2 of 2 TRANSCRIPT of TV INTERVIEW:

MARIO ST. FRANCIS on “TODO LO PUEDO EN CRISTO” Translated from SPANISH into ENGLISH

SHOW: “Todo Lo Puedo en Cristo” HOST: Maribel Arriaga CORP: ESNE Studios and Production CITY: Burbank, California AIRED: Worldwide. Nov 2005

- SHOW OPENS - HOST: Welcome back my beautiful people, welcome back to your show Todo Lo Puedo en Cristo! I am Maribel Arriaga and I am here in our studios of �El Sembrador, ESNE New Evangelization� in the city of Burbank California. A welcome to everyone who is

watching us via the web at www.ElSembrador.org Latin America, South America, Central America� muuuahhh, a big kiss and hello for all of you. As I mentioned earlier this is the second part of our show about a tremendous man, a man of valor Mario St. Francis who has left everything, everything, absolutely everything for the love which is above all love. So once again we are here and you�ve tuned in for this second part of a testimony which I know has touched the depths of your hearts. So as usual, let us begin with our guest

artist who will be opening our show with some faith filled music�. (break�..) �Ok we are back with your program on ESNE New Evangelization. This is your show Todo Lo Puedo en Cristo. I want to thank all those who are working in the vineyard of Our Lord and support our ministry and programming, especially those who collaborate here in the USA so that we can broadcast to the 4 corners of the world. Thanks to those in South America, Central America and of course I am not forgetting my people in Miami. Hello to you who are watching us via the web at www.ElSembrador.org Ok so right now we are going to continue with the second part of this tremendous show that we have for you today. Once more we have with us present in the studios today Franci�. Noo!... hahahahaa, once again I want to call you St. Francis. Ok listeners, you may be asking yourself why I want to keep calling him St. Francis, St. Francis�

Well, on today�s show you are all going to hear why Mario Herrera is now known as Mario St. Francis, it�s beautiful, the name of a beautiful saint. It is an honor to have him here. So without further delay let us give a strong and warm applause in the name of Christ for our guest. This valiant man, this warrior for God� what a valiant man who left everything behind for Our Lord!! MARIO: Thank you� HOST: Ok, so during out last show we were talking about some of your work as a model. We some of your photos� let me see here, I think I have some magazines you were in too.. Here is one magazine where you have that big beautiful and even flirtatious smile that I talked about last time� and I think here in this same magazine we have another photo of you too� let�s see�. Here it is� as you all can see. And we have other magazines too. Here we have a photo were you are� let�s see� what are you thinking here in this shot? MARIO: I can tell you that modeling is work! You gotta work to model. I have no clue what I am doing there. In all honesty I think I am either staring at a wall or a mirror in the studio where this was shot. That is what a lot of modeling is about� You aren�t actually doing what it looks like, but you look like you�re doing something fun and interesting. You�re acting while they are taking photos of you. HOST: We will see more soon. But for those of you who missed the first show, this is part two of the tremendous testimony of Mario! Ok, so tell us Mario why are you known as Mario St Francis? MARIO: Well first off I still maintain my last name of course, I am still Herrera. But Mario St. Francis is like a full first name. I took on that name in my work as a model as you can see here in this photo which is my card for modeling, instead of putting Mario

Herrera, which of course is my last name and I am very proud of my family name, but Mario St. Francis all began with seeing celebrities use new names. For example Prince, the musician, that�s not his real name. He changed it to Prince and then he changed his name to a symbol. There is also Shakira and all these others artists who have changed their names. And other

