40 years ago, Fr. Bob Bedard’s “yes” to the Lord transformed parishes across North America and inspired a new vision for the Church and the priesthood. Now, producers of the film “Permission”, which follows Fr. Bob’s story, are trying to recreate what a ‘packed church’ would have looked like in the days of Fr. Bob at St. Mary’s Parish. We need your help to fill the church with extras on Saturday, February 22nd from 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm!
To learn more, we checked in with Kevin Dunn, director of the upcoming film:
“As a Catholic filmmaker, I am always looking for stories about champions of the Church. Ottawa’s Fr. Bob Bedard is no exception. Everywhere we filmed in Canada and the USA, there were stories of how God used Fr. Bob to change a life, inspire a vocation or launch a ministry. He was a beloved teacher and principal to thousands of students at St. Pius X and became a rock for many after the tragic school shooting in his classroom. When he served at St. Mary’s Parish, there wasn’t an empty pew in the church. Confession lines were out the door and people would travel from all over to hear the humble founder of the Companions of the Cross preach a homily, give a mission or celebrate Mass. As an international speaker and prophet of The New Evangelization, he was revered by thousands more the world over.
“While he was living, Fr. Bob never liked the spotlight. But his zeal to see an ‘explosively alive Church’ and renewed priesthood would become the touchstone of his priesthood. These final reenactments will be the crowning touch on our film about a truly saintly man who lived both by faith – and a gentle sense of humour. With God’s grace and some final crowdfunding, we hope to release the film in June of 2025, commemorating 40 years of the Companions of the Cross. Please visit www.permissionthefilm.com for more details.”
We hope that you can help us film the last reenactment for the film and pack the church for Fr. Bob on February 22nd from 12:30-3:30 pm at St. Mary’s Parish. Eighties attire and hair styles most welcome! No logos please. Register now at stmarysottawa.ca/permission
