"For the Sake of the Gospel," EWTN, Feb. 5

By John Mulderig

NEW YORK (OSV News) – A little-known chapter of American religious history is explored in the enlightening documentary, "For the Sake of the Gospel." Produced by the Diocese of Savannah, and made possible by the Catholic Communications Campaign, the film will air on EWTN Monday, Feb. 5, 5:30-6 p.m. EST.

Filmmakers Wil Kazary and Michael Jordan use commentary from clergy and scholars, archival images and reenactments to tell the tale of a group of Spanish Franciscan missionaries who, at the end of the 16th century, left their homeland behind to evangelize the Guale people in what is now coastal Georgia. Their dedication to the faith was to prove profound.

Adopting a gentle, gradualist strategy, the newcomers sought to integrate themselves into the local culture in order, eventually, to communicate the Gospel message more effectively. Though they willingly allowed converts to continue traditional practices not directly at variance with Christianity, they held firm where doctrine was concerned.

Such resoluteness led to a conflict concerning the sacrament of matrimony that would have fatal consequences. Yet the legacy of this band of preachers, known today as Pedro de Corpa and Companions, proved lasting. Their cause for canonization is currently being actively promoted.

Kazary's cinematography captures the lush beauty of the area where the friars labored and the fact that their story unfolded a full two decades before the Mayflower sailed enhances viewer interest. While aspects of their experience necessarily remain clouded in mystery, the uplifting account of their sacrificial witness to the marital bond is both moving and timely.

As Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer of Atlanta, himself a Conventual Franciscan, points out, in an age averse to permanent commitments, the steadfastness of the five Georgia Martyrs and the similar faithfulness of the sixth member of the group – who suffered captivity but survived – is particularly resonant. Their actions, he observes, testify to "the holiness of marriage."

Some of the events recounted in "For the Sake of the Gospel" would be disturbing to small children. But older kids as well as grown TV fans will appreciate this enjoyable introduction to an inspiring passage in the story of how Catholicism took root in the New World.