ARTICLES

Fr. Marques featured in documentary on priests

By Steve Neill
Of The Catholic Virginian

Father Anthony Marques, parochial vicar at Blessed Sacrament parish in Harrisonburg, is one of three Catholic priests featured in a new documentary “The Catholic Priest Today” which had its premiere at the recent annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore.

Father Marques was present during the three showings of the film on the evening of Nov. 12 at the USCCB meeting. He estimated that about 60 bishops attended the three screenings.

“This film is about priests living the great adventure of a life completely dedicated to Christ,” said Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, newly elected president of the USCCB, who is featured in the film.

“It shows that all those who accept the challenge of the priesthood in today’s world realize that it is a great time to be a priest.”

In seeking what they hoped would be the right priests for the documentary, the producers of Crestar Production Company of Chicago interviewed many priests over the phone. Father Marques was interviewed after he was suggested as a possible participant by Msgr. Edward Burns, interim director of the USCCB Committee on Priestly Formation and director of the Secretariat for Priestly Life and Ministry.

Father Marques, ordained a priest of the Diocese of Richmond in 2006, told The Catholic Virginian that he knew Msgr. Burns from when he was living with his parents in Reston and attending Mass at St. Thomas a Becket Church where Msgr. Burns often presided at Mass on weekends.

“Father Burns also knew me from the USCCB being right next door to TC (Theological College),” Father Marques said. “He had asked me to organize an informal focus group with other seminarians to look at ‘Fishers of Men’ (another documentary which promotes priestly vocations) and offer feedback.”

After Father Marques was selected as one of the three priests for the documentary, a film crew came to Harrisonburg last April and followed him during a Saturday in which he celebrated a Hispanic celebration for a 15-year-old girl’s birthday, a visit to a nursing home patient, the Saturday night vigil Mass at Blessed Sacrament, and a wedding Mass in Spanish that same night.

“They basically followed me around for the day,” Father Marques said, adding, ‘it was a 15-hour day.”

In addition to Father Marques, “The Catholic Priest Today” documentary features a priest from the Diocese of Madison, Wis. involved in campus ministry, and a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis who is teaching deacons in a house of discernment.

Questions the producers sought to address in the film are:

• Can a man in today’s world be a successful priest?

• What is a successful priest?

• What are the rewards of being a priest?

• Is it possible for today’s priests to resist the temptations that surround them?

• What is the role of prayer in the life of a priest?

• Who is available to help priests with their needs?

The film’s executive producer is Father James Socias of the Midwest Theological Forum.

“Obviously it’s an honor and a privilege to be in the film,” Father Marques said. “Anything I can do to promote priesthood, I’m happy to do.”

MTF is a not-for-profit corporation, based in Woodridge, IL, that publishes materials and organizes courses for Catholic bishops, priests and laity.

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