people who appear on television have actual names that involve the world �saint�. Such as St John, St Croix, and others. It all began with my conversion which took place in 2001. You see, that night of my conversion I was on the phone with my brother telling him how blown away I was about understanding Jesus Christ. I was also telling my brother how much I loved him� I sounded like a hippy, I was just so�.in love (I felt like Christ made me crazy!!) I told my brother� �Man, I don�t care about anything else. I want to walk away from everything I have. I don�t care anymore.� And I was living at that time in a loft house that cost about half a million dollars. I was living there by myself, and told my brother, �it�s not important anymore. I don�t care, NOW what can I do. What CAN I do? I am a man who worked in night clubs and had my share of beers and drinks. I would go out and party, I had my share of girlfriends and regretfully am not a virgin anymore�. What can I do? What kind of work is there for a guy like me in the Church, what kind of work for God can a guy like me do???� I wanted to be a servant to the Church, like a monk. I was not even thinking about speaking on television like we are doing now. �What can a black sheep like me do?� My brother responded to me by asking if I had ever heard of the saints. �Don�t you know about St. Francis?� He told me that when I received the Sacrament of Confirmation at 13, the Bishop gave me this name as a patron saint. I told my brother that all I remember was that since I liked my oldest brother so much, I chose his saints name� that�s all I remembered about my confirmation. WELL� my brother had news for me. He said �no,no,no,no, that is Saint Francis Xavier, but the Bishop �accidentally� confirmed you as Mario St. Francis of Assisi. And St. Francis of Assisi was a young guy was attracted to women, he was good-looking, he knew about the parties and was always up-to-date on what was happen�n; in fact if you wanted to know where to go out in Assisi for a party you would ask St Francis.:

HOST: really? St Francis?�. Ayyyy! MARIO: Yeah� HOST: He�s up there in heaven now saying �that�s how I used to be! That was me��hahaaaa MARIO: Exactly� and that is why the stories of the Saints are so important. HOST: Exactly� yes

MARIO: because I was�. I was lost� Now that I have encountered Christ profoundly, now that I have heard the Good News; the Gospel� about the God above all gods�. I am alone and want nothing� How did this happen� what�s up with that? My brother responded: �Francis wanted to leave everything too� I said: �I want to leave everything� my house, the money, the car, girlfriends� I want none of this anymore, I just want to go out into the world and tell others about the words of the Lord (about life! What really matters!!)� HOST: AMEN! (she claps) c�mon let�s all applaud this� imagine he wants to leave money, fame, everything! and says I just want to preach the word of God from now on�how awesome and beautiful !!!! MARIO: I mean imagine if someone says to you I offer you eternal life. For me this was a foreign concept. I mean of course we have it all present at the Most Holy Mass�but rarely does a mentor or teacher or friend show it to us. I had heard that God has revealed himself in Flesh and Blood. And in this flesh he suffered, he allowed himself to be killed, he offered himself up as a sacrifice. They beat and scourged him in a horrible manner� HOST: your right� and you have that so beautifully shown in the t-shirt your wearing, please show us.. Camera man, please MARIO: Here it is let me show you� I feel like Superman here�. But HE is really the SUPER man� HOST: That�s right the Super man�now did you have this shirt made especially for you? MARIO: No� this is one that people can purchase in some stores�

HOST: beautiful shirt,�wow MARIO: �and that�s what happened to me� like seeing the face of Christ on this shirt. It was the sudden realization! Right in front of my face! It was when the priest began explaining to me the life of Jesus. The scourging�the crowning of thorns�all the horrible things he accepted for us� He was a witness to Christ for me! I mean... think of something� (turning to the camera) Think! What if one of your

friends let himself be killed for the sake of a message to give you� would you go on sleeping and living your life like nothing happened? NOOO, you would change your

