When Bethany Valente views her portrayal of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop on the saint’s feast day today, she will be feeling gratitude more than any other emotion. Source: The Catholic Leader.
Beyond feeling “thankful to God” for the chance to be asked by Shalom World Media to play the saint in Glorious Lives: Mary MacKillop, Australia’s First Saint, the 15-year-old said God’s promptings to take on the voluntary role do so were “divine providence”.
“Portraying Mary MacKillop helped me become more docile to the workings of the Holy Spirit,” Bethany said.
“He asks of me more than I can expect but it’s never too much. It was and is such a humbling experience to be the one representing this great saint.”
The teen said if St Mary of the Cross “could do small things with great love,” then she too can “try a lot harder”.
Family friend Fr Bony Abraham suggested Bethany for the role.
The show was filmed mostly on Bethany’s family property in Inglewood, in the Toowoomba Diocese. Filming also took place in St Mary’s Church, Warwick, towards the end of November last year, and finalised in May.
The role of Bishop Joseph Shiel, who excommunicated Mary MacKillop in 1871, was played by Stanthorpe’s Dan Manahan.
He said the young people involved impacted his input.
“It was such a joy to be in the room with Bethany, and other young people, who wanted to do their absolute best,” Mr Manahan said. “They were very passionate about their faith (in God).”
The role has influenced Bethany’s discernment to a religious vocation.
“I believe I am called to religious life,” she said. “(And) I need to give myself as much as Mary MacKillop gave herself, to her vocation.”
The premiere of Glorious Lives is set for August 8 at 7pm AEST on Shalom World TV at https://www.shalomworld.org/.
FULL STORY
Bethany’s walking the journey of the Josephites and honouring St Mary (By Selina Venier, The Catholic Leader)
