Today we’d like to introduce you to Father Darrin Merlino,CMF.
Hi Father Darrin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m a Catholic priest and I belong to the Claretian Missionary Congregation. I was born in Santa Maria, California. I grew up in Santa Barbara and moved to Huntington Beach, becoming a Southern California beach boy.
When I was in fifth grade, my mom ran a modeling agency in Santa Barbara, called “Nina Marie Studios”. Teaching models how to walk the “catwalk”, she used a Sony Reel-to-Reel video recorder and she played the video back to show the models how they looked. One day my mom brought the recorder home and I played with it. I was hooked! I fell in love with cameras. That summer, I took a video and photography class. The highlight of the class for me is that I made a camera out of a shoebox. This opened up a whole new world.
During my childhood, I would watch old movies on KTTV (Channel 11) hosted by Ben Hunter. My love of movies was born. I would see all the Disney, Herbie, Benji and any Rated G film that would come out.
In high school, I participated in C.R.O.P (Coastline Regional Occupational Program) for TV production. The program was at Huntington Beach High School. My love for TV production began here and I even learned how to be a DJ. This led me to partner with my best friend, Jan Zemanek, after high school and we started to DJ weddings and parties. My senior year of high school, I became a yearbook photographer.
After junior college, I entered a trade school and learned video production from concept to completion. After I graduated, I thought, “I now know what I am going to do with my life.” I wanted to work in TV and radio.
But on January 6, 1987, I experienced a supernatural event that changed the course of my life forever. The Lord called me to be a Catholic priest. I walked away from my beachy lifestyle and answered “yes”. Even then, I knew that I would use my passion for media in all its forms as a way to bring Jesus’ message of hope and salvation to the world. These priestly predecessors have paved the way for me in media: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Paulist producer Fr. Bud Kieser, and pioneering film/TV priest Fr. Patrick Peyton.
I was also influenced by my uncle Johnny Napolitano who was a legendary costumer in Hollywood. He won a Primetime TV Emmy for The Winds of War (1983), and my cousin Francesca James, an actress and director, who won five Emmys for Daytime TV before I was even ordained.
During my seminary years, 1988 – 1999, I founded a newsletter with a friend of mine to encourage men to join the Catholic priesthood called “In Persona Christi” (Latin: In the Person of Christ).
A year before I was ordained a deacon, my formator, Father Larry, suggested I take a class during the summer that was not theological or pertaining to church ministry. I took a class on screenwriting for film at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, TX. The teacher was a nun, Sister Christine. Because of this experience, I learned that I was, as the industry says, “a creative”. I never saw myself as that until this experience. For my final project, I had to write an act of a movie. I wrote the third act, the last act of my film, where my brother and I sat down at the San Antonio Riverwalk drinking diet sodas and smoking cigars. Sister Christine told me that I needed to make this movie. I am forever grateful to Father Larry and Sister Christine.
My last year in the seminary I was a cameraman for the televised Sunday Mass at the San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio.
My ordination to the priesthood in 2000 at the landmark San Gabriel Mission was the first in US history to be broadcast live via the internet. Dial-up 56k modems were king then. The Pasadena Star was kind enough to do an article on the event. I expected the article to be on page 20 or 30, but it ended up being above the fold on the front page. That was a pleasant surprise.
My first assignment after ordination was Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Prescott, Arizona. Along with typical priestly duties, I took over the work of my pastor as host of our local community cable TV show “Sacred Heart Presents”. God gave me an opportunity to produce a show on my own. Surprisingly, the show won the Best Inspirational Program Award in 2002.
In 2002, I was transferred to St. Anthony Claret Church in the Diocese of Fresno, CA. Along with priestly obligations, I co–created a TV show called “Yesterday, Today and Forever” for the Diocese of Fresno’s TV station.
From 2003 – 2011, I was sent to our seminary in Compton. It was there that I became a frequent host on “St. Joseph Radio Presents” on Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), which was broadcast globally.
I taught religion full-time at Mary Star of the Sea Catholic High School from 2004 – 2010 in San Pedro. I was named Teacher of the Year in 2010 to represent the school.
After teaching, I learned about Steven Spielberg’s USC Shoah Foundation, where they interviewed over 55,000 Holocaust survivors. This inspired me to create the innovative TV show “Hound of Heaven”, based on the renowned 1890 poem by Francis Thompson. I wanted to interview famous or notable Catholics and have them tell their story of career and faith. I came up with the title of the TV show while praying a novena…I mean eating sushi with friends.
I’ve produced twelve episodes to date, each with its own fully profiled guest star. Here’s a sneak peek of some of our guests: Sherry Alberoni an original Disney Mouseketeer and Joe Mantegna, from the CBS show “Criminal Minds”. The following are in post-production: Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers legend Mike Scioscia; LA Rams legend Vince Ferragamo; Jessica Rey, the White Power Ranger from Season 10; Pasta Philanthropist and Italian Knight, Sir Bruno Serato; and Danny Jacobs, the Emmy Award winning voice actor who voiced King Julian in the Madagascar TV series.
The guests on my pilot interview were Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon, who wrote the first and second “God’s Not Dead” films, and wrote and directed “Unplanned” and “Nefarious”. I was the theological consultant and priest on the set for “Nefarious”. I also played a prison guard in the movie. At 6’ 4”, I was type cast. As a result of this, I’ve traveled around the country and have been on various radio programs and podcasts, both in the US and internationally, talking about my experiences on and off the set.
