“I would say this [ministry] is a kind of preparation for Heaven, as Laura Berquist would say, 'What is the goal of life for families?' The most important thing for the family in the end is that they keep their faith and that they have a desire to go to Heaven. Because we are not here forever…”
Leonardo DeFilippis
Recently we had the privilege of sitting down with Leonardo DeFilippis, a former MODG Dad and the Founder of St. Luke Productions, a Catholic Theater and Film Company. Leonardo was kind enough to share a glimpse of his story and how he was led to his ministry of bringing light and faith to the film industry.
Saint Luke Productions was founded in 1980 and creates theatrical dramas based on the Gospels and the lives of the saints! So far, they have produced various films, audio dramas, audio rosaries, and an audio daily reflection series!
The DeFilippis Family homeschooled all of their seven children through Mother of Divine Grace School right from the very beginning of our founding! Their oldest daughter went on to study at Laura Berquist's Alma Mater, Thomas Aquinas College. Through their homeschooling journey, they have known and seen Laura and Mother of Divine Grace School through many seasons.
The inspiration for this ministry:
Leonardo has had a background in theater and acting for many years. He began his career with Shakespeare companies such as the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, CA. Throughout his early career journey, he ultimately longed to take his talents to New York for further opportunities in acting.
Leonardo comments, “As an actor, I was particularly interested in the classics. I was drawn to all of that and interested in honing my skills in that arena….. I learned that when you are in the theater, it is not always the most healthy environment. If you are a moral person with a moral compass, you question things as you live in that world.”
As he came to this realization, Leonardo began investigating what to do if he were to continue his career in theater. It was through this reflection that he had a re-conversion to the Catholic Faith. This is where the idea of St. Luke Productions came to life. He asked himself,
“How should I serve God? Now that I had this sort of awakening, if you were to say it that way......I was learning the faith, reading the scriptures, doing all the things that a new convert would do. Even though back then they didn’t have all the things they have today, as this was back in the late 70’s.”
Following his newfound faith, Leonardo visited the Benedictine Monks at the Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon, and it was there that he found his inspiration.
“The Benedictines, their life, the rich ways of the Benedictine life, and their long classical history, really encouraged me to do what I am doing today.”
At first, the Benedictines encouraged Leonardo to learn about their life and potentially become a monk or priest, which he considered. But then, one brother spoke with him and shared that there was a family conference happening and suggested Leonardo use his talents and create a show, a sacred drama about one of the Gospels. This conversation challenged Leonardo to consider this opportunity. He began his research thoroughly:
“As a young man coming back to the faith, I was very interested in Mother Teresa of Calcutta, John Paul II, and St. Francis.”
Leonardo began reading all about St. Francis and about his own conversion to the Faith. It motivated him to read the Gospels more adamantly and so he began with the Gospel of St. Luke.
“I said to myself, I should read the Gospels, so I read the Gospels and the scriptures. I started with the Gospel of Luke, and this is where I came up with St. Luke Productions….. He is the patron saint of the church of artists. He painted the first image of Our Lady and Child, Our Lady of Czestochowa, which is attributed to him by tradition.”
“That is where we started-- the Gospels. It was through the Benedictine, classical encouragement. “Ora et Labora” meaning, “Pray and work."
And so, St. Luke Productions was born. They began with films of the Gospels and then went onto the saints:
"Saint Francis: Troubadour of God's Peace", a special edition for the 800th anniversary of the saint's birth ("The only show of its kind in the world at the time," comments Leonardo.)
"Therese", the first motion picture distributed solely by an independent Catholic film company
"Maximilian: Saint of Auschwitz"
and so many more!
"We started with this classical approach because I wanted to stay with the saints. The reason was because they are the greatest stories ever told. They are the greatest human beings that ever lived, that we know about and were acknowledged by the Church itself....This created a ministry and we are now in our 44th year!"
From the very beginning, this path was much more than just a career for Leonardo. It was a vocation, that enriched not only his life but the lives of all those touched by St. Luke Productions. He became a witness to the faith for his colleagues.
"Most artists are all longing for God, they just do not know it.”
How the Mother of Divine Grace School community can benefit from this ministry!
St. Luke Productions offers something unique to our families in today's society, a living representation of the saints!
“The saints are called the living Gospels in our Catholic tradition…I encourage them [ MODG families] to stay close to the saints and to learn the saints, as so many saints did in the past...It is important to teach those in the home so that they become familiar with these people in history… The saints are a legacy of one of the legs of the Church. Sacred tradition is so inculcated in the saints because they will change the course of history… in culture, in art, in society, in the church itself, either the rubrics or prayers, that become the treasure of the Church."
Leonardo stresses that by studying the saints' lives students have the chance to "become exposed to the different types of saints, meaning their different charisms. In a way, a saint is one personality of Christ….each saint, no matter what culture or race they are from, they are a part of our family of the Catholic Church, and they help to give us a lens into the way they approached it [life]."
Overall, Leonardo encourages families and students to allow the stories of the saints to encourage us to live our lives for Christ and our ultimate goal of resting in eternity with Him.
“The saints are always talking about that one thing, they want to get you to Heaven.”
St. Luke Productions has many exciting films available to watch now and more coming out soon! These films include Tolton: From Slave to Priest, a story about the first black priest in the history of the US, and Heart of Mercy, a movie based on their live drama, Faustina: Messenger of Divine Mercy.
Leonardo shares a comment on his new upcoming film Tolton, “[Father Tolton] is an incredible person. You will learn about the Civil War, slavery, division, confrontation, and prejudice... And yet you have a man who stays with the Catholic Church through all of it. He has the value of healing, oneness, and unity which is, of course, what heals things. The devil divides, and Jesus unites."
WHERE TO WATCH:
St. Luke Productions films, audio dramas and more are available to watch on Formed, a streaming platform provided by the St. Augustine Institute. Some productions are even available on Amazon! Be sure to visit their website to see all the ways to watch.
We wish to express our deepest gratitude to Leonardo DeFilippis for sharing his story with us today. What a beautiful vocation and a testimony to our Catholic Faith. This ministry is offering something so unique and groundbreaking to the film industry when it is in most dire need. May God bless you and all that you do!
*Permission to use all photos from St Luke Productions Marketing*