October 15, 2015

For immediate release

Contact: Mary Miles

Office: 410-568-8821

Maryland Public Television premieres documentary Chaplains on November 3


Film explores the life of chaplains and their changing role in today’s world

OWINGS MILLS, MD – Chaplains, a production of Journey Films in cooperation with Maryland Public Television (MPT), premieres on MPT-HD on Tuesday, November 3, at 8 p.m. This new two-hour, two-part documentary goes inside the world of chaplains, who represent their own particular faith but who are trained to be of comfort and support to people of all faiths – or to those who profess no faith.

With a tradition dating back centuries, chaplains today are on the front lines throughout society, often in the midst of life-and-death situations where the questions are the deepest and the need for spiritual and pastoral care the greatest. From war zones and prisons to the workplace and the bedside, chaplains serve as pastor, social worker, counselor, and bridge builder, and “lean into the painful places,” as prison chaplain Karuna Thompson says.

Through diverse stories, Chaplains offers a thought-provoking look at men and women on the frontiers of faith, whose work crosses denominational differences and provides comfort to a broad cross-section of people eager for help. These include stories with connections to this region. One segment looks at the work being done by Kathleen Ennis-Durstine and Margarita Roque, chaplains at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC; and another segment examines chaplains on Capitol Hill who continue a tradition that dates back to the founding of the nation. Rev. Pat Conroy, a Jesuit priest is chaplain for the U.S. House of Representatives, and retired Navy Adm. Barry Black, a Baltimore native who is the U.S. Senate’s chaplain, are featured in the film.

Chaplains premieres on MPT-HD on November 3 at 8 p.m. and rebroadcasts on November 4 at midnight and 4 a.m. The documentary will also air on MPT2 on November 4 at 8 p.m.

The new documentary is produced by filmmaker Martin Doblmeier, whose team has produced more than 25 award-winning films exclusively on topics of religion, faith and spirituality, including the theatrical documentary Bonhoeffer, the critically acclaimed The Power of Forgiveness and Emmy Award-winning Washington National Cathedral.

Chaplains is presented nationally by MPT and distributed by American Public Television. More information is available at chaplainsmovie.com.

About MPT

Launched in 1969 and headquartered in Owings Mills, MD, Maryland Public Television is a nonprofit, state-licensed public television network and member of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). MPT’s six transmitters cover Maryland plus portions of contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Frequent winner of regional Emmy® awards, MPT creates local, regional, and national television shows. Beyond broadcast, MPT’s commitment to professional educators, parents, caregivers, and learners of all ages is manifest in its year-round instructional events and super-website Thinkport which garners in excess of 1.4 million visits annually.

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