A few weeks ago I attended a talk given by Tom Peterson who created VirtueMedia.org and CatholicsComeHome.org
Perhaps you have seen some of his commercials.
Here is the latest, with Coach Lou Holtz.
[wp_youtube]xcMGJmB5D84[/wp_youtube]
Here, in case you haven’t seen one of them, is another:
[wp_youtube]1bmQS_DGe8M[/wp_youtube]
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since Sat., 25 Nov. 2006:
I really like the use of Lou Holtz during bowl season, very smart!
Great stuff from Catholics Come Home, as always!
For what it’s worth, this past semester I made my own version of the “Epic” CCH commercial for a writing class I took at my University. It focuses on the Mass and can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VuVdaRUwLA&feature=player_embedded
The Catholics Come Home “epic” video never fails to give me chills. If Catholicism was a movie, this would be the trailer.
And when they do come home and take another look?
Watch this episode of The Vortex (you can skip the 30 seconds ad at the start)
http://www.churchmilitant.tv/daily/?today=2012-12-14
or on YouTube
youtu.be/gRzXiJ77L9E
(I removed the http:// to avoid embedding the video here)
I too find the video moving to watch. I noticed that this a new edit of the same commercial that originally appeared.
I do have to nit-pick though about some of the inaccuracies depicted. Such as:
1) The incensing of the Scriptures on the altar of the basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. Would have been better if it were the Blessed Sacrament being incensed.
2) People not kneeling as the Host is raised after the consecration in the scene of an outdoor Mass in an African country.
3) People not kneeling as the Blessed Sacrament is raised for Benediction in a scene from an alternate edit of the same commercial.
Also, -and this is more a personal taste issue- two scenes where stoles and chasubles from Autom are used. Autom is generally known for having cheap vestments.
Overall, a wonderful video worth showing and sharing with others.
Tradster,
Yes in some parishes banality still reigns. But that’s not Tom Peterson’s focus or likely even his competence. And to be fair, if the person left the Church during the high point of the liturgical abuses, any typical parish today will likely see far more reverent than the bad old days (especially after the new/corrected Roman Missal).
My key response to the person writing the letter in the Voris clip is why did he introduce her to that parish if he knew (or at least should have known after 30 years at that parish) it was a touchy feely mess of a parish that would likely put her off. And when he saw his wife actually balked at the parish, why did he push further and try to put he in RCIA in that committee run parish? And after the fallout, how is he surprised at the result? To me, this letter shows a great deal of imprudence and lack of reflection.
If either of us sees someone floundering (either in the above situation or the Catholics Come Home situation), we it is our duty to be straight the with situation in the Church and direct them to safer harbors. We are our brother’s keeper after all.
Granted some Spirit of Vatican II dioceses might not offer any alternatives in the Latin Rite and neither TLM nor Anglican Use might not be offered despite SP or UE or AC, but even in those cases, Eastern Rite should be available.
Living in Europe, I first saw these types of videos on EWTN. I like them, they are an invitation from God.
Looking back over my own life, I can see when God was inviting me back, through people, books etc. I was not always able to respond right away – but the key thing is that the invitation was there. God is patient, He is always with us, He doesn’t give up on us and these videos and His other invitations, can be of help to someone even many years after they have first seen them.
Michael Voris makes a good point. Especially during this Year of Faith, when I invite people to Mass etc then I will make sure that it will be the very best the Church can offer. My choice is EF Mass, but if that isn’t possible then there are very good Novus Ordo Masses, especially those with ad orientem worship and beautiful music , that can help someone leave the world behind for an hour. God’s grace will do the rest.
Vielen Dank, Heiliger Vater, for the gift of this Year of Faith!
Anilwang,
Good points all. You reinforce the point Voris made, that inviting them home is only half of our responsibility. The other half is that we are aware of the condition of the home to which we are inviting them.
Am I the only one who feels uncomfortable about having commercials for Catholicism? I mean if we are talking about religion as though it were a simple matter of marketing, then Roman Catholicism is the ultimate prestige product and it hardly needs to be advertised this way. How often do you see a commercial for Ferrari? Holy Church offers salvation. There is no other church, temple, or quasi-spiritual whathaveyou that can rightly say that. Let them have the tv commercials.
I see the commercials as reaching out to those who feel they cannot return even though they may wish to do so. Some persons are wounded and they must be reached where they are at because they are unable to come to us. I think the commercials serve a great need.
Now, if the catechetics offered them is done with charity and a joyful adherence to orthodox belief, they will benefit greatly.
Good point.
