Students Gain Hands-On Feature Film Experience on The Shepherd

This March, eleven JPCatholic students traveled to Pennsylvania for a hands-on experience on the set of The Shepherd, an upcoming feature film from Coronation Studios and EWTN Studios.

The students joined the production for the U.S.-based portion of its filming, gaining firsthand experience working alongside a professional film crew and seeing the realities of feature-film production beyond the classroom.

The Shepherd adapts the life of Blessed Stanley Rother (1935–1981), an Oklahoma priest who served in war-torn Guatemala and risked his life for his congregation. The film is the first narrative feature inspired by Fr. Rother, the first U.S.-born priest to be beatified as a martyr by the Catholic Church. It stars Shane West (A Walk to Remember, ER) as Fr. Rother, and is written and directed by Gary Gasse, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Coronation Studios. It is executive produced by Bill Philips, and produced by Kory Kast.

For JPCatholic students, the two-week trip offered an opportunity to put their training into practice in a professional production environment. Students contributed in a variety of roles including Art Department Assistant, Set Dresser, Boom Operator, and other Production Assistants.

Junior Holly Holyszko took on the key role of Script Supervisor, ensuring continuity between shots. “It was an honor to be a part of the crew,” she said. “Everyone was so welcoming to us students, happy to offer us insights on their lives as filmmakers. Visiting the Coronation headquarters, experiencing life on the set of a professional production, and networking with alumni helped me expand my horizons as I continue to build my career in the media and film industry.”

JPCatholic alumni on this production included Haley Rossi '14, MBA '15, as the Supervising Producer and Katerina Gerlach '22 as Second Assistant Director. The student trip was led by George Simon ‘13, MBA ‘19, who at the time was Chair of Film at JPCatholic; he is now Head of Live Action Films at Coronation.

As one of the alumni who works full-time at Coronation, Rossi has been involved in the film since 2025, including the first phase of production in Guatemala last fall.

“Being able to give back and provide this opportunity to the students of JPCatholic was such a privilege,” she said. “They came with open minds, eager to learn, and truly exceeded all of our expectations. We had cast and crew commenting how professional they were and how different this set was from others they'd been on. They reminded me why I got into this industry and how blessed I am to be working with Coronation Studios.”

Through future feature film partnerships like this one, JPCatholic will continue giving students the opportunity to step onto a working set, contribute to a production, and observe professionals carrying out the many specialized roles required to bring a film to life. For the students who traveled to Pennsylvania this year, The Shepherd also offered an opportunity to contribute to a film centered on a Catholic story of faith, courage, and sacrifice.

“It was amazing to learn about the life of Blessed Stanley Rother, literally watching his life unfold through the production,” said senior Deo Read, who worked as Set Dresser. “The opportunity to work on this film was absolutely amazing, and exactly what I wanted to get out of my experience in film school. I was able to show I can work at a very professional level and some of the people on production didn't even realize that I was a student until I told them. Some of these connections on set may also lead to new avenues for work in the future.”

The Shepherd is expected to be released in 2027. Learn more and sign up for updates at www.rothermovie.com

Photo credits: The Shepherd BTS team including Haley Rossi, George Simon, Violetamarysol Morales, and Jozef Raiche

Cast and crew members of The Shepherd

Director Gary Gasse with student Holly Holyszko

Student Darla Lopez

Student Andrew Bertram with Sound Mixer Michael Mowen

Student Andrew Bertram

Katerina Gerlach (left) with student Quincy Felix

Jozef Raiche slating the scene

(Left to right) Actors Shane West and Christopher Jaymes with Director Gary Gasse

Student Esme Murillo

(Left to right) student Quincy Felix, student Violetamarysol Morales, Katerina Gerlach

George Simon (left) with 1st AD Kory Kast (middle)

Student CJ Stokes

Students Deo Read IV (left) and Cormac Tully

Student Mary Sevold

Student Cormac Tully (left) with Jozef Raiche