life!!!! I know, I have seen death change people� when a friend dies people are touched and in hits them� hard! But with Jesus... it is the same but even bigger�he is GOD� and we can receive him on the Eucharist� I wanted to scream this on the roof tops. I said to my brother: �Why aren�t we going out there and telling the world on T-shirts, television, on cars and in songs� WHY?� And he said to me: �Other black sheep out there have done the same. St Francis had money, he had popularity. He fancied the women. He had the natural tendencies� but he wanted Christ alone and was so serious that once he even threw himself into a thorn bush when he was tempted by the desires of the flesh. Even once he thru himself into the snow with no clothing in order to stop the feelings he had that he knew were not appropriate.� The story of St Francis relates to all times, it is not one man�s isolated reaction to the gospel in the �old days�. It�s a witness to the world of a radical and awesome response to God and his Love. My taking on of this name is not to express my personal sanctity� Some people joke and think that I have canonized myself or something� it�s not like that. I am not Saint Mario! We were given a second name by the Church. Baptized and Confirmed with a new name, signifying the beginning of a new life.. If we have them why aren�t we using them??? I look around at people of other religions and disciplines and they are using all sorts of means to talk about their beliefs. They are �evangelizing�. (hair-do�s, clothes, lifestyle, names!) I see other movements doing lots of �evangelizing� expect many Christians, especially Catholic Christians�in my experience. (How are we �witnessing?) Here is another part of the story to my name: I thought to myself� why do I only have one name� am I the only Latin guy who doesn�t have a middle name when there are so many others who have 5 different names. I am just Mario Herrera� I mean most people�s name would be like Mario Edgar Ricardo De Jesus and so on� all the Mexicans, Colombians, Cubans get 5 names� but I am just Mario and blahh, nothing�! My brother said� Mario! St Francis of Assisi had a similar experience �he wanted to leave all the money that belonged to his Father and only serve his father in Heaven with

no money. And in my situation much of what I had was my families, my fathers. I could always fall back on them. But now I did not care anymore. I am not saying I didn�t respect my family anymore�no, not at all. But when I heard in the bible that �if you want to follow me, leave everything you have� leave everything and I will give you everything�AND eternal life.�

And I thought��why aren�t more people doing this, why aren�t we doing something about the gospel�� and my brother said: �St Francis was moved by that scripture, he felt the same way too�� he asked me, Mario, �how old are you?� I responded ��24�. My brother said to me, �St Francis was 24 when he felt his call.� You know, in all my life I have felt part of something else�something more�even in my family, I have always felt different. I was given attention, love and affection. I am not saying I was an odd kid who was a recluse. No, on the other hand, I got to play soccer at 13 in a foreign country against a semi-pro team. I was a swimmer with prospects of going to the Olympics. As you already know I later achieved the popularity and mini-fame and life of parties, popularity and the nightlife�. But that was never where I belonged�. But NOW�I FOUND it� I found what I had always felt like I didn�t have. It was the Gospel. My heavenly family! Meaning, Purpose! This was my �BIG conversion!� When I had this big �conversion� I wanted to be a hermit. But, eventually, I found that I could serve God best by going into the world and using modern means to communicate this all. One of these ways was my name. I figured, first things first, if I am going to appear in magazines my name in itself should represent this life change, why not!? When I was on the phone with my brother that night, I realized, this is a new life I have in front of me. I am no longer just Mario. I mean, I am Mario, but now Mario St Francis. For whatever reason the Church offers us Patron saints, to watch over us, to guide us. It�s a second chance kindof. (turns towards the camera) Do you know your Patron saints name? Look for it, ask your parents. Because there is a deep story and encounter for you there.

For me, my name is a reminder. Yeah people sometimes think I am canonized or something� but in fact, every time I am asked for my name I remember (the amazing things God has done in my life). HOST: And I see you have a beautiful cross that you are wearing there. MARIO: Speaking of means of communication like the productions studio here and your TV show and everything here� (my cross is a means of

