Greetings from Baghdad!

Picture of Footprints of God fans serving in Iraq

Maj. Baxley and colleagues hold the Footprints of God DVDs they've been enjoying overseas. (No Official Endorsement Intended.)

Mr. Ray,

I've watched your "Footprints of God" series several times in the past few months with various members of our US Armed Forces stationed in Baghdad, Iraq. I've learned a tremendous amount of information about the most important thing in this world — the life and times of Our Lord, Our Lady, the prophets who pointed the way to Our Lord and Our Lady, and the early Church Fathers who followed Our Lord and Our Lady to their graves.

The "Footprints of God" series you produced is excellent, both in content and in style. The music, the scenery, your explanations, your willingness to get wet, dirty, hold snakes and goats, go to remote locations and maintain such enthusiasm is palpable. Many thanks for all you've done to explain the Catholic faith with such vivid and engaging detail and with such loving fidelity to Catholic teachings.

Best regards from all of us in Baghdad, Iraq and God bless,
Gregory Baxley, Maj, USAFR

 

What They're Saying

"Unlike any video or film series ever made, Footprints of God explores more than 2,000 years of Jewish and Christian history to explain Christian teaching. There has never been a production like it, and the entire series has the imprimatur of the Catholic Church."

The Wanderer

"Steve has a gift for making difficult concepts understandable to ordinary people. And his enthusiasm for the Faith is contagious. He accepts all of the teachings of the Church including the teaching that contraception is a mortal sin ' though that teaching was a hard 'pill' for him and his wife to swallow. My radar is always on for good, solid, easy-to-use Catholic educational materials for the whole family. I endorse the new video Mary the Mother of God without reservation. It's a first-class teaching tool. Consider this. A father has many obligations, but one of the most important is to teach the Faith to his kids. What could be easier than to poke a video into the VCR and hit the "PLAY" button?"

Steve Wood, Founder, St. Joseph's Covenant Keepers

"This utterly charming video presentation of the life of Our Lady is a must for every Catholic. It combines sweeping vistas and intimate portraits of sites in the Holy Land connected with the life of Our Lady. This is coupled with a lively, entertaining and thoughtful presentation of the theology of Mary's place in the history of salvation by Steve Ray. This presentaiton highlights both apologetic and developmental themes so that the subjects treated will equally appeal to a non-Catholic interested in what Catholics believe about Our Lady and a more theologically acute Catholic audience interested in deepening their knowledge of Mary and her role in salvation. It is highly recommended."

Fr. Brian Mullady, OP, Holy Apostles Seminary, Cromwell, CT

"I just finished watching your recently produced videos on Mary and Peter. My family and I watched them together. The kids ranged in from 5 through 17 years of age. They loved it. The videos held their attention - the film footage combined with history, geography, art, personal witness and experience make the Bible and the faith come alive.

I intend to use the segment on development of doctrine about Mary in my Foundations of Catholicism class this Fall.

I loved your fall in the mud and up a tree scenes. I'm sure that these videos will be purchased by our Theology Department and the University library. Keep up the great work. Best regards."

Dr. Brian Scarnecchia, Professor Humanities and Catholic Culture, Franciscan University of Steubenville

"I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know how much I enjoyed the most recent documentary in the Footprints of God series on Our Lady. Ignatius Press sent me a copy about a week ago. My family has viewed it twice and loved it. In fact, in addition to the Ignatius Press ads for it we've been running in Lay Witness, I'm going to add an "extra plug" for it in our November issue of Lay Witness and also in a mailing next month to our CUF chapters around the country.

Your films combine sound teaching (the Mary film had several good apologetics segments that effectively use the medium of film) with more of a documentary format and feel that makes it easy (indeed, enjoyable) for me (and my school age children) to sit through. Plus one of my daughters made a point of mentioning how obviously excited you were about the subject, which made it all the more interesting for her. Very well done, and I eagerly look forward to the next one!"

Leon Suprenant, Catholics United for the Faith

"Dear Steve,
Thank you for the two videos [Mary and Peter] you sent; they are excellent. My plan is to buy them for the Poor Clares in Santa Barbara California. Your style is popular -- for the common man -- in keeping with Christian tradition and the teachings of the Church. The photography is tops. The music complementary. Thank you for your professionalism."

Brother Leo Gonzales, Franciscan, Church of Dominum Flevit, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, Israel

"The Dominican Sister of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, would like to thank Steve Ray and all those involved in producing the excellent series 'The Footprints of God'.

Not only is this an opportunity for our religious community's enrichment regarding the knowledge of salvation history, but it will also serve as an asset in the teaching apostolate of our schools, in retreat work and religious conferences. The potential for such and evangelical look at the dawn of this new millennium is indeed a great gift to the Universal Church."

Mother Assumpta Long, OP Foundress, Dominican Sisters of Mary

"Steve Ray's passionate Bible teaching charges the video screen as powerfully as it fills a pulpit. Ray lifts us up on the wings of breathtaking cinematography even as his conversation sparkles with precious gems of cultural and Biblical insight. This video series is intense and wastes not a word, moment or shot; a true watershed in the history of contemporary Catholic catechesis."

Al Kresta, Host, Kresta in the Afternoon, CEO, Ave Maria Radio Network

"Nothing is more important than helping the Bible come alive. What Steve Ray has done with this video series is precisely that. Highly recommended to anyone who cares about understanding the Bible more or communicating it to others."

Ralph Martin, Renewal Ministries

"This is a video Project of monumental proportion. Scripture comes alive as Steve Ray and his crew bring you to the actual location and sites of many of God's greatest miracles. I highly recommend this series for both the spectacular footage and the wealth of wisdom contained on a grand scale never seen on video before. This is a must see and is sure to be a treasure of all those seeking to experience first hand the places where our faith began."

Bob Fishman, BSCD, Torah of Christ Ministries

"Steve Ray does an outstanding job in translating four thousand years of salvation history into ten hours of exciting and informative video presentation. Steve, the "incomparable" teacher, has outdone himself in presenting with great clarity the journey of faith from Abraham, the Father of Faith, to Mary, the Theotokos and beyond."

Alex Jones, Pentecostal Convert to the Church

"Often I've said that one cannot be more Jewish than to be Catholic! It is equally true that one cannot be more Catholic than to be steeped in the Jewish roots of our Faith! There has never been an undertaking to compare with this series in the history of our Church, and I am deeply indebted to Steve Ray and to Ignatius Press for their intense labor in providing for us such an utterly thrilling inspirational and educational gift. I suspect our lives, and the lives of our children, will never be the same."

Rosalind Moss, Apologist, Catholic Answers, Co-host of EWTN's Household of Faith

"I am happy to grant you the Imprimatur for Peter: Keeper of the Keys. The text is well done and it is a clear exposition of Catholic educators and those interested in promoting the faith. Thanks be to Jesus for you and the zealous service you give."

Carl F. Mengeling, Bishop, Diocese of Lansing, MI