Martin Scorsese on the priest who changed his life—and his films

Academy-Award winning filmmaker, Martin Scorsese, joins James Martin, S.J. to talk about:

• Scorsese’s Catholic childhood against the backdrop of the mean, mafia-run streets of the Lower East Side, NYC, and the priest who guided him through it.

• How spiritual themes naturally emerged in his acclaimed films.

• Scorsese’s experience doing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and how they affected his personal relationship to Jesus.

Link to Fr. Jim’s spiritual advice article on this episode: https://www.americamagazine.org/podcasts/2025/08/05/martin-scorsese-catholic-filmmaker-prayer-imagination/

Do you have a spiritual question for Fr. Jim? You can write to us at:  thespirituallife@americamedia.org

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