DIARY OF A CITY PRIEST

US, 2001, 77 minutes, Colour.
David Morse, John Ryan.
Directed by Eugenio Martin.

Diary of a City Priest is a brief American telemovie. It was co-written and directed by Eugenio Martin, based on a diaries of Father John Mc Namee, a Philadelphia priest.

The film acknowledges at the end a debt to Robert Bresson, the French film director who filmed Georges Bernanos' Diary of a Country Priest in 1950. This is a brief version of excerpts from the diary of Father Mc Namee, a priest for a long time in an inner city, marginalised neighbourhood of Philadelphia. It shows a great deal of the life of a priest in the church of the 1990s, in the American church. It shows the prayerful nature of the priest, even when undergoing a spiritual crisis, writing in his diary and writing poetry. It also shows the priest involved with the parishioners, at the sacramental level with a wide variety of sacraments presented from baptisms, weddings, confessions, anointings. It also shows the priest at prayer, in his mundane everyday work, looking after boilers in the school, and especially his dealing with a range of parishioners who come to his door at night for food, who ring him up to come to help them in the night court, who want letters of reference for future studies as well as the ordinary problems that continually occur.

Father Mc Namee is caught up in a kind of dark night of the soul. However, he does have some friendships with people who work in the parish, especially in the rectory as well as with some fellow priests, especially Father David who continually comes to him for financial aid for people in trouble.

David Morse gives a very sincere performance, sometimes intense as Father Mc Namee.

1. A brief telemovie, the acknowledgment of Robert Bresson and his films, the work of Georges Bernanos and the Diary of a Country Priest? The adaptation to a city priest in the 1990s?

2. Philadelphia, the visuals of the city, the neighbourhood, church and homes, night courts? The interior of the rectory, of the church? A sense of authenticity and realism?

3. The film based on a true story, the verbal excerpts of the diary and their being visualised? Father Mc Namee acting as technical adviser?

4. The status of an American priest in the 1990s, the critique of the way of life, the spirituality of the priest, the loneliness, the experience of dark nights, friendships, the issue of celibacy? The administration of the sacraments? Mundane day jobs? The continual emotional and spiritual demands? The status of the priest? The possibilities for ministry?

5. The Catholic church and the presentation of Philadelphia, the urban parish, marginal life in the parish?

6. The diary structure of the film, some months in 1992, typical but not typical, glimpses of Father Mc Namee in his life, work? Building up an overview of the priest, his character, his vocation, ministry, life in the parish, priestly life?

7. Father Mc Namee's ministry and life: prayer and life, the writing of poetry, in the diary? The celebration of the Eucharist, the wedding, anointing, confessions? His relationship with the staff, the continued busyness, the demands, phone calls, the sister helping, the school, finances, the boilers needing fixing? Night, the continual knock on his door with food requests? Money and his giving it to those in need? The phone call to go to the night court, his sitting in the court, giving testimony, his encounter with the young man and hopes for the future; the letter of recommendation to the young student for the university and for the scholarship; playing basketball - and the flashbacks to the young, zealous and idealistic priest playing basketball with his friends?

8. Father David, his coming to Father Mc Namee, helping people out, Father David's comment on diocesan expenses on Roman trips and meals? The other priests and their gathering at the meal, talking?

9. Issues of race, discrimination, poverty, hunger and humiliation?

10. The night court, the judge, the demands on Father Mc Namee, the promises of the young man? His family?
11. The issue of the scholarship, the writing of the recommendation, the young man coming to visit Father Mc Namee, his gratitude, the parish staff celebrating?

12. The film as a television movie and its impact, for non-Catholic audiences, for Catholics, a portrait of the diary of a parish priest and the perspectives of 2001?