communication) (turns towards the camera) YOU, what are you wearing out there? What brand names are you showing off, what necklaces do you have? Because in many ways you are evangelizing thru those things. For example I used to wear a necklace with a surfboard medal, and another necklace with a sharks tooth. It was cool for me because I was such a beach lover. (my necklace told you what I cared about. What we wear says a lot!) But there was this one day after my conversion that I entered into this chapel to sit in adoration before our Lord in the Most Holy Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. It was about 2a.m. that I arrived at this chapel, and there was this little store that is open 24hrs a day for you to take whatever you want and you just out your money in a little box. It�s really neat. And while looking at what they had I saw this absolutely beautiful Crucifix. But it was big�the Body of Christ was so real for me. But it was also too big. It wasn�t just some small crucifix, it was big, too big for me. �Noooo I can�t put this on Lord. I love you soo much but this� no I can�t put on such a large cr-o-s-s�..� wow�. It hit me. I, I am not capable of carrying a big cross of Christ� hmmmmm. I left the chapel and cross. And so I went home, I couldn't sleep. I thought to myself I am denying you Christ, like Peter saying �I do not know him�� And so, with my head down, humbled, I went there to the chapel to buy it. My stomach was in knots. �They are gonna crucify ME if I wear this my own family, friends... and their all Catholics! They are gonna say, c�mon "Mr. Ego", what�s with the fashion statement. I was worried thinking of what others would think. So I arrived� and I grabbed the crucifix�BUT, I grabbed the smallest version they had. The body of Christ on the Cross wasn�t even recognizable. I thought �Oh Lord, why can�t you give me a medium size one? Like a middle ground, a compromise? But, there wasn�t one, and so�. I grabbed this larger Crucifix and put it on. I tucked it

under my shirt. And a series of events began to take place. One morning I woke up and my cross slipped out of the short sleeve of my shirt and my mom saw it and she said �what a beautiful cross� I hid it quickly saying �oh I am so sorry� and I hid it!! (I don�t know why I apologized. It was like I had to apologize for becoming so �religious� and abnoxious.) But you know I have learned that sometimes it�s ok if

we hide our faith at the beginning, because sometimes when you a conversion that is so big you may need time alone with it� Over time, more and more the passion grew and the desire to preach with my whole body and soul and be a man of faith inside and out; even in what I wear� So one step was wearing this crucifix (the Crucifix of St Benedict). I wanted to wear my cross for my own sake and for the sake of others. If I can touch someone�s life, great, and let me tell you, this one has touched lives. For example there are some people who have seen me wearing it and while I have been talking to them it does something to them. It�s like a change in their eyes, then soul and later their life. Because of its size they see the body of Christ very easily. This is not some small cross here. It�s not just some cross, this is a crucifix, it has the body of Christ. There was this one day, the first time I experienced this. A person would just stare at it, I took it off and gave it to them. I was in New York at the time. And she started crying and telling me that she couldn�t accept such a

precious gift. It looked too expensive� too precious. And it was then that I realized that Christ is not mine. He is to be shared. And this was the most precious possession I had, and I gave it to her, and it was like I was given her something life changing. And over time this happened again and again. To date (2006) I have given about 14 people my own crucifix. (Not just handing it to them, but explaining it, explaining Christ briefly, explaining the Benedictine prayer, teaching it to them. Each cross has been blessed

with a special prayer and blessing particular to this crucifix. I want that each person understands that this is a sign of faith to others. That they do not need to wear it on the outside like I do, but that they should consider doing so. Receiving these crucifixes has now begun the formation of a spiritual community of prayer and fraternity. No matter where I or they are in the world, we are in one another�s prayers like brothers, disciples of the Lord.) It is funny how this has all transpired. It just happens. I will be speaking with someone and they just stare at my chest. If I was a woman it would be scandalous! ha-ha..haaa I will say to them, what�s wrong, what are you looking at, and they will tell me how beautiful the cross is, and just sit there looking at it in a state of awe. And they keep telling me this and after discussing its significance, I give it to them. Doing this we have begun forming like a congregation or brotherhood. I ask them if they are willing to follow Christ more and more. I tell them that they can hide it, but that one day I want them to take it out and share our Lord with others, even just physically. HOST: Amen, it was precisely thru the Passion of Christ that your conversion was effected even more. After the film came out you moved out here to Los Angeles and even worked for Jim Caviezel who played the role of Jesus in the movie by Mel Gibson. Tell us a little more about this. MARIO: It was after my initial conversion which happened in 2001. I was studying at the Franciscan University in Steubenville Ohio. All I cared about at the time was learning our Faith. I did not care about anything else. But just like the scriptures say in

