Eliana and Friends Make a Saintly Movie

In May 2023, I (Eliana) thought it would be really fun for the kids at our parish and around our diocese to put together a movie about the life of a saint. I started thinking about possible saints, which families to invite, and other things like that.

Once we decided on Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, we took the idea to our priest. We got Father’s permission, and the project began: inviting families, choosing dates, etc. I started to write a script and completed it in July. It’s important to me because I think it was a great summer project.

The kids grew closer to each other and God. We learned about the lives of two great saints. We laughed and enjoyed many good times. For many years, I’ve always thought it would be really fun to do something like this, and two great movies made by kids on the Catholic website “Formed” really inspired me as well.

What did you do?

I wrote a script with many roles and did my best to put the whole thing together. Of course, it wouldn’t have been possible without my mom and older sister’s help!

We had a total of thirty kids from ages 1-15 in our movie. We meet numerous times a week at our parish to practice and memorize our lines. Within a month or so, things began to take shape.

We made costumes and found places to film. We even convinced our parish priest to participate, and he kindly played the role of Fr. Antonio in the movie. Once the movie was filmed, my sister and I edited it, which took a couple of weeks.

Once it was done, we had a movie night at our church on October 8th. It was a great turnout and so much fun. In fact, we’ve already started planning another one!

Did homeschooling help?

Like many homeschoolers, I usually don’t finish school for the year until late May or early June. The flexibility of homeschooling helped all of us kids spend more time on our movie. And when the movie continued into the early school year, we could still dedicate time to our movie during the school day. Anytime someone asks me what my favorite part about homeschooling is, I always say the flexibility!

Your interests?

I enjoy doing simple work around the house, like washing dishes, cooking, dusting, etc. I am active in church groups, such as Faith Formation and a Bible Study my older sister leads. I am very much a bookworm and also enjoy spending time outdoors.

Your favorite subjects?

Art, History, and Math. Art because I love the fact that artists can express their love for God through painting and drawing. History, because reading about the past can help us feel more grateful for the blessings we have today. Math, because I enjoy doing it, and it’s also challenging.

Your future?

No matter what I end up doing, I want to dedicate myself to Christ and serve Him through others.