“There was just so much history in that experience,” Harmon said.
Roumie also made an additional pilgrimage to St. Padre Pio’s tomb in the Italian town of San Giovanni Rotondo, a four hour drive away from Rome.
He said that he has had a personal devotion to St. Padre Pio for several years that deepened during the pandemic as he prayed with others via livestream on social media.
“Last year, I started praying online, live Divine Mercy Chaplet at the start of the pandemic. … That went on for 40 days, and in that time, somebody sent me a book of prayers,” he said.
St. Padre Pio’s “Stay with me” prayer was included in that book of prayers, and Roumie said that he was so moved praying it out loud for the first time via livestream that he could barely get through it.
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Through his role in “The Chosen,” Roumie said that he has tried to consider “how might Christ have experienced joy, happiness, sadness, anger, and solitude.”
For him, he says the challenge is, “how can I experience the most ostensible traits of God love, mercy and compassion? How can I extend that to people in the scene?”
The first season of “The Chosen” focused on the initial meetings between Jesus and his first disciples, including Simon Peter, Matthew, and Mary Magdalene. The second season’s initial episodes address Jesus’ growing fame and conclude with the Sermon on the Mount. The production team is currently preparing for a third season of filming for what they hope to be a seven season series.
“There's been some glimpses into the righteous, holy anger of God, but I haven't had to go to that place yet where we’re flipping tables. So I think that's going to be really exciting,” he said.
Roumie said he always tries to see “how God fits into the life of the character” that he is playing, whether it is a British heroin addict like he played last year or the Son of God.
“The Chosen” series is available for free through an app for iOS or Android systems, or through the website of VidAngel, its distributor.
Through its streaming app, which offers the show with more than 50 language options, the series has built up a global audience.
“We’ve seen people who have expressed their gratitude in China, who have expressed their gratitude in China and who have expressed gratitude in every corner of the world because they somehow came across the show,” Harmon said.
“The show takes you by surprise. Most people don’t watch it the first time they hear about it. But once they do, they can’t stop talking about it.”
Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees.