In the summer of 1878, refugees from the Memphis yellow fever epidemic came to Chattanooga to escape the ravages of this deadly disease. Within two days, the first victims died. Nearly all the townspeople fled to the mountains surrounding Chattanooga, leaving behind those without means, the infirm and the elderly. A few brave citizens decided to stay behind to help the sick and dying. One of these was Father Patrick Ryan, Pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Fr. Ryan tirelessly made the rounds to the sick, suffering, and dying, regardless of race or religion, until he himself succumbed to the disease.
The Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee, is currently petitioning Rome for Servant of God, Father Ryan’s Sainthood.
Up Next in Movie Night
-
Ninth Day
With The Ninth Day, acclaimed film director Volker Schlondorff creates a moral thriller that "succeeds in illuminating an almost unimaginably dark story" (The New York Times). Inspired by the true story of a dissident priest's temporary furlough from Dachau, The Ninth Day transforms an ethical cr...
-
Trappist
Trappist monks trace their history through 1,700 years of Western civilization. In this documentary, the reality of monastic life, as lived at Mepkin Abbey, a Trappist monastery in South Carolina, combines with fascinating images of the past to explore how the humility, contemplation, and simple ...
-
Ignatius of Loyola
This modern and very human take on the story of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, often called "The Saint of Second Chances," is an incisive and thrilling look at the life of the real man behind the legend. In his lifelong quest to become the heroic knight of his fantasies, Igna...
3 Comments