By Catholic News Service • Posted November 18, 2016

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CNS) — “The Face of Mercy,” a new Knights of Columbus documentary that tells personal stories about the impact of God’s mercy on people’s lives, is airing on ABC affiliates nationwide as U.S. Catholics prepared to celebrate the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy Nov. 20.

Narrated by actor Jim Caviezel, the 60-minute documentary is scheduled to the broadcast through Dec. 16. Broadcast dates and times and other information about the film are available at faceofmercyfilm.com.

Pope Francis called for a Year of Mercy to direct Catholics’ attention and actions “on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father’s actions in our lives … a time when the witness of believers might grow stronger and more effective.”

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“The Face of Mercy” weaves theology and history together with modern testimonials to illustrate what constitutes the face of mercy in people’s lives and “how it is the antidote to evil even in the most difficult times,” said a news release from the Knights of Columbus, which has its headquarters in New Haven.

Those featured in the film include Immaculee Ilibagiza, who found freedom in forgiveness after seeing her family wiped out by genocide in Rwanda; an New York City police officer who was shot and paralyzed from the neck down and continues to work for peace; a former NFL linebacker who walked away from his sports career to share Christ’s mercy with the homeless; a baseball player who traded major league ambitions for a priestly vocation; a priest with a drug-dealing past; and a young widow who chose to forgive her husband’s killer.

“This extraordinary film highlights the sort of transformations that are possible in individual lives that embrace the way of mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation,” said Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson in a statement. “These testimonies remind us that divine mercy is not just a devotion or theological concept — it is alive, it is present, and it is a force that can transform the world.”