Matti Leshem still remembers when he first encountered Catholic saints as a Jewish boy.
“Here were individuals who were so committed to their beliefs that they were willing to endure persecution and even martyrdom,” he told Our Sunday Visitor in an email interview. “It was a concept both alien and awe-inspiring to a child steeped in a Jewish home.”
Today, Leshem is sharing the stories of the saints with millions of others as the creator of “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints,” a new docudrama exploring the lives of the saints available on Fox Nation.
“In Catholic school, I began to understand the profound implications of such faith through stories of Jesus, the apostles, and the saints who followed in their footsteps,” Leshem said. “The narrative of ultimate sacrifice–giving one’s life for a transcendent truth–has remained with me ever since, shaping not only my understanding of faith but also my sense of storytelling.”
Leshem collaborated with award-winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who identifies as Catholic, for the docuseries that reaches across time and space to follow eight heroic men and women who dedicated their lives to God no matter the cost. Each of the eight hour-long episodes focuses on a different saint, beginning with St. Joan of Arc.
The docudrama is being released in two parts by Fox News Media’s subscription streaming service, Fox Nation. The first four episodes (on St. Joan of Arc, St. John the Baptist, St. Sebastian and St. Maximillian Kolbe) began airing weekly on Nov. 17. The final four episodes (on St. Francis of Assisi, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Moses the Black and St. Thomas Becket) will air this spring.
Leshem spoke about his Catholic education, his collaboration with Scorsese, his personal connection to the Holocaust and the impact of the saints on his own life with OSV.
“My hope is that viewers will see the saints not as distant, unattainable figures but as deeply human individuals who grappled with doubt, fear, and suffering–just as we do,” he said. “Their stories are ultimately about transformation and the power of faith to inspire extraordinary acts of love, courage, and sacrifice.”
An early fascination with the saints
Leshem revealed what led him to attend Catholic school, where he learned about the saints.
“While my upbringing was deeply rooted in Jewish culture, my path to exploring the lives of Catholic saints began in an unexpected place–at a Catholic school in Copenhagen,” he said. “My father, Israel’s ambassador to Denmark, was a staunch atheist who prioritized academic excellence above all else.”
As a result, his father enrolled him in the International School run by the Religious of the Assumption, an international congregation of religious sisters.
“Though exempt from religious instruction, I was drawn to the camaraderie of my peers and found myself attending services and catechism classes out of curiosity,” Leshem said. “It was in that environment that I first encountered the saints–figures whose lives embodied an extraordinary sense of conviction and sacrifice.”
“That early exposure planted the seed of fascination that has grown throughout my life,” he added. “For the record, I really loved the nuns.”
A collaboration with Martin Scorsese
Lehsem called collaborating with Scorsese, the docudrama’s executive producer, host and narrator, “the greatest experience of my professional life.”
“Marty is not only a master filmmaker but also a scholar of unparalleled depth, with a profound understanding of history, literature, theology, and the arts,” he said. “Every conversation with [him] is a masterclass in film and the human condition.”
The two delved into faith together, he said.

“What made our collaboration particularly meaningful was our shared commitment to exploring the complexity of faith,” he said. “Though we approach it from different traditions, Marty’s insight into the nuances of belief and doubt brought extraordinary depth to the stories we told.”
“His passion and precision are unmatched,” he added, “and working alongside him on this project has impacted me forever.”
A relationship with St. Maximilian Kolbe
Leshem spoke about the impact of his own background on the series, including the episode on St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish priest who sacrificed his life for another man during the Holocaust.
“When I encountered the story of St. Maximilian Kolbe–a Catholic priest who voluntarily took another man’s place in a starvation bunker at Auschwitz–it struck a chord within me,” Leshem said. “Kolbe’s sacrifice transcends religious boundaries; it speaks to the universal capacity for selflessness and moral courage.”
Leshem called his own personal connection to the Holocaust “profound and inescapable.”
“My grandmother perished in Auschwitz, and my father, a member of the Czech resistance, survived by assuming a false identity,” he said. “These experiences have deeply shaped my worldview and my work.”
He called the episode about St. Maximilian Kolbe “an opportunity not only to honor Kolbe’s legacy but also to shed light on the largely untold stories of non-Jewish prisoners in Auschwitz.”
“For me,” he said, “this project is a way to contribute to the enduring cry of ‘Never Again,’ ensuring that such stories remain alive and relevant.”
An introduction to St. Joan of Arc
The first episode of the docudrama opens with another well-known saint: Joan of Arc. Leshem called her story “timeless and unparalleled.”
A French saint, Joan of Arc fought in the Hundred Years’ War against the English while guided by the voices and visions of saints. The young peasant woman, celebrated for liberating Orléans and leading Charles VII of France to the throne, died at the stake in 1431 after being convicted of heresy. She was 19 years old.
“She is arguably one of the most iconic saints, and her narrative resonates across centuries for its sheer audacity and drama,” Leshem said. “A teenage girl, guided by divine visions, secures an audience with the king, convinces him to entrust her with an army, and then leads that army to decisive victories–these are historical facts, not embellishments.”
“Her courage and conviction are astonishing,” he added, “and her life serves as a testament to the power of faith and determination.”
She stood out to the makers of the series, he said.

“We were particularly drawn to the record of her trial, an extraordinary document that preserves her own words as she faced her accusers,” he said. “In our episode, beautifully written by Kent Jones, we aimed to capture the essence of this extraordinary young woman–a visionary whose life challenges us to consider the boundaries of courage, faith, and human resilience.”
A new conversation
For his part, Leshem hoped that viewers would draw inspiration from the lives of the saints.
“The saints challenge us to ask profound questions about ourselves and our place in the world: What do we believe in? What are we willing to stand for?” he said. “In an age marked by skepticism and moral relativism, these stories invite us to rediscover a sense of purpose and conviction.”
The saints’ stories, he stressed, speak to Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
“While the saints are rooted in the Catholic tradition, their narratives resonate far beyond religious boundaries,” he said. “They speak to universal themes–of redemption, perseverance, and hope–that remain profoundly relevant today.”
“My goal is to spark a conversation that transcends ideology,” he concluded, “one that invites viewers of all backgrounds to reflect on the values and truths that guide their own lives.”