Contact: Janice Gonzalez, 800-683-2998

BALTIMORE, Nov. 20 /Standard Newswire/ -- The dramatic live production, VIANNEY, (http://vianneydrama.com/) performed by actor Leonardo Defilippis of Saint Luke Productions (http://stlukeproductions.com/) was a main event at the annual Fall Assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on November 16th in Baltimore. The turn-out for the performance was remarkable -- on the first night of a very busy conference schedule, VIANNEY was attended by 56 bishops and cardinals.

VIANNEY is touring the country during the current Year for Priests, a special jubilee celebration declared by Pope Benedict XVI. Leonardo Defilippis, the show's star, is best known for his 2004 feature film Therese, which was a grassroots box office hit. For thirty years, his company Saint Luke Productions has been dedicated to renewing the culture through theater and the media. This performance, which tells the story of Saint John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, was presented as a gift to the U.S. bishops this week by Catholics from all over the country.

"We spread the word to the faithful everywhere that we needed support for the performance, and the response was phenomenal," said Defilippis in an interview after the performance. "VIANNEY audiences cheered whenever I announced that we would be bringing this same production to the bishops, and they offered prayers and sacrifices too." Donations to cover the cost of the production flowed in from adults, children, nuns and priests who wanted to let their spiritual leaders know that despite all the negative publicity concerning the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, they love their bishops, their priests and the example of sacrifice that John Vianney embodied.

"This kind of event is just what Pope Benedict intended when he instituted a Year for Priests," remarked Karissa Burt, the Live Drama Coordinator for Saint Luke Productions. "The people are so grateful to Leonardo Defilippis for answering his call."

Saint Luke Productions received the invitation to the national conference from Francis Cardinal George, President of the USCCB, who also hosted the performance for a convocation of 400 priests in his own Archdiocese of Chicago and for 800 people at Mundelein Seminary. The Cardinal summed up his view of the performance in noting, "The play VIANNEY was marvelously well done, of course, and it is as powerful as it is because John Vianney's story is one that continues always with the principalities and powers in conflict with the grace of Christ, which is the key to that battle." Speaking to what the production really is all about, he continued, "I think the play brings it home to priests... We have many administrative problems and we have this and that to deal with in the Church, but in the end it is about the story of sin and grace as seen in this drama. We are grateful as priests for the role that our vocation provides to bring us into this battle."

The reaction to VIANNEY from other bishops was equally enthusiastic. Bishop Robert W. Finn of Kansas City--St. Joseph remarked, "It was very inspirational, very moving. Humanity was touched by divinity in this man, and we hope it will bear fruit in this Year for Priests." Bishop Daniel E. Thomas expressed his excitement over the upcoming tour in December to his Archdiocese of Philadelphia. VIANNEY will be performed in 36 dioceses during the Year for Priests National Tour.

Several bishops remarked on the production’s potential for encouraging a new appreciation for the priesthood as a way of life. "It's a wonderful way in which people who are considering a religious vocation might pray to this saintly man and ask him to open their hearts as his heart was open to God, so that they too might serve for the people of God, as he so admirably did," commented Bishop James A. Tamayo of the Diocese of Laredo.

As the first ever live dramatic production offered at the USCCB Fall Assembly, VIANNEY is a vital part of a movement of renewed enthusiasm for the priesthood that is building across the country. For many years, priestly vocations have declined, but a new generation of young, faithful Catholic men is embracing the radical commitment to Christ that the priesthood embodies. In addition, laypeople are hungry for the sacraments, and for examples of holy commitment. This new energy and excitement are fueling the phenomenal audience response that the VIANNEY drama is receiving all over the U.S.

Saint Luke Productions is currently scheduling VIANNEY for the 2009-2011 seasons. For a complete list of performance locations, and for information on hosting this professional production, visit www.vianneydrama.com or call 1-800-683-2998.