We are excited to announce the beginning of our most recent production, The Calling, a one-hour documentary about the history of Sisters and the roles they have in society today.

Our first day of filming was spent with the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM Sisters) at their Motherhouse in Monroe, MI. These Sisters have played a significant role in the city of Detroit - by the 1920s, the IHMs staffed and administered more schools in Detroit than any other religious community. The IHMs also founded the first women’s college in Michigan, Marygrove College.

President Mary Jane Herb states in a letter of support, “Our mission to serve those with the least in our society often goes unseen. We hope that The Calling will spotlight women religious’ work and, consequently, have a new generation work alongside our sisters to provide for the underserved. We also look forward to sharing how our sisters have grown and adapted to the many changes since Vatican II. The importance of this film can’t be understated.”

During this first filming session, we interviewed two IHM sisters, Sister Joan Mumaw and Sister Gloria Rivera. Sister Joan Mumaw gave us a brief history of the IHM Sisters and the roles she took on during her more active years - 18 years in leadership and 26 years in or on behalf of Africa, becoming a passionate advocate for peace and justice in South Sudan.

Sister Gloria Rivera explained the transition of the Vatican II and the focus on worldwide environmental concerns, specifically the encyclical of Pope Francis, Laudato si, subtitled "on care for our common home.” The issues of justice and environment have always been important to Sister Gloria.

We’re excited to embark on this new journey of sisterhood after having interviewed several sisters during our filming of Detroit: The City of Churches and Detroit: The City of Faith. The local Detroit sisters have a rich history with the education of the city and have always done what they can to meet the needs of the people.