History Channel to create Mary Mackillop documentary
To mark the canonisation of Mary MacKillop, The History Channel has commissioned a documentary detailing the life of the soon-to-be saint.
The announcement:
The History Channel has commissioned an exclusive new documentary, BLESSED MARY: A Saint for All Australians, to commemorate the historic canonisation of Mary MacKillop in Rome on October 17, 2010.
Hosted by Alan Jones, this hour-long special will coincide with the canonisation of Australia’s first saint and will have its world premiere on The History Channel on Sunday, October 10 at 7.30pm AEST, with an encore screening on Sunday, October 17 at 8.30pm AEST.
A DVD of the special, with extras including a full interview between Alan Jones and Cardinal Pell, will be released by Universal Pictures on Wednesday, October 13.
The comprehensive docu-drama will detail the incredible life of Mary MacKillop, from her humble and often troubled childhood in Melbourne, to the establishment of a school in Penola, through to her vocation as co-founder of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart.
Unfolding against a background of dynamic change in Australia and in the Catholic Church, the years following were turbulent and dramatic for Mary, filled with personal tragedy and heart-rending conflicts with the hierarchy of her church.
In BLESSED MARY: A Saint for All Australians, Alan Jones visits some of the most significant places in Mary’s life, as we learn of the mission, the vocation, the trials and the opposition.
Featuring dramatised scenes of the pivotal moments in Mary’s life, the documentary is also supported by an enormous resource of correspondence to, from and about Mary, including thousands of letters written by Mary herself.
Said Jim Buchan, Group Channel Manager, Factual Channels: “Mary MacKillop lived a remarkable, inspired life and I’m delighted that The History Channel is able to honour her memory with the screening of this world premiere documentary, to coincide with her historic canonisation.”
BLESSED MARY: A Saint for All Australians is produced by Michael Tear from Bearcage and is exclusive to The History Channel.
Source: History Channel press release
