EPISODE · Aug 14, 2026 · 12 MIN
Inside "American Martyr": The New Film on Blessed Stanley Rother – Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda – 08/14/2026
from The Catholic Morning Show · host Bo Bonner, Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda
Bo Bonner talks with author Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda about Blessed Stanley Rother ahead of the new documentary American Martyr: The Stanley Rother Story, narrated by Martin Sheen and releasing in theaters August 25 and 26, 2026. Scaperlanda, whose biography The Shepherd Who Didn't Run helped bring Rother's story to national attention after his 2017 beatification, reflects on being part of the film and appearing in the drone footage of the crowd at the 2023 dedication of the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in Oklahoma City. The two discuss Rother's path from a seminarian who once failed Latin to a fluent speaker of Tz'utujil, the unwritten Mayan language he helped translate the New Testament into, and his radio ministry through the station he built, the Voice of Atitlán, which trained catechists to reach remote mountain villages before his 1981 murder in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. Logistics Film: American Martyr: The Stanley Rother Story, narrated by Martin Sheen In theaters: August 25-26, 2026 (English); August 27, 2026 (Spanish) Book: The Shepherd Who Didn't Run: Father Stanley Rother, Martyr from Oklahoma, by Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda Film info & showtimes: rotherdoc.com Find the book: Barnes & Noble #CatholicPodcast #BlessedStanleyRother #AmericanMartyr #MartinSheen #CatholicMartyr #Guatemala #Oklahoma #CatholicHistory #TheCatholicMorningShow #IowaCatholicRadio Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm. ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Catholic Morning Show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode — and if this one was worth your time, please leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It takes ten seconds and it's the single best way to help more people find the show. 🎧 LISTEN LIVE Catch The Catholic Morning Show live, weekday mornings on Iowa Catholic Radio. Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKSYou can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website.If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio:Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & DevotionsThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Author Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda joins The Catholic Morning Show to discuss American Martyr: The Stanley Rother Story, the new documentary in theaters August 25 and 26 in which she appears as a featured voice. Scaperlanda, who wrote the definitive Rother biography The Shepherd Who Didn't Run, traces the Oklahoma farm boy's path to the Guatemalan mission field and his 1981 martyrdom, the first American-born priest so recognized by the Catholic Church. The conversation explores his radio ministry, his fluency in the Mayan language Tz'utujil, and why his witness still resonates for Catholic broadcasters today.
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Inside "American Martyr": The New Film on Blessed Stanley Rother – Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda – 08/14/2026
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