Fabiola Movie Featured Posts
Featured Posts
Happy Feast Day!
Under the protection of Our Lady under the title Virgin Most Powerful do we entrust our Fabiola Summer Campaign. We trust she will get us all the graces we need to succeed in completing filming and post production of the film Fabiola in the way that best glorifies God and is good for the spiritual lives of all those involved.
Virgin Most Powerful, pray for us.
You can help bring this movie to completion.
A Patron of the Fabiola Film
The Napa Institute Arts Festival included a “visual arts gallery”. It was a little a part from where the conference took place, but we had been provided with a map on entering, so finding it was a piece of cake. When we stepped in, I felt right at home and wanted a glass of champagne was brought on a tray.
The gallery was a mix of Old Hollywood movie posters (complete with descriptions and a little history on each!) and religious pieces made by artists today. My favorite of the latter was this beautiful oil painting of St. Thérèse.
I have a special connection to her as she is my confirmation saint. I chose her because I love the idea of “small things all the time for Christ”. When I was confirmed at the age of 9, I contemplated this path to sainthood and thought “I think I can handle that.” I’m not saying it’s easy or that I do it perfectly of course, but I do try!
Beside the beautiful painting was a small reliquary which we were later told held a small strand of her hair that was cut at her profession.
This saint is also a patron of Fabiola as the novel was highly praised by the saint. Perhaps it influenced her pursuit of the “Little Way”. She is always remembered for her revered awe and admiration for Saint Joan of Arc, but I like to imagine what she must have thought about Saint Agnes, a young girl just like her.
To see the film that inspired the Little Flower through to completion, donate today!
In the News
Wake Up! Catholic Community Media 08-04-2026: Fabiola
Retracing the steps that led from filming Outlaws of Ravenhurst as a homeschool group film project to the $1 million feature Fabiola, Mary shares her amazing journey.
Mary also tells the gist of the story of Fabiola demonstrating how Fabiola's dilemma relates directly to the same dilemma we all face today. Am I going to live a comfortable life or am I going to follow the example of the saints?
Sharing also the filmmaking process from script to release and explaining on how in order to see this film through we are going to need help from crowdfunders Chosen-style, Mary closes the interview telling why Fabiola is her dream film project.
This is a great show and can be watched on YouTube by clicking play on the video below.
Before We Can Conquer Sin: The Lesson at the Heart of FABIOLA
On a recent 3 day, 53 mile pilgrimage I heard many great talks, meditations and sermons but one sermon in particular brought to my mind the film Fabiola.
In this sermon Father talked about the three things it is to be Catholic. He mentioned that to the modern world the ONE thing that Catholics are obsessed with is not sinning.
He remarked that if this was truly the most important thing to be Catholic was, then why do we constantly fall back into the same old sins that we resolve to amend?
He then went on to say that of the three things it means to be Catholic, this feature is the last step for we cannot get to this stage unless we take the proper steps.
- Detach ourselves from the world. The world literally has nothing to offer us compared to what Christ has to offer.
- Love Jesus Christ. Once one has rejected the world, there is a vacuum in the soul. The soul must be captivated by something, that is why we long for love. The best place to fill the void is in Our Lord.
- And avoid sin. This is the final stage and it is only obtainable if we have taken the right steps. To the rest of the world, this is what they think it is to be Catholic.
The reason why this sermon reminded me of Fabiola is because the first two stages are central themes of the story.
The character of Torquatus does not detach himself from the world making it easy to fall right back into his sins. He does not find peace until he rejects the world.
Fabiola eventually realizes that the world has nothing to offer her and the Faith has everything.
St. Agnes has not only forgotten the world but has moved on to the next step and shows what it is like to actually be in a romantic relationship with Christ making it easy to avoid sin.
If you like me think this film needs to be made, please show your support by donating today.
In the News
08-07-26 Spirit Mornings Show
Recently Mary Bowen director of Fabiola spent some time visiting with Jen Brown and Damian Montez on the Spirit Mornings Show. Mary shared about how a TV-free childhood lead her on a journey to making her dream film Fabiola. If you missed it, you can listen below.
Mark Your Calendars! We Are Having A Party!
We are pumped for our Fabiola Summer Campaign which begins on the Feast of the Assumption and will run through the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross.
