United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (www.usccb.org) - week of June 29, 2009

Uplifting half-hour animated dramatization of the arrest, imprisonment and martyrdom of Sts. Perpetua, Felicity and their companions in the North African city of Carthage circa 203 AD. Aimed at viewers eight and up, the hand-drawn cartoon adheres to the journal Perpetua kept in prison, and shows her pagan father’s efforts to convince her to abandon the faith, her bold testimony during her trial and -- as recorded at the end of the journal by a follower -- her fortitude in the arena. Part of the series “Catholic Heroes of the Faith,” the DVD provides a first glimpse into the early history of the church and makes an excellent catechetical tool. Spanish language and titles options.

Mater et Magistra Magazine - Winter 2010

This short animated film tells the story of Saint Perpetua and her companions, who were martyred in Carthage, North Africa, in the year 203. The animation is good, the best of any Catholic animated films I've seen, though not quite reaching the quality of "The Prince of Egypt." The storyline, however, is rich and historically detailed, skillfully bringing to life the sorrows and fears, hopes and joys, present in the life and struggles of these martyrs, and the Early Church in general. In particular, the concept that those awaiting martyrdom might fear pain, but do not fear death, is very helpful and hopeful!

No surprisingly, the story is quite dramatic in nature, although the producers have skillfully avoided gory details of the story that are unnecessary for children. In fact, for many children the movie might be a good introduction to the idea of martyrdom. The comic relief, provided by the devout pagan jailer (a real-life character who ends up converting and tells Perpetua's story to others!) and his attempts to communicate with his "gods," helps draw children into the story as well. My younger children (ages 5-11) have been entranced by this story and have since developed a devotion to Saints Felicity and Perpetua -- thanks to this film.

I do recommend previewing the movie first before sharing it with younger or more sensitive children.

Mike Aquilina, a preeminent Catholic author and speaker on the Fathers of the Church (and a homeschool father of six!), served as script consultant for this video.

The same company has also produced a 55-minute documentary entitled "The Passion of Saint Perpetua: Martyr of the Faith" which is also quite good and includes detailed commentary from Mike Aquilina. Although it has some content that is a little more mature than that found in the video, on the whole it's surprisingly family-friendly and is quite moving!

Leader's guide for The Story of Saint Perpetua

Student Handouts for The Story of Saint Perpetua