It all started last year on a hot summer day in Mundelein, Illinois, on the grounds of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake, during an artists’ retreat hosted by the Catholic Art Institute. I approached Fr. Joshua Caswell and said, “Father, we should film the Traditional Latin Mass.”
He smiled…
In that moment, I knew I was going to happen!
What I didn’t know was how much it would take to bring it all together. But I had a vision, and I knew I had to stick to it—one step at a time.
Things quickly began to move. We met again with Fr. Joshua in Chicago, and I received the green light to film at St. John Cantius church.
Now it was time to build the team.
“I need a scriptwriter,” I thought. When I spoke with Lisa Bergman, I immediately knew we were on the same page—we both wanted to bring the beauty of the Traditional Latin Mass to as many people as possible. She joined the project, and we based the script on her book Treasure and Tradition, an irreplaceable source of knowledge that significantly sped up our process.
Even though it felt like a distant goal, I also dreamed of having custom-composed music. That part can easily drive up production costs. But I trusted in God—and of course, my first thought was Mark Nowakowski, a true maestro and top-tier composer.
“I have nothing to lose,” I thought. “Let me email him.”
To my surprise, he was excited about the project and wanted to join the team.
The pieces were coming together.
I knew that once we had the script, the next step was production—and for that, I needed a Director of Photography. Jon Cole came to mind immediately. With years of experience (and plenty of gear), he became an invaluable asset on set.
And that brings us to production.
Two 11-hour days, preceded by weeks of planning and conversations. This is the stage where you try to capture as much as possible—to gather everything you’ll need for post-production.
We arrived early at St. John Cantius church to begin setting up right after the morning Mass.
On the first day, we focused on the Holy Mass itself—everything taking place at the altar. We divided it into five main segments:
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a wide shot of the entire Mass
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prayers at the foot of the altar
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the center of the altar
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the right side of the altar
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the left side of the altar
This structure helped us stay organized and ensured we didn’t miss anything.
With Jon, Michael, and Anthony behind three cameras; Fr. Joshua as the celebrant; Sebastian as a server; and Lisa overseeing the process, we became a well-oiled machine—moving efficiently from scene to scene.
The second day focused on the sacristy: the priest’s preparation, vesting, prayers, and the sacred objects used during the Mass. We also captured some creative shots (which I won’t spoil), and we were very happy with the results.
The final stage was returning to the church to film the interview, which will serve as the narrative backbone of the series.
And this is where Fr. Joshua truly shined. Once we hit record, all the pressure was on him—and he did an incredible job.
At the end of the second day, we packed up the gear, exchanged handshakes and hugs, and left with a deep sense of accomplishment. Everyone knew we had created something special in a very short amount of time.
None of this would have been possible without God’s grace and perfect timing.
Now, ahead of us lies the most time-consuming phase: post-production. I estimate it will take about 3–4 months to complete—editing, color grading, composing the music, and promotion.
We are still raising funds for the project. If you would like to support it, you can do so here.
Let’s bring the Traditional Latin Mass to one million souls!
