimage of Mercy reveals the essential truth of World Youth Day: that amidst the seeming chaos of hundreds of thousand of young people breaking out in song and dance, behind the panoply of joyful exuberance and festive celebration, young minds are discovering an appreciation for the Universal Church and young hearts are being transformed by the Gospel.
On January 12th, 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, bringing devastation to an already impoverished nation. Hundreds of thousands lost their lives; more than 1 million were displaced, and tens of thousands were injured-including countless children and young people who suffered the loss of limbs.
Against this backdrop, two American organizations stepped in to provide aid. Facing political corruption and the threat of failure, Project Medishare successfully set up clinics for the victims, and the Knights of Columbus ensured that prosthetics limbs would be made available for every young amputee. But this was only the beginning of the story. Amidst incredible odds, a small group of earthquake victims became emboldened to defy deeply entrenched Haitian stereotypes against people with disabilities. Team Zaryen was formed, an amputee soccer team that transformed victims into beacons of hope, creating real possibilities for those attempting to rebuild their lives -including U.S. soldiers returning from wars overseas.
At times a searing analysis of the post-earthquake horrors and Haiti’s turbulent history, and at times a poignant sports story about overcoming insurmountable odds, Unbreakable: A Story of Hope and Healing in Haiti ultimately a powerful reminder of the triumph of the human spirit, and of how the bonds of hope are oftentimes born out of the shackles of despair.
Since his election to the papacy, Pope Francis has inspired millions by urging us to embrace Mercy, ultimately revealed in the face of Christ. Now comes an extraordinary new film on this powerful message that brings hope, healing and forgiveness to a broken world.
Narrated by Jim Caviezel, The Face of Mercy explores the history and relevance of Divine Mercy in our turbulent times. Watch its story unfold, from an unpretentious Polish nun who experienced powerful visions of a merciful God, to her countryman Pope John Paul II who propelled the message of Divine Mercy onto the world stage, and now the “Year of Mercy” bestowed upon the Church by Pope Francis.
Filmed in stunning 4K and seamlessly weaving together theology, and history with modern testimonials and visual effects, this stirring film creates a remarkable tapestry of what constitutes the face of mercy in our modern world. Meet the woman who found freedom in forgiveness after seeing her family wiped out by genocide; the former-NFL linebacker who walked away from football to share Christ’s mercy with the homeless; the baseball player who traded MLB ambitions for the monastery; the priest with a drug-dealing past, and the young widow who chose mercy towards her husband’s killer.
These moving testimonies will remind us all that Divine Mercy is not just a devotion of the past or some abstract theology – it is alive, it is present, and it will transform the world.
The papacy of St. John Paul II left an indelible mark on the American continent. Driven by his singular conviction of a “United American Continent “under the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe, his papal travels from Argentina to Alaska generated massive crowds, shaped an entire generation, and ultimately changed the course of history. Long celebrated for his role in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, John Paul’s crusade for human rights and religious freedom also transformed the West.
John Paul II in America explores the Pope’s pivotal role in the fall of dictatorships in Chile, Haiti, Paraguay and Brazil. From celebrations of World Youth Days with millions to pastoral visits to the favelas of Brazil; from his historic 1998 visit to Cuba to his tireless defense of works rights and indigenous peoples – John Paul II in America, narrated by Andy Garcia in both English and Spanish, captures the raw emotions and spontaneous thrills of this remarkable pontificate.
Featuring rare archival footage and insightful analysis from leading figures including John Paul biographer George Weigel, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap., and former Papal Spokesperson Joaquín Navarro-Valls; viewers will be both intrigued and moved by this film’s unprecedented new framework for understanding one of the giants of our times.
