‘Greater Works’

DOCUMENTARIAN  Father Mateusz Jasniewicz, parochial vicar at St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Clifton, holds a copy of “Greater Works,” a documentary film that he produced about the history of the faith community to help celebrate its 75th jubilee last year. The parish is now selling copies of the documentary on DVD and Blu-Ray. One of the voiceover actors is Rachel Zegler, a parishioner, who was recently cast in the role of Maria in director Steven Spielberg’s upcoming movie remake of the musical “West Side Story.”

CLIFTON  Audiences watched spellbound as the lights went down in the auditorium at St. Philip the Apostle Parish here and the curtain went up for the red-carpet premiere of a new local independent film in early December. Some young people here viewed it with fascination, while some older parishioners cried — all getting swept up not in the latest art-house movie, but in “Greater Works,” a homegrown documentary about the real and just-as-powerful 75-year history of St. Philip’s, now on DVD and Blu-Ray.

“The kids watching the film were interested in the history of St. Philips and in seeing pictures of themselves. Some of the older people had tears in their eyes, as they were remembering people, who were in the photos but no longer here — a priest, a mother or a friend — or beautiful moments that they had at the parish,” said the Polish-born Father Mateusz Jasniewicz, a St. Philip’s parochial vicar, who produced “Greater Works” for the parish’s 75th anniversary, which included a gala and concluded last month. “I received a lot of praise from parishioners for the film and a ‘thank-you’ note from one person, who said that it told the history of St. Philip’s so well, it’s as if I were born and raised here,” he said.

Over the past year, Father Jasniewicz walked in the footsteps of great documentary filmmakers, such as Ken Burns, in assembling the 40-minute “Greater Works” — filmed in high-definition 4K. It tells the ever-evolving story of St. Philip’s, which continues to build on is long legacy as an intrepid parish that looks to the future with love, faith and courage. As producer, he undertook researching St. Philip’s history by collecting and poring over documents, video and photos; interviewing parishioners and Msgr. Raymond Kupke, the diocese’s archivist; recording some of the soundtrack music; creating graphics; and editing it together in a final cut. The film — which includes reflections by Father Joseph Garbarino, St. Philip’s pastor — was first shown after Masses on Dec. 8 and 9 and went on sale on the DVD and Blu-Ray formats at the parish this past weekend.

Rave reviews have poured in from many of the 500 people, who already have viewed “Greater Works,” which tells the dramatic story of St. Philip’s beginnings in the Richfield section of Clifton, during World War II. It continues with the expansion of the physical campus and ministries of the faith community over the decades since, led by a succession of pioneering pastors. It also dramatizes two major tragedies at the parish, both caused by fire: the total destruction of the church in 1963 and significant damage in St. Philip the Apostle Prep School in January 2018 — as well as the hope and joy brought about by their rebuilding efforts. The film also captures the smiles of the priests, religious sisters and laity over the years as they interact, during regular events, such as parish carnivals, classroom activities, first Holy Communion Masses and outreaches to the poor.

“Greater Works” weaves together the story of St. Philip’s through photos of its early days, the many priests, staff and parishioners over the years, its church buildings and other buildings on campus and historical documents, as well as video of liturgies and interviews of key people. Some parishioners provided voiceovers that told the parish’s history. The film begins with footage from the Mass that opened St. Philip’s 75th Jubilee year, which included the sounding of the Shofar, a ram’s horn trumpet, used in Jewish ceremonies.

“Opus Christi is our mission, which is to do Christ’s work. We are given as Church the keys to the kingdom [of God], so that we can be ‘Good News’ for people. As you watch this documentary, you will see the faces of the people, who have been doing Christ’s work faithfully for 75 years through spiritual, service and social ministry,” said Father Garbarino, pastor since 2013, in this introduction.

The film talks about the beginnings of St. Philip’s, located on land once populated by Lenni Lenape Indians. An influx of Catholics to the area during World War II prompted one resident to ask Bishop Thomas McLaughlin for permission to use a local community room for Masses, the first one of which took place on June 6, 1943 in the clubhouse of the Acquackanonk Gardens Defense Housing Project. In the post-war boom, the Catholic population here tripled. In 1949, Msgr. Thomas Molloy arrived at St. Philip’s, then a mission of St. Agnes Parish, Paterson, and as its first pastor, started celebrating Masses in a small church at 597 Valley Road on the corner of Van Houten Avenue. Then, he initiated the unprecedented expansion of the parish’s campus with fund-raising for and the building of a new church, school, rectory and convent at 797 Valley Rd. The church’s design won major architectural awards and opened on May 25, 1954, according to the film.

“Msgr. Molloy was a capable and entrepreneurial type. He had great visions for the parish. He galvanized the parish [made up of young families at the time] to build this enormous church,” Msgr. Kupke, diocesan archivist and pastor of St. Anthony Parish, Hawthorne, said on camera.

Tragedy struck on May 9, 1963, when a fire burned down the church. The documentary showed longtime parishioner John Cerullo, talking about having driven past the church the next morning and seeing its burned out, smoldering skeleton, which the film depicts with startling photos. With tears in his eyes, Cerullo said, “I was in a state of shock.” But the parish rebuilt the church with its original design, which united the faith community under a “single cause,” the film states.

St. Philip’s was among the first parishes to implement the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. In 1994, the faith community welcomed another in a long line of pioneering pastors, Msgr. Peter Doody, who renovated the former convent into a parish center, named in honor of Msgr. Molloy and built Marian Hall. Father Garbarino came in 2013 and “focused on spirituality through parish-wide themes.” On Jan. 11 last year, a fire broke out at the school, causing the destruction of a wing and major damage to other parts of the building and also the parish’s Marian Hall. A few months later, students returned to the building, after having been relocated to other facilities off campus. Restoration efforts continue, according to “Greater Works.”

“The faith, courage and resilience that characterized the people of St. Philip the Apostle continues as a new Jubilee Wing is being built. Again, our parish rises from the ashes through faith in hope with love,” the video states.

Work on “Greater Works” began in October 2017, after Father Jasniewicz got the idea to produce a documentary for St. Philip’s 75th Jubilee. He purchased and became proficient at operating the latest digital cameras, sound recorders and video and audio editing software. He even bought a drone to take video footage of the entire St. Philip’s campus from the air. In the church, he recorded some soundtrack music, written and performed by Frank Hydash, the parish’s music ministry director. Before that, he conducted research in the parish and diocesan archives; collected photos, video and documents from parishioners; and spoke with Msgr. Kupke and some longtime parishioners, said Jasniewicz, who conducts social media for the parish and school.

“Media is a wonderful way to evangelize. So many people are looking for the ‘Good News.’ It’s something to bring them close to Jesus and a way to bring them back to the Church,” Father Jasniewicz told The Beacon, while showing the final cut of “Greater Works” on his office computer. “I hope that this documentary shows the spirit of St. Philip’s of the past and present that will continue into the future,” he said.