Under the streets of Nolita, in the catacombs of the Ancient Cathedral, the Basilica of San Patrizio in New York, over one hundred guests gathered for an evening dedicated to cinema, dialogue and community life. The event, organized by the Committee for the Hospitality of the parish in collaboration with the Grow Together Foundation, reflected a broader vision of evangelization through art.
The evening began in the rectory located on the opposite side of the street, where guests found themselves for a refreshment based on sandwiches and pizza, generously offered by Parm and Lucia Pizza di SoHo. The conversations animated the space while parishioners, newcomers, students and young professionals gradually headed towards the lower floor for the projection. Some had already participated in previous events organized by the parish, while others had discovered the initiative on Instagram profile catholic.film.archive, a page managed by a parishioner who shares updates on the cineforum review.
At the center of the evening, as explained by the organizer Sara Morano, there was a simple idea: cinema can unite people through a shared experience of beauty, narrative and reflection. Not everyone approaches faith initially through theology or liturgy, but many are open to art, story and deep conversations. The projections aim to create a welcoming space where people can meet both culture and Catholic tradition in a new way.
Last Wednesday, May 13, guests witnessed the screening of two episodes of the series “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints”. Narrated by Scorsese himself, the series combines cinematographic dramatizations of the lives of saints with filmed conversations that see religious and cultural commentators, including Father James Martin, S.J.
After the screening, Kent Jones, screenwriter of the series and longtime collaborator of Martin Scorsese, joined Stefano Albertini, director of the Italian House Zerilli-Marimò of NYU, and Father Daniel Ray, pastor of Old St. Patrick’s, for a debate with the public.
The conversation explored how religious stories can be communicated through contemporary cinematic language, addressing themes such as:
Il realismo e la violenza nella narrazione sacra;
La responsabilità artistica;
La fedeltà storica e spirituale alle vite dei santi.
More generally, the speakers reflected on the relationship between art and religion and the ability of cinema to convey theological meanings to the modern audience.
In the background of the evening came the work of the Grow Together Foundation, led by the founder and president Don Luigi Portarulo, an Italian Catholic priest who held much of his ministry in the Vatican. In addition to supporting the projection, the foundation sponsors Italian language courses and cultural initiatives aimed at strengthening the links between the Italian community of the parish and the largest Anglophone Catholic population. His mission is to promote dialogue, friendship and encounter based on the common Catholic faith.
What emerged more clearly during the evening is that these meetings concern much more than just cinema. Bringing cinema into dialogue with faith and community, the festival creates a space where people can confront sacred themes through art and shared experience. In a city often marked by fragmentation and isolation, evenings like this offer a rare opportunity of authentic encounter.
“The next discussion has really shed light on the world in which we live today and has challenged us to transcend ourselves to meet people where they are on their way to a life of love. ”
He commented on a participant at the end of the event.
L’articolo An evening of cinema and community in the Ancient Cathedral of Saint Patrick proviene da IlNewyorkese.