Rediscover the Power of the Rosary

Paradisus Dei invites Catholics to enter into the mysteries of  the Rosary while journeying through the Holy Land.

The Mysteries of the Rosary film series will launch with a seven-episode series on the Sorrowful Mysteries during Lent 2023. All footage was filmed in the Holy Land and is a project of Mark Hartfiel, vice president of Paradisus Dei, producers of the widely popular “That Man is You” men’s program, and Dan Johnson, the co-founder and creative director at 4PM Media.

“We pray the Mysteries of the Rosary in the Holy Land through the eyes of our Blessed Mother’s contemplative gaze,” explained Hartfiel. “She is seeing the life of Christ and, as Scripture says many times, ‘pondering them in her heart.’ We enter into these Mysteries with Our Lady in the entire film series, starting with the Sorrowful Mysteries, which are ideal for Lenten devotions and prayer.” 

The Mysteries of the Rosary film series began out of Hartfiel’s desire to deepen his spiritual life as a father and husband, which included taking steps to protect his family from evil. Saint Padre Pio said, “The Rosary is the ‘weapon’ for these times,” and Hartfiel took that to heart, ultimately becoming convicted to pray the ancient prayers of the Rosary daily. It was through his daily Rosary that the idea came to him to create and film a series that takes viewers right to the Holy Land, right where these Mysteries actually happened. 

“By filming on location in the Holy Land, our aspiration was to make the Rosary — and the greatest love story of all time — come alive in the hearts and minds of the participants,” said Hartfiel. “This was my first visit to the Holy Land and the experience was life-changing. I want to bring some of that same wonder to the viewers who watch the series.” 

Watch the Mysteries of the Rosary trailer:

The episodes of the Sorrowful Mysteries series are as follows: 

• Rediscover the Power
• The Agony in the Garden
• The Scourging at the Pillar
• The Crowning of Thorns
• The Carrying of the Cross
• The Crucifixion of Our Lord
• The Pathway to Paradise

Mysteries of the Rosary will also include a companion guide to all of the episodes for parishes, groups, families and individuals who want to pray along with the series and deepen their own relationships with Christ throughout Lent. There are 24 interviews throughout the first series concerning people who have been impacted in unique and captivating ways through praying the Rosary. 

“We are putting out an urgent call to prayer through the Mysteries of Rosary,” said Hartfiel. “The Church is right now in the midst of a Passion and people are leaving the Church in the midst of it yet we are called to stand with her and with Christ. So many people in our faith think of prayer as a last resort. We are trying to flip that orientation. Prayer should be our first response and there is an urgency to be in that contemplative and constant prayer right now in the world.” 

Viewers can see the series through live streaming, downloads and eventually buy the DVD. The first episode was released January 30. Watch on ParadisusDei.org and YouTube. The remaining Mysteries of the Rosary videos will be released on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 22, 2023). People interested in seeing the series can visit TheRosarySeries.com and sign up for the email newsletter. 

Watch a clip from the Mysteries of the Rosary, titled “The Rosary Series: The Power of One Hail Mary.” 

Copyright 2023 Paradisus Dei
Images: courtesy of Paradisus Dei, all rights reserved.