The Ear of the Heart: An Actress’ Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows. Mother Dolores Hart, OSB and Richard De Neut (Chicago: Ignatius Press, 2013)
Movie fans were stunned when Dolores Hart, a glamorous young star with ten highly successful movies to her credit, announced her decision to join a cloistered monastery. She was leaving her family, many film contracts and a fiancé with whom she was getting ready to marry. Dolores was initiated into the Church while in school. Bright, talented and beautiful, she yearned to become a movie star. While at the university, she was spotted by producer Hal Wallis. She soon became America’s sweetheart, starring with prominent actors like Stephen Boyd, Anthony Quinn and Montgomery Clift, reaching the top with Come Fly with Me (1963). She also made her mark in Broadway theatres. But she had a vague feeling from her early days that she had been destined for God. In 1963, while shooting for her roles as Saint Clare in Francis of Assisi (1961), she had a chance meeting with Pope John XXIII, who made a deep impression on her.
Her life in the convent was by no means an easy one, but she never doubted the choice. Fifty years later, she would say, “I left the world I knew in order to re-enter it on a more profound level. Many people don’t understand the difference between a vocation and your own idea of something. A vocation is a call—one you don’t necessarily want. The only thing I ever wanted was to be an actress. But I was called by God.” She later became the Abbess and helped to make her institute gain great prominence and attract new vocations too. She was also made member of the Academy awards Committee. A film based on her experience titled, God is the Bigger than Elvis, won an Oscar nomination. In one of her interviews she reflected that turning to religious life is not giving up one’s personality or one’s God-given gifts. “Religious life has to become an expression of the gifts of the person.” The highly readable Ear of the Heart presents the remarkable picture of a woman of admirable courage, faith and humour.
A Human Being Among, Not Above, Other Human Beings: Priests Speak from the Heart, edited by Joseph Thenasseril SSP (Mumbai: St. Paul’s, 2010). Rs 95.00.
In this simple and very readable book, twenty-four priests share their experience of the priesthood. It is not a theoretical book about the theology or spirituality of priesthood, but first person accounts of how each has lived this vocation. The writers come from different backgrounds and ministries—parish work, missionary life, formation, leadership role as bishops. The personal nature of the writing, the diversity in backgrounds and ministries, and the evident honesty of the writers make this an attractive, easy and inspiring book to read.
The writers are: Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II; Bishops Thomas Menamparambil SDB, Vincent M. Concessao, Kevin McDonald, Malcolm McMahon OP, Agnelo Gracias, Michael Fitzgerald M. Afr., John Mone and Ferdinand J. Fonseca; Fathers Kurien Kunnumpuram SJ, Praveen Fernandes, George Kaitholil SSP, Joe Anthony SJ, James Valladares, Cyril Axelrod, Paul Thelakat, Timothy Radcliffe OP, Sebastian Kizhakkeyil MST, Vincent Barboza, Michael Peters CPPS, Lesser, Larry Pereira and Joe Mannath SDB.
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