the book of Jeremiah I thought to myself �I am too young Lord,� all I want is to study the faith. But when the movie the Passion came out I noticed the media was an amazing tool to speak of the faith and was changing lives on a world-wide scale. And there are many people using the media for the faith� maybe some of them are not really into their faith or understand it, but their doing something about God. And I had a few connections that providentially were made suddenly and I ended up being in a position where I was offered to work for Jim Caviezel's manager. (So after a mission in Europe and Hawaii I moved suddenly to L.A.) After about 4 months in L.A. I hit a point where I felt that I had to move on. It was too expensive to live in Hollywood and I had no money, I am a Franciscan who left everything� I have nothing�how am I gonna keep up with life in Beverly Hills? I thought it was a mistake to have come out to LA. I thought maybe I should have stayed back in my little little town studying the faith and that�s it. But�that job connected me in so many ways and launched me into so much more work of great value and all about the faith. Jesse Romero helped me to start going out and preaching� even though I never feel perfect enough� I am not a theologian, I am not as famous as Jesse and other Catholics out there� but Jesse told me that if I give my life to the Lord, He will take responsibility of my needs and lead me� and that�s basically what happened to bring me out here. And who knows what the future holds. HOST: God has so much planned for you Mario. For those of you who missed the last

show we are here with Mario St Francis� how beautiful� soon we will have you share your favorite Psalm� oh and look you we have some more magazines and photos of here�. Here is one, look, here you are with some girls that are all in the media�and at first glance some may think this photo looks a little scandalous but it was about your encountering the Lord or something right? MARIO: haaaaaa, this article was talking about the Most Beautiful

people�not hottest people. No, this is about people who are beautiful in and out. HOST: and you can see that you are wearing your brown scapular and some other religious articles and have an image of Mary and Jesus too� Great� OK� Here we are with a man who is in �show-business� fulfilling the work off the Lord, Mario St Francis! We have to take a break, we will be back, I am Maribel Arriaga with Mario St Francis and we�ll be back with Todo Lo Puedo en Cristo. (commercial break) HOST: There you have it, we are back and as you heard a message from our Cardinal Mohoney, who is very busy but took the time to give a message of hope to our youth and

to our show Todo Lo Puedo en Cristo and El Sembrador� We love our Cardinal very much and respect him as our Cardinal here in California. Ok so we are back and I have this magazine where Mario is surrounded�is blessed by these four beautiful women, �blessed amongst women�� So tell us Mario what is this story and photo all about? MARIO: Well after appearing in my first magazine 5 years ago (for being praised for my looks like a piece of meat) I am featured here talking about my "life with God for God and about God"� and this is in a completely secular magazine! (A total 180 degree turn) Thanks be to God I have been able to use the means of the world reach out and evangelize. HOST: Amen!, That is really great because even people out in �the world�, in Hollywood and involved in all that need the Lord too right!? I commend you for your work and encourage you to keep it up; you are a great example for our Catholic Faith and Church. The time is flying and I don�t think 5 shows could give your life story justice, but I know that you are proud to be Catholic, so tell us, what is the biggest experience in you walk with God? MARIO: the biggest part of my walk with God is actually tied to the scriptures I want to read. There are times when you meet someone who is full of God and you can see it in their faces, they radiate it. The world I have worked in gives the appearance of great happiness but the reality is something else. Let me reference Mark 5:38 �calling his disciples together he said �if anyone wants to come after me, deny yourself and follow me.� One day I thought to myself, HIS cross was suffering, he suffered the passion. Looking elsewhere in the scriptures in the book of James it says �Consider it a great joy when trials of many kinds come upon you, for you well know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance, and perseverance must complete its work so that you will become fully developed, complete, not deficient in any way.� For me the most powerful thing was the life of love. And love is suffering. When I encountered Pope John Paul II at World Youth Toronto I was so moved. Even in all his sufferings (he was persevering, witnessing Christ and the Church. That takes me to my favorite psalm 51. HOST: Please share it with us. That psalm is beautiful and I know it�s one of your favorites

