A red carpet premiere was held in the brown and gold halls of Bethlehem Catholic High School on Feb. 21. Nearly 600 people settled into seats in the school auditorium for an opening-day screening of “The Hail Mary,” a film produced, directed, and written by Bethlehem Catholic graduate Daniel Roebuck, who also stars in the movie.
The film tells the story of a down-on-his-luck handyman who is persuaded by a religious sister to coach a football team at an all-boys Catholic school.
“Every movie or work of art has a story or purpose behind it,” said Roebuck, who created “The Hail Mary” as a loving tribute to the religious sisters whose “extraordinary patience, guidance, and support served as the perfect foundation for my life as a creator.”
“The Hail Mary” is touching, comedic, and – to viewers who grew up in the 1970s – charmingly relatable. Filmed at several Lehigh Valley locations, including the former Mary Immaculate Seminary, Northampton, the movie features members of Bethlehem Catholic’s football team and cheerleading squad.
Attending the premiere at Bethlehem Catholic were Bishop Alfred Schlert, school Chaplain Father Stephan Isaac, and several members of the Sisters of St. Joseph (SSJ), the religious order to which the movie’s fictional Sister Kathleen belongs.
Father Jason Stokes, Pastor of Holy Family, Nazareth, opened the event with a prayer that “this film … be a shining light touching the hearts of those who watch it.”
In his remarks at the premiere, Bishop Schlert praised Roebuck for his dedication to the production of faith-based media. “I never realized the courage it takes to try to produce the kind of film that so many in Hollywood don't want to back. It was a great act of faith on his part,” said the Bishop.
“What you're seeing today is the fruit of the courage of [Daniel Roebuck] and so many others who collaborated with him. This is the 65th anniversary of our Diocese. Isn't it great, as one little piece of our thanksgiving for 65 years, to say that a man of his caliber and courage was formed in the Diocese?”
Audience reaction to “The Hail Mary” was overwhelmingly positive.
“I loved the movie,” said Barbara Ruhl, Assistant Director of the Bethlehem Catholic Theater Department. “It showed that believing in each other, with God's grace, helps get people where they need to be.”
A scene featuring the hymn “The Prayer of St. Francis” was an audience favorite.
“The song was fundamental in my relationship with a higher power,” said Roebuck, who took the name of his nonprofit organization, “Channel of Peace,” from the hymn. Its mission is to support multimedia projects that promote Christian values, while providing opportunities for students to work on actual movie sets.
Roebuck exhorted the audience to review “The Hail Mary” on social platforms such as IMDb and Letterboxd. Not only will the success of “The Hail Mary” demonstrate the viability of family-friendly films, but it will also prove that “anything can be accomplished when you surrender to God’s plan.”
“The Hail Mary” is being shown at the Roxy Theatre, Northampton; Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, Bethlehem; State Theatre of Boyertown; Pocono Cinema and Cultural Center, East Stroudsburg; and Civic Theatre of Allentown.
By Celeste Behe
Photo by Rey Gabriel.
