At St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas, parishioners enjoy hearing homilies so much from Fr. Richard Rinn, CSV, pastor —

Fr. Richard Rinn, CSV, in a scene from the movie, “Boys of Summer — Second Base”

they describe it as storytelling.

“He’s a natural,” says parishioner Robert Cochrane. “He is so calming and yet he still has a commanding presence, which I enjoy immensely.”

And Cochrane should know. He is a producer and director, and most recently a documentary filmmaker in Las Vegas. That is where Fr. Rinn comes in.

St. Viator recently held a screening at the parish of the second in a series of documentaries written around Cochrane’s father, Dan, who battles Parkinson’s Disease. In the first film, (Boys of Summer, 2006) Cochrane and his father toured all 30 Major League baseball parks in their quest to raise money for a cure. 

Some 10 years later, with no cure in sight, Cochrane filmed a sequel, Boys of Summer — Second Base, that follows his father through low, painful points  of the progression of the disease, as well as new, hopeful treatments that aim to improve his quality of life.

In a pivotal scene, when Dan is struggling with the disease, he seeks the counsel of Fr. Rinn and speaking as the director, Cochrane says he nailed it.

Fr. Richard Rinn, CSV, is so popular at his parish of St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas, that even draws in celebrities

“What Fr. Rinn said, regarding faith and tying it into one of my favorite movies, The Natural, was excellent,” Cochrane said. “Contextually, his scene plays at a moment in the film when my dad has gone through so much to try to help his Parkinson’s Disease and is struggling to understand if it’s made any difference.”

For Fr. Rinn, it’s all in a day’s work. After all, he is a diehard Chicago White Sox fan, parks in a church spot that says “White Sox Only” and even named his dog, “Sox.”

This summer, he celebrates 50 years of religious life, and it turns out that his pastoral ministry continues to strike all the right notes.

To view either of Cochrane’s documentaries, or schedule a parish screening, visit their web site.