CNA reports

Documentary on Marian images to debut in December

Washington DC, Nov. 30, 2006 (CNA) - No one knows what she really looked like, yet the Blessed Virgin Mary stands among the most popular artistic subjects in history. Now, a stunning new documentary will explore how images of the Virgin, around the world, reflect numerous traditions, devotional practices and cultures.

Picturing Mary will debut next month on public television. Narrated by actress Jane Seymour, the one-hour program leads viewers on a pictorial journey through history from the earliest times to the present day, and presents a stunning array of art from 12 locations in eight different countries.

Picturing Mary is a joint effort of the U.S. bishops’ Catholic Communication Campaign and New York public television station Thirteen/WNET. The documentary follows their previous collaboration on the 2001 Emmy award-winning The Face: Jesus in Art.

Already more than 100 Public Television stations have scheduled the program to air in December. For a list of air dates and times, visit www.picturingmary.com.

“This program is a Christmas gift from the Catholic Communication Campaign to TV viewers,” says CCC Director of Production Ellen McCloskey. “In fact, many stations will present it on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Like The Face: Jesus in Art, Picturing Mary will become a perennial television favorite during the Advent and Christmas seasons.”

DVD copies of Picturing Mary can be purchased from USCCB publishing at, http://www.usccbpublishing.org.