Mount Saint Mary College Digital Media Production students interview the Maryknoll Sisters in Ossining, N.Y., on October 8, 2025.
Following months of production and historical preservation, a powerful new documentary celebrating the centennial mission of the Maryknoll Sisters in the Philippines has officially premiered.
The film, titled Letters from the Sisters, is now available for public viewing and features central footage captured and produced by Digital Media Production students at Mount Saint Mary College.
You can watch the full documentary on YouTube.
The documentary is a moving tribute to a century of education, resilience, and compassion. Using a narrative framework of letters written to the congregation's founder, Mother Mary Joseph, the film explores the sisters’ journey from their arrival in Manila in 1926 through the challenges of World War II and the eventual transition of their school into what is now Miriam College.
Under the direction of Merle Becker, instructor of Digital Media Production, the following Mount Saint Mary College students served as interviewers and production crew for the New York-based segments of the film: Gavin Checchi of Wappingers Falls, N.Y.; Marina Cilento of Carmel, N.Y.; Ian Fiorito of Fishkill, N.Y.; Parker Giudice of Walden, N.Y.; MJ Montes of Newburgh, N.Y.; Jeremiah Murcia-Booth of Fishkill, N.Y.; Ammarah Royster of Newburgh, N.Y.; Izzy Spignardo of Wallkill, N.Y.; and Lucas Stackpole of Manteca, Calif.
The road to this premiere began when students in the Digital Video Production I course traveled to the Maryknoll Sisters' Center House in Ossining, N.Y. Acting as a professional film crew, the students conducted in-depth oral history interviews with sisters who served in the Philippines between 1964 and 2022.
“The Maryknoll Sisters film shoot was a fantastic opportunity for my Digital Video Production I students to gain hands-on experience in a real-world client setting,” said Becker. “From writing interview questions and setting up equipment, to conducting the interviews and handling post-production, they were involved in every step of the process.”
The project allowed students to practice the Dominican Pillar of service while applying the technical skills the learned in the classroom. Sr. Len Montiel, M.M., General Secretary of the Maryknoll Sisters, praised the partnership as a vital bridge between generations.
“This intergenerational collaboration toward a shared purpose is vital, especially in today's world beset with divisions and isolation,” she noted.