But it depends on the type of ad. A sedevacantist I know used the Balamand Declaration (no proselytizing between Catholics and Orthodox) as further proof the Catholic Church’s apostasy. I responded that Catholics have never really focused on proselytizing. Most evangelization started as a side effect of truly living out a Catholic life in our works and how we do not separate our Catholic identity from our works (which could include martyrdom).
That being said, informational advertisement has always been part of the Catholic faith. Whether it is St Peter shouting in the market place (the traditional place for advertisement) in Acts 2 or Francis de Sales placing tracts under people’s doors to combat the misinformation Calvinists were imposing on the local population or Bishop Sheen simply stating the faith on public television, all are advertisement and all simply lay out the faith to correct misinformation.
WRT the Catholics Come Home EPIC commercial, for the most part I see simply a 120/60/30 second laying out of the fact about the Catholic Faith. In the US, its common for people (even Catholics) to believe that all churches are new churches since few churches are older than a hundred years. Simply stating the the Catholic faith is centuries old and spans the world and was started on Pentecostal will open many people’s eyes. Stating that the Catholic Church compiled the Bible corrects the misconception that Catholics are just another denomination and subtlety rebukes the claim of sola scriptura. Stating that Catholics founded the university system and scientific method corrects the persistent attack that Catholics are want to keep science and learning in the dark ages so everyone will be ignorant. Even the simply “communion on the tongue with altar rails” corrects the misconception that Vatican II banned reverence to be relevant. I can guarantee you that many fallen away Catholics do not know what the altar rail communion is all about.
Where advertisement crosses the line is when it attempts to be secular and tries to sell you “the Catholic lifestyle” or “the Catholic experience” or “membership has its privileges” or “what’s in it for me” or water down the faith in order to get people to come.
anilwang, while we should try to help our brethren out in finding a suitable liturgy, the Eastern Churches should not be an escape hatch for those dissatisfied with the Roman liturgy…
Anilwang the EPIC CCH spot says “developed the scientific method” and has not ever in all 35 going on 36 markets where it has been broadcast, say “founded the scientific method.” Founded is to developed as started is to continued. Different animal entirely.
Interestingly, The Vancouver Sun’s award winning religion writer Douglas Todd wrote in a front page story in The Vancouver Sun on December 16th, 2012 titled “‘Fallen Away’ Catholics urged to come home” (q.v.) about the currently airing Catholics Come Home TV spots. To find Todd’s dilemma you need read no further than the end of his first sentence.
Apparently Todd’s considered opinion is that The Church “founded” the scientific method. Quotation placement shows he intended not to misquote the TV spot, so the verb “founded” was chosen by Todd.
If I’m not mistaken, Douglas Todd has made The Vancouver Sun the only newspaper in the world to claim that The Church “founded” the scientific method. He’s provided no citation for his claim yet, but he must have proof, or why would he print this wild claim on the front page if his employers’ newspaper?
History book printers of the world had better staff up — you’re going to be running three shifts rewriting all of history to conform with Todd’s as-yet undisclosed reason for his claim.
See for yourself:
http://www.vancouversun.com/touch/story.html?id=7706959
WDTPRS readers: what say ye of this front page report? Fr. Z: perhaps you may want to consider raising this story’s profile here in your own kingdom so as to hear the more fully from all your WDTPRS ‘subjects’?
Anilwang the EPIC CCH spot says “developed the scientific method” and has not ever in all 35 going on 36 markets where it has been broadcast, say “founded the scientific method.” Founded is to developed as started is to continued. Different animal entirely.
Interestingly, The Vancouver Sun’s award winning religion writer Douglas Todd wrote in a front page story in The Vancouver Sun on December 16th, 2012 titled “‘Fallen Away’ Catholics urged to come home” (q.v.) about the currently airing Catholics Come Home TV spots. To find Todd’s dilemma you need read no further than the end of his first sentence.
Apparently Todd’s considered opinion is that The Church “founded” the scientific method. Quotation placement shows he intended not to misquote the TV spot, so the verb “founded” was chosen by Todd.
If I’m not mistaken, Douglas Todd has made The Vancouver Sun the only newspaper in the world to claim that The Church “founded” the scientific method. He’s provided no citation for his claim yet, but he must have proof, or why would he print this wild claim on the front page if his employers’ newspaper?
History book printers of the world had better staff up — you’re going to be running three shifts rewriting all of history to conform with Todd’s as-yet undisclosed reason for his claim.
See for yourself:
vancouversun.com/touch/story.html?id=7706959
WDTPRS readers: what say ye of this front page report? Fr. Z: perhaps you may want to consider raising this story’s profile here in your own kingdom so as to hear the more fully from all your WDTPRS ‘subjects’?