Mark your calendars because we are going to have a LIVEstream party on August 22nd at 6:00 pm PT / 9:00 pm ET. If you are not subscribed to our newsletter yet, now is a great time as we will send out a notification reminder the day of the LIVEstream so you don't miss it.
Hope to see you there!
Happy Birthday to Emily Hawk!
Join us in wishing Emily Hawk a very happy birthday! Emily is anxiously waiting to film a scene in Fabiola as the title character. Support at fabiolamovie.com.
In the News
Catholic Connection - Cultural Connections on Fauci, Blessed Solanus Casey, Housing Crisis..A Moral Crisis
If you missed Fabiola Director Mary Bowen’s interview on EWTN Radio's Catholic Connection, you can check it out below! Mary shared the ways that she is using her God-given talents to better the world, shared the little known connection of St. Therese to the novel Fabiola, and gave an optimistic release date for the film to be in theaters.
Fabiola Pilot Photo Gallery
Have you enjoyed the first scene from the Fabiola movie and want to dig a little deeper? Then we have just the thing for you! Please enjoy this Fabiola Pilot photo gallery to get behind the scenes of just one of many Fabiola scenes.
You can view the photo gallery in one of two ways. Scroll through the pictures or click on the first image for a gallery to open.
1. Behind The Scenes FABIOLA Pilot Photo Gallery
What a fun movie shoot week! The entire scene was shot in just two shoot days, but the fun was stretched through an entire week since everyone on set was flying in from far away.
Before picking up the actors at the airport, Mary, Faustina, Becket, and Patrick met the FABIOLA script theological consultant for breakfast. The team has known him over the years through the internet but really enjoyed meeting him in person at last.
After breakfast, the group headed over to the airport to pick up Lovey, Aidan, and Laura Ruth. It was great meeting them in real life after having only met them so many times on Skype. On the return trip home, there was a small tire issue but Becket and Patrick saved the day.
The rest of the family, Kate, her dad, Nathan Fuerstenau (actor) and Sam Nicholes (actor) met up with the others for dinner in the park. Producers Matt and Kathleen got the dinner ready while the young folks played croquet.
The following day, the actors voted to walk a 5 mile hike. It was a little strenuous for some in the group but everyone left with a few stories to tell and maybe a sunburn or two.
A total of 8 ticks were found crawling on several members of the group.
Afterwards the party headed over to the Airbnb on the river. Patrick got out a few speakers and plugged in the electric guitar. Aidan and Sam played the piano in the frontroom.
The rest of the cast and crew played pool, card games and crocheted.
With everyone together for the first time and after a fun day where everyone got to get used to each other, we cleared out the living room and did the first dry run.
After dinner the actors ran through the scene. Lovey, Aidan and Kate had practiced the lines over Skype many times but this time they were able to incorporate their placements and movements. It was good to get this ironed out so that precious set time was not wasted.
The next day the team hit the set location for filming! The morning process began with costuming and make-uping the 5 actors.
Kathleen Bowen has come up with a pretty streamline application process for hair and makeup (HMU) but it still takes a really long time to HMU everyone.
For the Fabiola Prison scene, Kathleen did all the makeup and the creative director, Mary, did Lovey Maher's hair. The team has realized that HMU takes quite a bit of time. For every page of script an hour of filming should be allotted. But it takes at least three hours to film a single page due to HMU.
Homeschoolers, does this remind you of one of those mental math problems from Saxon math? If it takes three hours to film one page of script and an additional half hour per additional page, how many hours does it take to film a 5 page scene?
This formula has worked pretty well for Industrious Family Film's call sheets. This time, however, they realized that they should have had Lovey in HMU two hours before the other actors and the rest of the crew arrived. This would have been complicated in some ways because the cast and crew were all carpooling and transportation to and from the set was another schedule that had to be considered.
If you are a beginning filmmaker you can learn all about the filming process in our comprehensive movie making e-course. This is a course that takes you through the entire process of making a movie as you progress at your own pace. Unlike our Constitution, it is a living, breathing document and we are updating it as we discover better ways of making movies.
Once that process was done the team moved the action to the set. Everyone performed a few run throughs just to get the kinks out.
Then filming started.
St. Agnes’ close shots were filmed first. Kate (Agnes) led the scene very well, though this part took longer than expected.
