A new docudrama series by Martin Scorsese will debut this Sunday. Titled “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints,” it’s about the lives of eight different saints — Maximilian Kolbe, Mary Magdalene and Francis of Assisi are among the saints that have an episode devoted to them.
The docuseries will premiere on Fox Nation with the first episode being about Joan of Arc, who is the patron saint of soldiers. Scorsese, a Catholic and Academy-Award winning filmmaker, narrates it. Matti Leshem is the series’ creator.
“I’ve lived with the stories of the saints for most of my life, thinking about their words and actions, imagining the worlds they inhabited, the choices they faced, the examples they set,” said Scorsese in a release. “These are stories of eight very different men and women, each of them living through vastly different periods of history and struggling to follow the way of love revealed to them and to us by Jesus’ words in the gospels.”
Ahead of the premiere, the Deseret News asked Father James Martin, a contributor to the series, a few questions both about what it was like to collaborate with Scorsese and the relevance of the saints today. He gave his responses over email.
Father Martin said the saints were picked because they spoke to Scorsese and that the saints are always relevant in our modern world. Calling Scorsese “one of the most intelligent, committed and passionate Catholics I know,” Father Martin said the stories of the saints aren’t just interesting to Scorsese — they are part of his faith. “And of course he’s a great artist,” he added.
“As the Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner said, the saints show us what it means to be Christian ‘in a particular way.’ And they show us that being holy means being who you are in the situation that God has placed you,” said Father Martin.
One saint in the docuseries that resonated with Father Martin was Joan. He said he finds it inspirational how she “stayed true to her call” even when those around her may have found it crazy.
Father Martin said he sees her leading the French army as “an act of liberation.”
“In Joan’s case, the hearing of voices and the desire to lead an army may seem harder to understand,” said Father Martin. “But I think we need to remember that in those days this was an act of delivering an oppressed peoples from the hands of oppressors, in their eyes.”
Father Martin said Joan of Arc’s case might be harder to understand because other saints like Maximilian Kolbe give their life for someone else — “the actions of most of them strike us as ‘sensible’ if you will.”
Still Father Martin said there are misconceptions around martyrdom. Namely, that the martyr “wants death for its own sake.”
“But as we see in Kolbe’s life, it usually is the inevitable result of standing up for someone, or taking the side of those who are poor, persecuted or struggling,” said Father Martin. “In Kolbe’s mind, the invitation from God was to say ‘yes’ to the invitation to offer his life. His action was about life, not about death.”
It’s Father James Martin’s hope that the docuseries reintroduces Catholics to people who pray for us and set examples for us. He hopes that for people of faith, it reminds them that faith is worthwhile, even if it’s not always easy.
“And for those who don’t believe, I always say, ‘Look at their stories. Let them inspire you. And then ask whether any of this makes sense without God.’”
“Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints” will premiere on Fox Nation on Sunday.