For the past two weeks, Br. Nich Perez, C.S.C., has been filming the Holy Cross brothers at Columba Hall, Schubert Hall and Holy Cross Village in Notre Dame, Ind. The footage is for his feature-length documentary on the vocation of religious brothers, “BRO: Men with Hope to Bring.”
“BRO is for all audiences, catering to people who are searching for meaning, people from any race or religion who can understand the language of human condition and hope. It is a film about the brothers made by a brother,” said Br. Perez.
Prior to filming in Indiana, Br. Perez and his crew shot footage of Holy Cross brothers in Ghana, India and Brazil, giving the documentary a decidedly international flare. The Holy Cross brothers in Bangladesh also contributed footage for the documentary.
Although many Holy Cross brothers are featured in the 90-minute documentary,”BRO: Men with Hope to Bring” is not just about brothers in the Congregation. More broadly, it is about the wider vocation of religious brothers in the Church, a vocation the documentary’s trailer characterizes as “the best-kept secret of the Catholic Church.”
“This is not just about the brothers of Holy Cross,” said Br. Perez, “but it is focused on the vocation of the brothers, and I am using some practical examples of Holy Cross brothers around the world, with interviews from different religious orders and theologians. Our approach is telling their stories of hope and showing how human they are without sugar coating. We don’t want to make it sound like a vocation propaganda but a study of human condition, specifically geared towards the secular audience.”
Read more about the filming of the documentary on the Holy Cross General Administration website.
