Broken Mary shows how Blessed Virgin’s love brought a broken man to Christ – Catholic World Report

MPAA Rating: Not rated at the time of this review
Reel Rating: 3.5 out of 5 reels

Note: Broken Mary will be in theaters for one night, October 7th, through Fathom Events.

I had not heard of Kevin Matthews before seeing this film, perhaps because I was born in an age when radio personalities were already losing their cultural influence. Yet for my parents’ generation, especially in the Midwest, Matthews was as familiar as coffee and eggs at breakfast. But when the fame and fortune left, Kevin hit rock bottom, only to find that God had much bigger plans involving a discarded statue. Those plans are central to the powerful testimony that he still preaches today.

Kevin came from a horrific background. His father was physically abusive, and his mother was largely apathetic. One of his earliest memories involving God was pleading for death so he could have some peace. Fortunately, he found comedy instead, which became a way for him to escape his trauma. In college, Matthews volunteered at the local radio station, where he would try out outlandish characters between songs.

By his early twenties, he had his own morning radio show, which gradually became essential listening for millions looking for some entertainment on their way to work. He interviewed celebrities, had cameos on shows like Baywatch, frequently dropped in on Oprah, and lived a hedonistic lifestyle without a thought for anyone else.

Then came the Internet and a massive shift in the media landscape. Like Job, Matthews lost everything all at once. After twenty years on air, he was fired with only two weeks’ notice, then diagnosed with multiple sclerosis days later.

Like the Prodigal Son, the good times came to a sudden stop, and he discovered that his life was empty and had been for a long time.

Like so many of his generation, Matthews was raised nominally Catholic, but he had not given God a second thought in decades. Then, one fateful afternoon, he discovered a large, abandoned statue of Mary in the garbage outside a florist shop. She was chipped all over and broken in two at the waist. He heard a voice in his head that encouraged him to return to faith.

He went to confession for the first time in fifty years, then promptly repaired the statue, but he left some parts broken to remind him of his fallen state. He began a new calling, taking the “Broken Mary” statue on tour to talk about his conversion and inspire others to return to Jesus through Mary. The fame and wealth never returned, but instead he received peace, forgiveness, reconciliation with his family, and—for the first time—joy.

Broken Mary is a short documentary, just over an hour, but its quick pace and smart writing make it feel like just ten minutes. Matthews is a natural storyteller, and it’s easy to see why he appealed to so many in his previous life. He knows how to set up and pay off a tale, often discussing some sordid detail of his early life—like organizing a large charity golf event that only raised a few thousand dollars because they spent it all on alcohol and strippers—then comparing it to doing God’s work through his ministry.

Most of the film is just him talking with reenactments of his story, occasionally with interviews with friends and colleagues. It’s the perfect medium and length for a man who cut his teeth on the radio, devoid of dead air.

When he gives talks at churches and schools, Matthews always brings the Broken Mary statue with him, often wheeled in on a gurney like a hospital patient. While Mary herself did not sin, she understands intimately the pain and suffering of her children. We, like the statue, were made beautiful and whole, yet we are broken by sin. Fortunately, Christ can repair us, and Mary will bring us to her son.

It’s not a novel message in the Catholic tradition, of course, but seeing the image of the broken statue combined with Matthews’ testimony has proven quite powerful. Director Jonathon Cipiti, whose credits include the fantastic Dating Project, interviews several people who had radical conversions and even medical miracles after encountering the ministry.

Towards the end of the film, Matthews expresses his hope that Broken Mary will become an “official devotion” of the Catholic Church, claiming he is “working on it.” Whatever the case, Matthews’ story does mirror a saint that Pope Leo XIV mentions in nearly every public address, so it might appeal to him. In the meantime, it’s always a good idea to come to Mary, the Mother of God.

She brought Kevin Matthews to Christ, and she will do the same for you.