Pope Francis receives Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly in audience and expresses support for the new film
9/2/2022
Pope Francis is joined by a delegation of the Knights of Columbus and Missionaries of Charity following his general audience in Paul VI hall on Aug. 31 where Supreme Knight Kelly presented him with a DVD copy of Mother Teresa: No Greater Love. (Photo: Vatican Media)
View slideshow
The much-anticipated documentary Mother Teresa: No Greater Love premiered in Vatican City on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at the prestigious Filmoteca Vaticana. Earlier that day, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, an executive producer of the feature-length documentary, presented Pope Francis with a copy of the film at a general audience in Paul VI hall.
“I was very happy to present a copy of the documentary to Pope Francis, who received it with enthusiasm,” said Supreme Knight Kelly. “When Mother Teresa was feeding the hungry or holding the hands of someone as they lay dying, she was treating them as she would the most important person in her life, Jesus Christ himself. Our hope is that Mother Teresa: No Greater Love will inspire a new generation to carry on her mission.”
In a letter to the supreme knight, the pope expressed gratitude to the filmmakers, writing, “Thank you for all the efforts made to capture the life of this saint whose life and testimony have borne much fruit.” The Holy Father added that he hoped “the documentary will do much good to all those who watch it and arouse the desire for holiness.”
Mother Teresa: No Greater Love will debut in more than 900 theaters across the United States on Monday, Oct. 3, and Tuesday, Oct. 4. For more information, including theater locations, ticket purchases and the film’s trailer, visit www.motherteresamovie.com.
Produced by the Knights of Columbus in partnership with the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa: No Greater Love was filmed on five continents and is part of Fathom Events’ Saint Series, a curated collection of films chronicling the lives of Catholic saints.
A preview of the film was held Monday, Aug. 29, at the Pontifical North American College (NAC) in Rome. Following the NAC screening, a panel organized by the Knights of Columbus shared information about the documentary, including its unprecedented access to the institutional archives and apostolates of the Missionaries of Charity. Participants included Supreme Knight Kelly; Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C., postulator of Mother Teresa’s canonization cause; actor Jonathan Roumie, star of The Chosen; and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker David Naglieri, who wrote, directed and produced the documentary.
A private screening of Mother Teresa: No Greater Love was later held for the Missionaries of Charity on Thursday, Sept. 1, at the Knights of Columbus Pius XI Sports Center in Rome.
The U.S. premiere of the film will take place at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11. Tickets can be reserved at motherteresainstitute.org.