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With abounding reminders of death, people are getting their affairs in order.
Julian Fellowes' adaptation of his own 2016 historical novel, the six-part costume drama "Belgravia," the first episode of which became available on Epix (currently accessible via Amazon Prime) April 12, uses similar techniques to those of the great Victorian author to infuse suspense and interest into an original story. Thus, much like anxious fans of Dickens' serialized works, many viewers will be hanging on the weekly release of the remaining installments as they appear each Sunday through May 17.
In following up on his 2016 original, Dohrn and the ensemble of no fewer than five screenwriters keep the focus on the pair at the center of the first story: the ever-optimistic Poppy (voice of Anna Kendrick), who became queen of the trolls at the end of the last movie, and her more fearful best friend, Branch (voice of Justin Timberlake). This time out, the two discover that there are whole new realms to be explored.
The following are capsule reviews from Catholic News Service of new and recent video releases available on DVD and/or Blu-ray — as well as for online viewing.
During this time of global uncertainty and suffering, schools have had to consider the impact of the coronavirus on all school activities and planned events. Cancellations and postponements have been the most common response, but those responsible for planning the annual bioethics panel at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School in Potomac Shores did not want to miss the timely opportunity to examine a bioethical analysis of COVID-19 and our response to it. The planners of the annual event conceived of a way to overcome the obstacles preventing them from meeting and decided to bring their panel of experts into the homes of the school’s community virtually. Earlier this month, students, faculty, staff and parents came together to listen to the panel of experts, to discuss, question, and examine the many medical and ethical dilemmas we encounter.
The Catholic Church celebrates the 57th annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations on Good Shepherd Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Easter. It is a special invitation to the faithful to ask our Good Shepherd to send us more priests, sisters, brothers and missionaries who will offer their lives for His service.
I had a dream last night about ventilators. In my dream, the machines were fueled by squares of brightly colored quilting cotton. These days, I am making masks — dozens and dozens of masks. I love to sew. The smell of quilting cotton under a hot iron is one of my favorites — right up there with incense and chrism. Unlike some of my quilting friends who are quietly hating the task while sewing hundreds of masks, I’m actually enjoying the process. I like to pair fabrics to make the mask pretty. I like the skills involved in pleating and topstitching. All in all, it’s not a bad way to suffer through a global pandemic.
On Good Friday, April 10 this year, the Shroud of Turin was publicly exhibited online in response to thousands of requests made to the archbishop of Turin during the coronavirus pandemic. This was an extraordinary opportunity, for the shroud is usually only revealed a few times per century. The shroud is an ancient textile bearing the mysterious image of a crucified man and is widely claimed to be the actual burial cloth of Jesus. While the church has not issued any verdict about the shroud’s authenticity, what is beyond doubt is that the shroud is not only a sign of Our Lord’s passion and death, but also of his resurrection.
Like many others, I find social distancing to be a challenge. First, “distancing” is a strong word when you have young children. One of the benefits of social distancing is more time with my children — and lots of it. We’ve had fun playing games, watching movies, sitting around bonfires, and sharing important events, including Easter, a birthday, and three visits from the tooth fairy (in four days). Sometimes I’m amazed at how little time it takes for someone to end up in tears. I am often reminded that togetherness and unity are not the same thing. I’m so grateful when my husband comes home from work; the world seems brighter when our family is together.
SAC — shepherd, abundance, cross
It is Easter, and I would like to offer you a “sac” of faith. (“Sac” is French for sack.) In this sac is a Shepherd, an Abundance of life and a Cross.