Mickey Rourke thanks God for saving his life

Actor Mickey Rourke has credited God and the Catholic Church for his recovery from addictions and restored career. Speaking at the Sarajevo Film Festival, the star said he almost committed suicide but ‘God gave me a second chance in life and I thank him.’ Rourke made his name with action movies and the erotic ‘Nine and a Half Weeks’ film in the 1980s, but left acting for boxing, during which time he became a drug addict and alcoholic. More recently he has resurrected his movie career, culminating in a Golden Globe for ‘The Wrester’ this year. In 2005 it was reported that he was feeling suicidal and had begun meeting with a pastor in New York, saying: ‘If I weren’t Catholic I would have blown my brains out.’

Source: Catholic News Agency (25/8)

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Church erects £35,000 contemporary Jesus statue

A sculpture dubbed 'Jesus in jeans' has been unveiled at an East Sussex church. The seven-foot high bronze statue by Marcus Cornish portrays Jesus in jeans and a shirt with a modern hairstyle. Father David Buckley praised his congregational committee’s choice of design: ‘On the continent you often encounter modern representations of Jesus… We wanted a figure of Christ not in suffering but dynamic and welcoming. We felt this design summed up the spirit and activity of Christ perfectly.’ The artwork was funded by the late Winifred Gregory, 87, a member of the congregation at Our Lady Immaculate and St Philip Neri Catholic church in Uckfield, who died last year.

Source: The Daily Telegraph (13/5)