Rev. James D. Conley, D.D., S.T.L. | Diocese of Lincoln website

A new film titled "Radiating Joy: The Michelle Duppong Story" is set to premiere on November 12. The film celebrates the life of Michelle Duppong, a young American woman whose canonization cause was initiated in 2022 by the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota. The movie was developed through a collaboration between Fathom Events, eCatholic, and the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS).

Michelle Duppong grew up on her family's farm in Haymarsh, North Dakota. She pursued horticulture at North Dakota State University, graduating in 2006. Her career as a student missionary with FOCUS spanned six years, during which she served at several universities including the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), South Dakota State University, the University of South Dakota, and the University of Mary in Bismarck.

After her time as a missionary, Duppong took on the role of director of adult faith formation for the Diocese of Bismarck in 2012. She passed away at age 31 on Christmas Day 2015 after battling cancer for a year.

Father Robert Matya, who knew Duppong from her time at UNL's Newman Center where he served as director for 25 years, spoke about her character: “Her holiness of life was pretty obvious,” he said. “She was a very beautiful soul... easy to engage, kind, loving.”

Maria Benes, co-founder of Before Gethsemane and member of Lincoln's Cathedral of the Risen Christ, reflected on being mentored by Duppong during her senior year at UNL through FOCUS. “Michelle challenged me to not be so concerned with the things of this world that I lose sight of my ultimate mission to go to Heaven,” Benes shared.

Josh Simmons, founder and CEO of eCatholic, expressed his organization's involvement in the film project: “When we learned about a film on the life and holiness of Bismarck native Michelle Duppong, our team knew we had to get involved.” Abbey Nagel from eCatholic also remarked on Duppong’s impact: “Her life communicated love... She was an intentional and faithful friend.”

The film will be shown nationwide starting November 12 with screenings planned in Lincoln, Bellevue, Elkhorn, and Omaha. Further details are available on FathomEvents.com and Focus.org.