“Adore Him” film combines history and testimony in promoting Eucharistic adoration

Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry, a Catholic evangelization apostolate founded and led by Deacon Steve Greco, director of evangelization and formation for the Diocese of Orange in California, has produced a film titled “Adore Him”.

It is a full-length docudrama promoting Eucharistic adoration, and it will be in more than a thousand theaters nationwide October 4-8, 2026.

The film was written, directed, and produced by Catholic filmmaker Don Johnson of Runaway Planet Pictures. It includes recreations of historical events and interviews with many prominent Catholic clergy and laity.

Among those featured are Chris Stefanick of Real Life Catholic, “Dynamic Deacon” Harold Burke-Sivers, Marian Fathers Chris Alar and Donald Calloway, Fr. John Riccardo, and Curtis Martin of FOCUS.

This is Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry’s second film. In 2024, the ministry released “Jesus Thirsts: the Miracle of the Eucharist” in theaters. It went on to become the third most popular film in the documentary category that year.

“Our first ‘Jesus Thirsts’ film was a response to surveys that indicated as many as 70% of Catholics don’t believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist,” said Deacon Greco.

“Our second film, ‘Adore Him’, takes us on the next step: if we believe in Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist, how should we respond? A greater devotion to the Mass and Eucharistic adoration seems most appropriate.”

Eucharist adoration should play a critical role in the life of every Catholic, says the deacon, and those devoted to it will find “it will transform you into a warrior for Christ.”

Deacon Greco noted that the three bishops with whom he works—Diocese of Orange Bishop Kevin Vann and Auxiliary Bishops Timothy Freyer and Thanh Thai Nguyen—have all been enthusiastic supporters of the film project and appear in the film. Other U.S. bishops appearing in the film include Archbishop Paul Coakley, who also serves as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez.

Deacon Greco is a retired pharmaceutical industry executive. He was ordained a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Orange in 2007. He founded Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry in 2014. Its goal is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and support the foreign missions. He hosts the program “Empowered by the Spirit,” and a second program, “The Bible and You,” with his wife of more than 50 years, Mary Anne Greco. He is assigned to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Irvine.

Don Johnson traveled extensively in the first half of 2026 to film the interviews and historical reenactments. He encountered many challenges on the way.

Johnson is a convert to the Catholic Church from evangelical Christianity. He entered the Catholic Church in 2015 and lives in Anaheim, California.

His films include Convinced, which features interviews with prominent Catholic converts on the stories of their conversion; Dysconnected, which examines the transgender movement; and Unprotected, which tells the “untold” story of the sexual revolution.

Johnson is also the author of two books. Twisted Unto Destruction, on “Bible Alone” theology, is published by Catholic Answers, and How to Talk to a Skeptic, which will be published soon in an updated edition by Ignatius Press.

Johnson was recruited to make the film by Deacon Greco and was eager to participate, “as adoration is something very much needed in our culture.”

When he began his research for the film, he was surprised to learn that many Catholics view adoration as “a special devotional thing for ‘super’-Catholics but not an essential aid to one’s spirituality.”

But, with his extensive experience studying Scripture and theology, Johnson has come to believe “that Eucharistic adoration is not an ‘add-on’, but the culmination of the story of salvation, that God comes near to us and invites us into His presence.”

The film has four narrative sequences. In the first, the viewer encounters the Israelites carrying the Ark of the Covenant through the desert. The second and third feature an encounter with Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem and Jesus teaching in a Bethany marketplace during Passion week. And the final sequence is set in the Middle Ages and features a Corpus Christi procession.

The remainder of the film is in “classic documentary” style, focused on “explaining what the Church’s teaching of the Eucharist is, as well as who God is and that He wants to be in your presence.”

Johnson continued, “Eucharistic adoration is not an extra. It is what life is all about. Come into God’s presence and be transformed.”

Referring to the second sequence featuring the Nativity of Christ, Johnson asked: “If you were there on the night of the Nativity, would you go with the shepherds to be in the presence of the baby Jesus? Of course you would. So, should we go to our local Catholic parish and be in the presence of Jesus? Of course we should.”

The action sequences were filmed in Palm Springs, California, as well as in multiple locations in Texas. The 90+ interviews—not all of which appear in the film—were filmed in the U.S. and Europe.

Highlights for Johnson include visits to several parishes in major cities that “opened up their doors and kept the Eucharist exposed and experienced remarkable revival as a result. Fr. John Riccardo of ACTS XXIX in Detroit, for example, explained, ‘If you put Jesus out there, His presence changes lives. It works.'”

Johnson was also impressed while filming at Life Teen events in Georgia and Spain, and at a Damascus youth and young adult summer camp in Ohio, during which young people shared how adoration plays a key role in their spiritual lives.

It was while visiting Georgia that Johnson encountered one of the greatest challenges during the filming. While stopping for dinner with his cameraman, their camera equipment was stolen out of their car.

“We were scrambling to find the gear we needed to film and thought about cancelling filming,” he recalled. “But we secured what we needed and over the next three days had some of the best interviews that appeared in the film.”

“Adore Him” is an outgrowth of Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry’s Adore Movement, which seeks to promote Eucharistic adoration worldwide. It was launched with the technology company eCatholic in February.

The first component of the movement was the creation of a website with information about adoration, including an adoration finder, which allows Catholics to find adoration sites and hours in their communities. The second component is the film, which is in post-production and nearing completion.

More than 20,000 have signed up to be part of the Adore Movement since February, reported Deacon Greco. Adoration is, he believes, a crucial component to renewal in the Church.

“Over the years,” he explained, “I’ve discovered that Eucharistic adoration has deepened my spirituality tremendously. It has allowed me to grow closer to Christ, be stronger in my faith and better withstand the assaults of the enemy.”

• Tickets for “Adore Him” will be available online beginning August 21 at Fathom Entertainment.