Saturday, February 25, 2012

Now that is a reason to watch the Oscars!

This Benedictine nun used to be a Hollywood actress and made films with Elvis! There is a new documentary about her which was nominated for an Oscar and she will be there! I have read a wonderful biography and history of Regina Laudis in CT where her convent is. The nuns are mostly graduate-school educated and many are experts in their area. They wear the traditional Benedictine habit my school sisters wore in Rio, and they are masters of Gregorian Chant. I hope she gets an award and delivers a truly meaningful Thank You speech! The video is short, watch it! I love Rome Reports and I subscribe to the free service.

3 comments:

Jannell said...

Cool!

Neen said...

I love this. Thank you for sharing. I think seeing a nun in such a worldy place like holliwood brings so much hope to the world!

Facebook comments said...

Natasha Collins, Fr. Tom Anderson and 2 others like this.
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Susan Rankin Pepino
The only part of the video I dislike is that Hollywood refers to her as a "lost star". They don't have a clue (Not Rome, Hollywood, that is.)


Ana Braga-Henebry
Hollywood may have lost her, but God won her.

Alicia Van Hecke
I read actress Patricia Neal's autobiography last year. Quite heartbreaking, but fascinating too in many ways. She found a new outlook on life through her friendship with Mother Dolores and her connection with Regina Laudis and (not present in the autobiography) ended up converting to Catholicism 4 months before her death (and is now buried at Regina Laudis). One of the coolest things in the book is how she reconciled with Gary Cooper's wife and daughter (Neal had an infamous affair with Gary Cooper while he was married) and I think they helped introduce her to the community.

Ana Braga-Henebry
Wow Alicia, I may have to post this as a blog comment! And I will have to read the book.

Alicia Van Hecke
It's worth a read. I can lend it to you sometime.


Alicia Van Hecke
By the way, I'm trying to find the part in the book to make sure I got it right. I will let you know when I find it. In the meantime, the name of the book is "As I Am" and it's dedicated: "To my beloved Lady Abbess of Regina Laudis on her Golden Jubilee for insisting that I remember it all."

Alicia Van Hecke
Ah, I found it. It was Gary Cooper's daugher Maria who ended up especially connecting with Patricia and introduced her to the Abbey. Very cool story! :)

Alicia Van Hecke
You might find this interesting too: http://www.creativeminorityreport.com/2010/08/patricia-neal-pro-life-advocate-rip.html

Maria Rioux
I read that one, too. Amazing...and also sad....but with clear signs of God's grace hard at work.