Faith & Film Night: China Cry

Our next showing, China Cry, will take place tomorrow, Friday, July 3rd, at 6:30 p.m.

China Cry is the true story of a young girl, Sung Neng Yee, growing up in Communist China during the 1950s. Although at first excited to become part of the Maoist regime's "new society," she witnesses the misery and hardship her family suffers under its repressive structures. The film is a testament to the power of faith to thrive under the harshest of circumstances.

Here is the trailer, which I found on YouTube. We hope to see you tomorrow!

Friday's Faith & Film Night: Fireproof

This Friday's film is Fireproof, the story of one man's desire to transform his life and marriage through the healing power of faith.

I've posted below the trailer for the film. We look forward to seeing you on Friday, June 26, beginning at 6:30 p.m.; don't miss this inspiring film.

Call to reserve your copy of Caritas in Veritate

We just received the news that Pope Benedict's eagerly-anticipated third encyclical letter, Caritats in Veritate (Love in Truth), will be published by Pauline Books & Media once the English translation is made available. The document will be priced at $6.95 USD.

In case you haven't read the pope's other two letters (on Love and Hope), you can obtain them from our Book Center. So call or stop by today!

Sung Novena to St. Paul

Please join us in our sung novena in honor of St. Paul. We Daughters of St. Paul celebrate the Apostle's Feast on June 30th, and this is the prayer that we sing during the nine days in preparation for the feast. We've got special cause to rejoice this year, as the Pauline celebratory year draws to a close. May the Word of God that Paul lived and preached continue to speed on and triumph in each of our lives!

We promise to remember you and your intentions during this beautiful time of prayer!

Faith & Film Night: I Am David

Our film presentation for this Friday's Faith and Film Night is I am David. This film tells the story of a twelve-year-old boy who makes an incredible escape from an east European prison camp and sets out upon an extraordinary quest of personal freedom.

Young David (played by Ben Tibber) has grown up in the camp with little knowledge about the outside world and scant remembrance of his family. Everything he knows about life he has learned from a kind fellow prisoner, played by Jim Caviezel. When David is helped to escape, he is handed a mysterious letter that launches him on a journey that will ultimately lead to the discovery of his own identity.

There are so many powerful themes in this film--including courage, trust, and forgiveness. The film also stars the wonderful Joan Plowright.

Please join us Friday evening beginning at 6:30.

Faith & Film Night: Shadowlands

Join us tomorrow evening beginning at 6:30 for our next Faith & Film presentation, Shadowlands. This deeply moving drama stars Anthony Hopkins as C.S. Lewis, the Christian writer and apologist whose books (including Screwtape Letters and The Chronicles of Narnia, just to name a few) have been read and loved by millions.

The story centers around Lewis's relationship with Joy Gresham, an American writer with whom he falls in love. Debra Winger portrays the vivacious Joy, who shortly after her marriage to Lewis is diagnosed with cancer. Lewis, a middle-aged academic who never expected to experience romantic love, now struggles with heartbreaking reality as his happiness with Joy is cruelly cut short. His faith--which has been an anchor for him since his well-known conversion--is understandably tested at its core.

Both Hopkins and Winger are superb in their roles as persons deeply challenged by life circumstances yet who undergo profound personal and spiritual transformation.

This is a beautiful story and one sure to spark a wonderful discussion about suffering and love and the real meaning of faith. Hope to see you here!

Good-bye from Sr. Susan

Many of you may already be aware of this, but one of our sisters, Sr. Susan James, has recently been reassigned to our Motherhouse in Boston. Sister has been a pillar in our community--the only member of our original community based in San Francisco--and her time in our new Redwood City location has been a blessing for many. We wish her continued graces as she carries out the Pauline mission from Boston!

The following is her good-bye message to all of you:

Dear Friends,

Perhaps the time has come to inform you of my approaching transfer. I have been a member of the San Francisco/ Redwood City Community of the Daughters of St. Paul for seven years. It was my pleasure to meet many of you while we were in the last of our 35 years downtown on Geary St., before we packed up in Sept. of 2005, had a terrific moving sale and said a temporary good-bye. Grand Opening of the new Pauline Center in Redwood City took place the following April.

In the meantime we had begun making connections on the Peninsula through our many bookfairs and exhibits which we’ve continued even after the new Bookcenter was up and running. Over these past years I’ve had the distinct pleasure of your company and cooperation at many of our events, both in the Center and at our off-site venues. To each of you I want to say a big “Thank You” for the opportunity to have been of service through our communications apostolate. In so many big and small ways our lives have connected. I’m grateful for the friendship, inspiration and help received from so many of you… for your lives of quiet faith and generous service carried out in your families and Parish communities.

I hope that you will continue to frequent our Pauline Center and stop in soon to meet the new sisters who will be joining our community. My new assignment brings me back to Boston where I will be working at our Publishing House Order Entry Department. There I hope to find new avenues for my apostolic energies and who knows, our paths may once again connect. Admittedly, our winters will be colder and white, but the Fall promises to be wonderful with all the colorful red and golden leaves of autumn…and of course Spring follows winter with its glorious new life!

Let’s continue to pray for one another!

With best wishes & prayers,

Sr. Susan James Heady