History

For three decades, Saint Luke Productions has brought professional theatrical, DVD and feature film dramas on the life of Christ and His saints to audiences of more than one million people throughout the English-speaking world. This unique ministry and production company began in 1980, when Leonardo Defilippis was a Shakespearean actor with the dream of presenting the Gospel of Luke in a new dramatic form, as a one-man production that would tour Northwest U.S. churches for a season. So he wrote to Mother Teresa of Calcutta asking her for guidance in his newfound apostolate to evangelize the culture. Through a personal, written correspondence to Leonardo, Mother Teresa helped to inspire him with her encouragement. Her mandate to “Do something beautiful for God” became the pivotal support for Saint Luke Productions to evangelize and renew the culture through the dramatic arts. His first show’s title, THE GIFT OF PEACE, was based on Mother Teresa’s Nobel Peace Prize speech in which she stated, “Let us thank God for this gift of peace that reminds us that we have been created to live that peace, and that Jesus became man to bring that good news to the poor.”

In his zeal to serve God, Defilippis set out, and performed THE GIFT OF PEACE in more than a hundred churches, where audiences were struck by the generous sacrifice of this talented young man, and most especially, by the powerful impact of his production. No expense was spared in the production, which included costumes, lighting, an original musical soundtrack, and this dedication to quality has continued. Now, nearly thirty years later, Saint Luke Productions, run by Leonardo and his wife Patti Defilippis, has evolved into a professional non-profit company whose nine productions have toured the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and whose televised productions on Maximilian Kolbe, Saint Francis, John of the Cross and the Gospel of Luke have been broadcast internationally, and received numerous awards.

In the year 2000, a new feature films division, Luke Films, was launched. Luke Films’ most notable accomplishment is the feature film THÉRÈSE, the story of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, which generated tremendous grassroots and film industry support and played in mainstream movie theaters for an unprecedented 70 weeks. THÉRÈSE, was the first major motion picture distributed solely by an independent Catholic film company, and funded entirely by donations. In DVD release, the film continues to inspire numerous conversions and vocations.

“I first met Leonardo and Patti Defilippis while Archbishop of Portland in Oregon,” says Francis Cardinal George, former president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “I was impressed with their vision and their understanding of the importance of a Catholic voice within the entertainment industry. Leonardo and Patti are creating a training ground for young artists and restoring the dignity of the professional arts through live drama, film and television.”

Live productions and DVD productions also include: Maximilian: Saint of Auschwitz, Saint Francis: Troubadour of God’s Peace, John of the Cross, the Gospels of Luke and John, The Confessions of Saint Augustine, The Song of Songs, Thérèse: The Story of a Soul, and Vianney Speaks.

Current Live Productions: Maximilian, Passion, and VIANNEY. Live dramas tour the U.S. and Canada, 2012-2013.

Listen to Saint Luke Productions latest audio series: Benedictus Moments, daily meditations from Pope Benedict XVI.