During the pandemic of 2020, to bring hope during that dark time, I celebrated daily Mass live on Facebook from my mom’s living room in Huntington Beach. Many were comforted during that crazy time. It also gave me the opportunity to write my book “30 Days Unplugged: How A Catholic Priest Turned Off His iPhone And Took A Call From God”. It’s about my spiritual experiences during a 30-day silent retreat in 2018.
Finally, I’m a guest host on “The Quest”, a show on Guadalupe Radio from Dallas, Texas.
Many of my friends are thinking of retiring. Not me, I’m just gettin’ started. Today, I see myself as a “priestly presence” in the media.
I believe we’re all caught up. This is my very Reader’s Digest version of my life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like a first responder saves lives, I save souls as a priest.
The day is structured but ministry can be fragmented. As a full-time Associate Pastor at San Gabriel Mission with all the duties a priest has, “Hatching, Matching and Dispatching” (baptisms, weddings and funerals,) it keeps me very busy. To add, we have an elementary and high school attached to the Mission (only seven Catholic Churches in the LA Archdiocese have a high school connected to a parish), two church buildings and three different language groups: English, Spanish and Vietnamese.
I have one day off a week, and I use this time to work on all aspects of media. It’s hard for me to “turn on” creativity. Sometimes, I’m given thirty minutes or an hour to be creative which has proven to be an almost impossible task.
Because I was a one man show, my biggest challenge was putting a team together. Over the last five years through trial and a lot of errors, I have put together a team of very talented and inspiring people who elevate my work and actualize the mission of using media to share the faith. Finding trustworthy people with particular skill sets has proven to be the most arduous endeavor. My core production team works great together. Michael Conley, the publicist for the ministry and a fellow executive producer with me, is a Hollywood insider and has represented Disneyland and many A-list talents throughout the last 40 years. Dennis Marciuska, is a very talented young man, with above and below-the-line skill sets that I have found nowhere else.
Finally, the most common obstacle is finding consistent funding for our productions. I know that I’m not alone with this problem. I constantly hear from colleagues that they have the same issue. If I had financial backing like the Dodgers, we could do many amazing projects that we believe would have a positive impact in our culture.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
The following sets me apart from others: I’m a Catholic priest working full-time at San Gabriel Mission with a passion to use media to spread Christ’s message of hope.
I wholeheartedly believe people’s stories can change lives for good. As CEO of Catholic Media Missionaries, I produce a TV show called “Hound of Heaven”. It is the only interview program that has a Catholic priest hosting and interviewing famous Catholic celebrities, professional athletes, and notables from around the world. The goal of this program is to inspire and affect all people, of all backgrounds, religiously affiliated or not. I was pleasantly surprised that some who are not affiliated with organized religion enjoyed of episodes of “Hound of Heaven”. Mission accomplished. On a side note, Richard Burton’s reading of the “Hound of Heaven” poem is my favorite!
As a Catholic priest, I’ve also been involved with various ecumenical and civic events. This has included helping to build houses with Habitat for Humanity with other religious leaders, giving benedictions for police officers shot on-duty and for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. I was also one of the celebrity dancers for the Prescott, AZ Boys and Girls Club “Dancing FOR the Stars” fundraiser. My dance partner, Carie Hughes choreographed my hip-hop routine to the hit song “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars. I won the “Best Male Dancer” award.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
My favorite and most impactful book as a child was “Cheaper by the Dozen” (1948) written by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. & Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. Frank Gilbreth Sr., the father of the family, was an industrial engineer. I really enjoyed reading about him being an efficiency expert. After reading this book, I started looking at ways I could be efficient with my actions and time.
There are many books I have read regarding the spiritual life. These books have had the most impact on me. The Holy Bible of course. I’d probably get in trouble with God if I didn’t say it’s the most spiritually influential book in my life. Helping me have trust in God in everything, without a doubt, “Uniformity with God’s Will” (1775) written by St. Alphonsus Liguori was a game changer for me.
Regarding helping me to revitalize my parish and be a better pastor of a Catholic Church: “Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter” (2013) written by Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran, and “Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus” (2012) written by Sherry A. Weddell were invaluable to me.
Finally, these titles that shaped me on how to be a leader, written by Jim Collins, profoundly influenced how I built and run the media ministry. “Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies” (1994); “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t” (2001); “Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck–Why Some Thrive Despite Them All” (2011); “The Five Most Important Questions: You Will Ever Ask About Your Organization” written by Peter Drucker.
Pricing:
- ($29.99) “30 Days Unplugged: How A Catholic Priest Turned Off His iPhone And Took A Call From God” written by Fr. Darrin Merlino, CMF. Available AMAZON.com
- You can donate and become a Co-Executive Producer for an episode(s) of “Hound of Heaven” TV show. Contact us at www.cmm1.org
- Depending on your project’s budget, I’m a Theological Consultant and Technical Advisor for many aspects of the Catholic Church.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.CMM1.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fatherdarrin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoundofHeavenSeries
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frdarrinmerlinocmf/
- Twitter: https://x.com/TheHoundofHeave
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/3nM-JI-MqkE
Image Credits
Dennis Marciuska
Kevin Estrada
Dennis Marciuska
Dennis Marciuska
Dennis Marciuska
Dennis Marciuska
Dennis Marciuska
Dennis Marciuska
