The Field Afar

Steve Allen narrates this 13-part series on Catholic missionaries working in the field afar: Peru, Kenya, Cambodia, Brazil, Thailand, Tanzania, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Guatemala. In the first episode, Bangkok, Thailand, Maryknoll brother John Beeching is seen teaching English to Buddhist monk refugees who have fled a repressive Burmese (Myanmar) government. An odd position for a Catholic missionary, perhaps, but as Beeching points out, advancing brotherhood and sisterhood is a vocation in itself, and conversion is not always necessary. Combining interviews with Beeching and a Buddhist monk named Tae Jay, the program effectively illustrates that peoples who are separated by language, religion and culture can still find common ground and mutual respect for one another. Particularly touching is Beeching's standing-in as a parent to an orphaned boy as he is ordained as a Buddhist monk. Unfortunately, this otherwise admirable program contains one maddening feature: about 11 minutes in, the program is abruptly interrupted with an advertisement for Maryknoll; 16 minutes in, another one appears; 24 minutes in, just before the credits roll, a third repetition of Maryknoll's address and phone number is plastered onscreen. Had the Maryknoll people placed a single ad at the end of the program, I would have recommended this series without hesitation; as it stands, I can only recommend it with reservations. Other titles in the series include: Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Lima, Peru; Nairobi, Kenya and Maryknoll. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)