MARIO: Youth in the world! Listen to me and see if I am crazy� maybe you have followed the Lord for a while and now have distance yourself. Maybe you have not been close to him and you desire to draw closer�I tell you from my EXPEREINCE, do not try to be perfect because you are going to be let down because only God is perfect. Your perfection will

be equal to how close you are to God. Look! I lived my life own way. I changed it but even now my life is not perfect, but I remain on my knees before our Lord, along with our Lady, praying and asking before the Blessed Sacrament as often as possible. And there are times when I arrogantly think I am fine and not doing anything wrong. I think �hey I am not sinning and then suddenly BOOOM�� something happens, I fall. (I realize it�s not all about me. I need God, and you do too.) This Psalm 52 has so much to offer. Look I am no here to preach to the holy people. I am here to talk to those who have fallen, those who feel alone, like I have. Christ Our Lord says he has not come for the healthy; he has come to heal the sick. When I have fallen, even thought I am this Catholic on TV , I either fall by poorly treating or thinking of others or in breaking one of the commandments�whatever it is... I find great consolation in the Lord. This Psalm says: �Have mercy on me oh God, in your love, in your tenderness wipe away my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt, purify me from my sin. I am well aware of my sins, and my sin is always before me�.. Purify me with Hyssop and I shall be clean, wash me until I am whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness once again; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice� Do not cast me far from your presence and do not take away your holy spirit from me�. I will show sinners your ways, and they will return to you�� That is why I am here, because I am not perfect. I need the Lord. When I �found� him, I made a promise like David says in this Psalm. God wash my sins, and I will show sinners your way! (So, it�s an everyday �job�, it�s the Catholic life. I give my life to God and in return for all he has done for me in my past, I now try to show others �the way!�)

HOST - How beautiful Mario, it is really impressive how God has changed your life. If you are just tuning in now we have only about 4 minutes left of our program today. We would need so much more time and shows to hear the rest about the life and testimony of Mario. I want to thank God for you Mario, you are a great honor to our Catholic Church. He is a young man who has left fame and everything and said to the Lord �I give you my life.� He has taken a new name and is

known as Mario St Francis and he now serves the Lord of Lords with all his heart and strength (as a modern St Francis, as a missionary not in third world countries but countries like our own.) Mario what do you want to say to our viewers out there before we end this show? What can you say to others out there who have not left everything

for the Lord in the way you have? MARIO - You are not alone. I am a witness. My life is an example that this is possible. (God wants you and answering Him and drawing close to him will be the most awesome thing you ever ever ever do!) Look at the millions that show up at the World Youth Days. (Thousands and even millions of teens in love with Christ and the Church.) You are not alone. Use the instruments of the world out there for God. Take the internet for example; it is being used for some many bad purposes. You,

use it to fill your souls. Use the Bible, the Catechism, get involved in youth groups... The way you dress, stop seeking the attention of others superficially. Instead dress yourselves with the most beautiful modestly and humility. Find the love you seek, it is truly there at the nearest Catholic Church to your house. Run ... Run to the Church and to the Eucharist. Run and go to Our lady and get on your knees. Even if you have felt like I often have thinking to yourself you can�t do it or what good are you�. As we keep saying here today.. You have to know� that �I can do ALL things in and thru Christ who strengthens me!� (applause) HOST - Amen, glory to God Alleluia, there it is, yes, Thank you God Bless you Mario my dear. We can do all things in Christ � May God Bless you. Now we leave you with �Ojos Cerrados�, this has been Mario St. Francis� We give Glory to the Saints, to St Francis� thank you all, �we can do all things in Christ��. Bye�.

End of Transcript 2 of 2

TRANSCRIPT of TV INTERVIEW:

MARIO ST. FRANCIS on “TODO LO PUEDO EN CRISTO” Translated from SPANISH into ENGLISH