The cast and crew took a lunch break after Agnes' close shots. The shooting resumed after lunch with Aidan's and Lovey's close shots. This was a meticulous process with perfection being sought in every shot. The lights needed a little bit of adjusting, but for the most part they were already set up.
Kathleen and Laura monitored the acting while everyone else enjoyed watching. The entire crew was rather relieved that two days were planned for shooting because by the end of the shoot it was obvious that this scene was going to need a few more shots.
After the film day was complete, the cast and crew regrouped at Yurtopia. There the nature trail was enjoyed and dinner was prepared. Sam led everyone in a few dances, and Mr. Witkemper generously bought the whole group ice cream. The older people enjoyed the camp fire and cigars into the night while the younger people star tipped.
Mary asked Lovey (Fabiola) after the shoot if she was expecting it to be so much work. She happily replied that she was having a lot of fun and was really enjoying herself. The other actors expressed as much.
The next morning found cast and crew back at it. Once again, costuming and make-uping began the day before moving onto set to finish filming the scene. This day was practically a repeat of the previous day, this time focusing on Lovey's (Fabiola) and Aidan's (Fulvius) close-ups.
After the second shoot day, Sam and Laura interviewed the actors.
How I Was Able To Connect With Others While Discovering Old Friends From Across The Country For The First Time On The FABIOLA Scene Set
Early before dawn on the morning on June 11th , my husband drove me and my oldest daughter to the airport a little over an hour away. Being that it was around 3 or 4 in the morning, she and I had time to nap or at least rest our eyes.
But we were both wide awake.
We were on our way to Idaho to meet the Bowen family of Industrious Family Films. It was the first time that I would fly somewhere with just my daughter, her first time to go to Idaho and my first time flying into Spokane, WA.
From Internet Friends To Meeting In Person: Catching The First Glimpse Of Our New Old Friends
When Mary and Faustina arrived to pick us up in at the Spokane airport, it was like meeting old friends for the first time. If that sounds like an oxymoron, let me explain.
Last October, I received an email from a friend at church telling me about a project her friend was
involved in and asking if we could donate to the cause. I looked at the website for Industrious Family right away to check it out, because I was immediately hooked.
Here I discovered a Catholic homeschooling family that was planning to make a film.
In fact, they had already made two feature length films and 2 shorts. They had all their films for sale on DVD on the website. In addition to this, I found a casting call for their current project.
Having acted in community theatre in my youth and majoring in Video Production in college, it was evident to me that this family, led by the two oldest sisters, was living out dreams similar to my own when I was their age. This was a great opportunity to connect with others who had dreams just like me.
So, I did what any level headed Midwest Mom of 4 young children would do. I filled out that casting call. I also persuaded my husband that we should make a contribution to the project.
Surreal Transformations: How Online Meetings Led To A Movie Set Experience
The Bowens got back to me right away and there ensued a correspondence through emails, phone calls, and Skype and Zoom conferences.
I also looked to see if they had accounts with any social media that I was using. I found Kathleen on LinkedIn and Mary on Instagram. I started following them and sharing their posts. (Follow them on these platforms if you can. It is a great way to connect with others, especially Catholic moviemakers.)
In November, we did a virtual read-through of the script and I got to meet the Bowen family, the other actors on the call and read Lucina’s lines.
Fast forward to March, they were making concrete plans to film the pilot scene that would involve three of the main characters. I got an email inviting the actors and contributors to the filming. I really wanted to connect with others who were making these Catholic films.
Right away, I told them that I would like to come out, but I would have to see about making arrangements. It wasn’t easy, but in the end it all worked out. My niece, Bella, came from MO to stay with my 3 younger children while I was away so that my husband wouldn’t have to take off from work.
Another friend from church came to the rescue and entertained the kids for 2 of the days to keep them busy and occupied, giving Bella a break and keeping the kids from missing me too much.
And Then I Was Off In A Whirlwind Of Plans Preparing To Go To Idaho Not Only For The FABIOLA Scene Filming But To Connect With Others!
It was the longest that I had been away from home with someone other than my husband watching the kids.
And those times were for a 5-day spiritual retreat, usually done between new babies. And that’s how my daughter and I ended up in Idaho visiting the Bowens and other friends in ID for 7 days.
