Mary Rose BacaniView Full Bio

When Fr. Thomas Rosica approached me with the question “How would you like to go with a crew to the Holy Land?” I was sure of two things. One, the lightness of the question betrayed the largeness of the task ahead. Two, in the land of Jesus Christ, I would have the experience of my life.

On the plane to Tel Aviv on May 20 th of this year, I was half-fearful of the experience waiting for me. I was given the mission to produce a documentary to encourage Christians to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I chose to tell the story of the Land of Christ and of its people, from the heart. In the silence of the heart, God speaks. In the silence of the heart, one can listen, be moved, and be changed.

So why was this Journey of Light so challenging for me? For ten days, I had to open my own heart to the mysterious reality present in the Holy Land, in this center of my faith and history. Every place breathed a vivid memory. Every face spoke a powerful message. But this short time was not enough for me to understand the significance of all I had gone through. For the next four months of post-production, I and my Co-Director and Editor, Richard Valenti, found ourselves taking part in the unfolding of the big picture. Every piece that formed part of Journey seemed to take shape on its own as we worked. It was clear for both of us that God was in charge. The story was already there. We just had to discover it.

We found the story is not only about suffering and pain, but of joy and love. It is not only about buildings and churches, but of people and God working through them. Through God’s initiative and the people who contributed to Journey of Light, I believe we have been able to tell the story of the Holy Land from the Catholic Christian perspective, in a simple way.

Journey of Light will always be a reminder for me that anybody can find God in the Holy Land. You just need to open your heart.

Mary Rose Bacani
Writer/Director, Journey of Light