St. Bernard School at 1630 62nd Avenue, Oakland, CA 94620 US - Holy Cross Family Ministries/Family Theater Productions' event at World Youth Day features Passion of Christ film, its star Jim Caviezel and wife

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Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus in Mel Gibson’s blockbuster The Passion of the Christ, and his wife, Kerri, spoke and prayed a decade each of the Rosary with some 2,700 youth from around the world Aug. 19 at a screening and Rosary event, sponsored by Holy Cross Family Ministries/Family Theater Productions, at World Youth Day, Aug. 16-21, in Germany. Also participating in the event and leading a decade of the Rosary at the UTL Arena, an outdoor stadium in Düsseldorf, were actor Clarence Gilyard, co-star of the TV series Walker, Texas Ranger and a Holy Cross Family Ministries board member; Father John Phalen, CSC, President of Holy Cross Family Ministries; and Father Willy Raymond, CSC, National Director of Family Theater Productions. Beth Mahoney, Holy Cross Family Ministries’ Director of Mission, welcomed the participants. Fr. Phalen gave an overview of the organization and its founder, Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, CSC. He introduced Kerri Caviezel, who opened with prayer, and who talked about the sanctity of marriage and human life. She introduced her husband, Jim Caviezel, who told of his conversion and related his experiences in filming The Passion of the Christ and that he approached it as a ministry rather than just getting a good acting credit. He also stressed the importance of the role of Mary in our Catholic faith lives and encouraged the youth to pray the Rosary. Mr. Caviezel introduced The Passion of the Christ, which was shown on the stadium’s large screen. The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary were then prayed, with the powerful images of the film still in the minds of the youth. Fr. Raymond concluded the event by thanking the young people, the Caviezels and Clarence Gilyard for participating. Paul Harrigan and his group provided inspiring and dynamic music before and after the event. After the event, Jim Caviezel walked around the perimeter of the field greeting the youth, who were enthusiastically hanging over the railings from the field seats reaching out their hands for a handshake and/or an autograph. Though 2,700 youth delegates attended the event, 5,000 overflowed a facility in Bonn, Germany due to an error in the World Youth Day program. A couple months ago, WYD officials changed the location from Bonn to the UTL Arena in Düsseldorf but the change wasn’t made in the program. Approximately 200 were bused to Düsseldorf, an hour-and-a-half away, arriving near the end of the event, but Jim Caviezel spoke to the whole assembly again because of the late arrivals. The correction was listed in two WYD news sheets, and Fr. Phalen, Fr. Raymond, Ms. Mahoney, Mr. Gilyard and HCFM staff member Laura Phillips handed out 25,000 fliers for three days with the correct venue. Assisting them from the Family Rosary Crusade-Manila were cameraman/editor Ayra Subardiaga and Ronald Manabat. However, the WYD program was the main source of the delegate's information. "Still, Jim and Kerri Caviezel got our message across at our event," Fr. Phalen said. "Too bad it didn’t reach the other 5,000 who wanted to be there. But World Youth Day was a great experience for all of us from Holy Cross Family Ministries and for the 1.2 million youth who attended," Fr. Phalen added. "What struck me the most about World Youth Day was the voice of the new Pope – calm, reassuring, confident. I got the impression that he connected with the youth and won their hearts." Father Raymond agreed. "This Pope will do fine with the young people of the world, and he has a real message to deliver to them: 'Be not afraid to commit yourself without reserve to serving Christ, whatever the cost. Share your joys and pains with Christ and let Him enlighten your minds with His light and touch your hearts with His grace.'"

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