Cameras rolled in June, 2013 at the World’s Biggest Block Party at Old St. Pat’s church in the West Loop, as doc makers Jamie Fleischel and Matt Leonard of Picture Show and their crew began shooting the first-ever documentary about the 158-year Catholic church.
The feature-length doc, “Old St. Patrick’s Church: A Renaissance Story,” will premiere on WTTW/11 Thursday, Aug. 21 at 7:30 p.m. It was written and narrated by Chicago-based Mike Leonard, a long-time fixture on the “Today” show and Emmy-winning journalist.
“Mike is one of the very best storytellers around,” says Dan Soles, Ch. 11’s EVP/ Dan Soles. “It was easy to see why he would want to embrace this inspiring and compelling story.”
Through the efforts of Father Jack Wall and Father John Cusick, Old St. Pat’s was resurrected over a 30 year period, starting in 1983, from an empty church in a rundown area to become one of the biggest Catholic churches with 3,000 families in a thriving neighborhood.
The idea of the doc originated with Soles and colleague Anne Gleason, the station’s SVP/marketing & interactive media, who pitched it to Mary Kay Wall, Father Wall’s sister, who had worked on Leonard’s post-retirement projects for PBS. She was also a great resource, having worked with Father Wall for 10 years in creating marketing and outreach programs for the church.
Old St. Pat’s story is told in three sections, says Soles. “The first is a general overview of the church’s mission and its background; the second is its outreach programs, connections with young adults, the impoverished and the inspired; the third, is the church’s early history, opening on Easter Sunday in 1846.”
“We interviewed present pastor Father Tom Hurley, pastor emeritus Father Wall and Father Cusick,” who was recently transferred to a parish in Wisconsin, says Fleischel.
“We also interviewed Irish and Chicago historians, Ellen Skerret and Charles Fanning and people involved with the social justice and outreach programs the church is committed to.”
The three priests will be live on air Thursday during the station’s fundraising breaks to talk about the film and about the parish.
“Mike Leonard is not a partner in Picture Show,” says Fleischel, “although we’ve worked very closely with him in the past.” (Leonard is Matt Leonard’s father and Fleischel’s father-in-law.)
Picture Show Films produced and directed Leonard’s nationally syndicated PBS series, “The Ride of Our Lives” in 2008. Its new series with Leonard is a new PBS series, “In Common with Mike” that will bow on WTTW/11 this fall.
Picture Show Films credits: EPs: John and Pat O’Brien, Mary Kay Wall, James Fleischel, Matt Leonard. Producers: Brian Gailey, Katie Prentiss.
Director, Jamie Fleischel. Cinematography, John Cummings, Corey Lillard, Brendan Leonard, Brian Gailey. Editors: Jamie Fleischel and Katie Prentiss. Original score, John Williams.
