I attended the vigil and canonization mass for our new saint at the L.A. Cathedral,
Our Lady of the Angels, and took these images. Bishop Jose Gomez attended both and appeared to be a kind and gentle man. I went because John Paul II is one of the people I look up to most in the world, and in fact was very influential in me founding La Mancha Media and making the charity videos and the film
Men of La Mancha. He always spoke of the new evangelization of the media. As a catholic myself, I felt called to do something about this new evangelization. He spoke so often about giving of oneself to another to be truly happy. In the film where Mike Ross and I are speaking on the beach, admiring those we have filmed, we discuss self-giving; the giving of those generous people we filmed who, with barely any pay, have given up all to help those in need. These thoughts are truly inspired by our new
Sancto,
Pope Saint John Paul II. By becoming Don Quixote for a time, riding out to tell the stories of these generous people, I I took his often advice and catch phrase for his entire pontificate:
Be Not Be Afraid!
Men of La Mancha ended up winning the People's Choice Award at
John Paul II Film Festival in Miami in late 2012. I had made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City just before and prayed to John Paul II to help the film get to be known.