We spent 2 days on set for the filming. The rest was spent in driving (gripping the passenger arm rests while Mary drove up and down the mountain, I’m a flatlander, after all), BBQing, watching the young people play croquet, hiking, sitting on the deck of a cabin watching birds fly over the Salmon River, singing karaoke, watching the young people learning dancing (kind of like a mix between square dancing and English Country dancing), sitting around a campfire, talking, watching the kids do star tipping and in general having a really good time!
Unforgettable Moments: How the Bowen's Love Shone During FABIOLA Filming
Meeting everyone *in real life* was a wonderful experience, the chance of a lifetime. I am so grateful to them for inviting us to be along for it and so grateful for my husband being gracious enough to agree to me going out West for a week. When you connect with others who have similar values and beliefs, it’s so refreshing; it’s good for the soul.
There’s a song by James Taylor that says, “You can’t make old friends...” but we were old friends right away.
-Instant friends, just add water-
In other words, just put a group of traditionally minded Catholics together and there are instant
friendships. I also want to take a moment to thank the Bowen family for their hospitality. They treated us really well while we were there and made everything seamless. That’s what brought to mind the quote above from John 13:35. “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.”
The Bowen family showed us the love of Christ and for this, we are grateful.
Want To Go Beyond The FABIOLA Pilot Photo Gallery? Watch The Behind The Scenes Video Now!
How Children Can Draw Lessons From Books And Films Preparing Them For Adult Life
What if I said that we have the same goals and dreams? How would I know that?
Well, we both want to get our children to heaven. They are our most valued assets. We would even hope that we could give them everything they need to become a saint and to join the Saints that reside in the Beatific Vision for all eternity.
We all live in the same world and face the same obstacles.
How do we avoid the allure of the world with its bad entertainment and devices, but still satisfy the human needs and desires for belonging and common experiences among peers, who will truly becoming the future community of our children?
Children Should Be Immersed In Tales Of Heroic Deeds And Examples
One way to do this is to immerse our children in the stories so that they can learn valuable lessons from books. They should hear and read stories of war heroes, legends, fairy tales of Grimm, fables of Aesop, and biographies of saints.
Good stories enable children to face what evils exist in the world in a form and manner that they can handle and comprehend. That means that you don’t expose them to the dangers of society around us, but you expose them to good literature which presents the evils in such a way that they are not immediately threatening.
Instead, they give you and your children space and time to contemplate what the characters in the story should do or could have done better. This translates to virtues and wisdom that we can internalize and have at the ready for the day when we’ll need to use these in scenarios that we will encounter in the real world. These are invaluable lessons from books.
Powerful Lessons From Books That Inspire Change and Justice
Literature also usually gives a satisfactory ending to the story so that all the characters are either reformed or converted at the end or given their due, and justice is accomplished, depending on what is most appropriate.
You can choose what literature you bring into your house and what you allow your children to peruse.
You are the gatekeeper.
What a relief it is to discover someone else fighting with you on your side. When you realize that there are others in this world who also want the best for your children, including their spiritual best, it’s as though you found a valuable ally in the fight.
Exploring the Dynamic Characters and Their Influence in Cardinal Wiseman's Fabiola
Cardinal Wiseman was very aware of the power of a good influence that one can have on another. His main character Fabiola came into her own as a young adult in ancient Rome. She would go from a self-centered, flighty girl to a young lady who knew her worth, but still respected and treated others around her with charity. She owed that metamorphosis to the saints that comprised her inner circle of friends and acquaintances. Agnes, Sebastian and many others influenced her for the good.
This story takes place during a time which is alarmingly similar to our own. We are living in a post-Christian society and we are seeing striking similarities to the pre-Christian society as found in Fabiola. Like the Christians in this story, we are called to be a light in a darkened world and bring the flame of truth to those who have wandered so far from it that they don't even know what it is.
The Stories That Make You Are The Stories That You Carry With You All Your Life
Good books, uplifting literature and noble stories can be the inner circle of good influence for our children. This is a great way to teach your children real life lessons from books.
Like Fabiola, we should take special care that we surround our children with good friends who lead with heroic example even if these can only be found in literature and good films. Thank you for taking the time to look at this Industrious Family Films project which is bringing to life the good story of Fabiola and help us give our children an inner circle of holy friends so that they, too, can go forth and be a good friend to others.