Happy Birthday Roma on 6th of May! May is Roma's birthday month, please check out the birthday tribute at Pass the Remote. Look for a Q&A blog about Roma and her new Hallmark movie Come Dance at My Wedding which premieres 6th June at 9pm (check your local listings for your time zone) at Pass the Remote later in May.
Read Roma's newest blog entry about returning to acting at Irish Central.
Roma's blog entry The Yellow Flannel Sheets made the cover of Irish Central! Please visit their website to see Roma's blog entry for yourself and you may make comments if you become a member. I have posted the actual text from the blog below:
The yellow flannel sheets
Fragments of dappled light dance through the trees and with my eyes half closed from the glare I feel the shadows move, fleeting across my face. I stretch out sleepily on a bed of wild flowers that have exploded in color, blossoming and covering the grass like a blanket.
Spring has arrived and because of recent rain we have this unusual lushness and abundance . Here I lie in my field of gold, dozing, drifting in and out of sleep, I feel like a girl on a swing moving back and forth from from sun to shade.
The yellow mustard, golden in the afternoon sunshine moves gently in the breeze and suddenly my mind not only sees the color but feels it,my heart expands and I am transported on a yellow bus of thought straight into memory.
Emotions clearly bring to mind certain colors. I often associate green with envy, red with passion and of course being sad with feeling blue. But the color yellow will forever make me think of kindness . Here in my yellow field,on a Spring afternoon I think of that now and it all flows easily back to me filling me with feelings, for thoughts of kindness have always led me back on the road to my Father.
Memories of my Dad come pouring in. I absentmindedly pick a flower or two and silently begin to weave them together.
My Father was every thing to me. He was a quiet man and not given to big demonstrations of feeling yet I know he felt things deeply.He had a quiet dignity about him and after my Mother died, when I was only ten, he had done such a great job raising us on his own.
I grew up in Northern Ireland in the 1970’s during the height of the troubles. My Dad had been a school master and he encouraged me to focus and to work hard because he knew my education would be my passport out.
It was because of his encouragement that I left home in the first place. With his blessing I spread my wings and flew from Derry to study in England. I went to Brighton and art college then on to London and Drama school.
It was back in the 1980s and I was a student in London. I rented a room in one of those big Georgian Houses that had been converted into flats. In the absence of cell phones, which were not yet an essential part of our lives, the lodgers shared a black payphone in the chilly hallway by the front door. I was planning a trip home to Ireland to stay with my Father . My oldest brother was to be ordained into the Catholic priesthood that weekend,we joked that he would be known to us as “Father Brother”!
I knew the little triangular flags of many colors, hand made by the neighbours, were already hung out on the street I grew up on and a grand celebration had been planned. I telephoned my Father to confirm my travel arrangements. I dialled the number and at the sound of the beeps I inserted my coins .I heard his voice and felt safe.The sweet sound of his lilt was so comforting and familiar to me. We discussed that I would fly in early the next morning from Heathrow to Belfast. I would be picked up at the airport and be home in time for tea.
Our climate in the North of Ireland is damp at the best of times. Still to this day when it rains in Malibu I affectionately call it a “Derry Day”.So that night before my trip ,my Father who was a man of few words ,said h e was glad I was coming home, he looked forward to seeing me and ever practical because of the damp he had “hung my favorite yellow flannel sheets on the indoor line to air."
Yellow flannel, yellow flannel, yellow flannel, it sounds like one of those vocal warm ups they gave us in Drama School, when repeated fast they became such tongue twisters that inevitably we’d stumble over the words,which felt like stones in our mouths and we’d burst out laughing. I am laughing now in my garden of wild yellow mustard as I remember those yellow flannel sheets. That night I told my Father I loved him and hung up the phone. I walked up the hall to my room at the back of the house, my little suitcase packed for my trip,slightly frayed and standing ready at the end of the bed. I fell asleep excited to be going home.
It must have been three or four in the morning when the guy from the front flat pounded on my door.”Wake up Irish” he yelled and “tell your bloody family not to call in the middle of the night”. My heart skipped a beat and I was fearful as I walked slowly down the cold hallway in the dark and lifted the heavy receiver .I delayed a moment longer before I finally whispered hello. They told me it was sudden, that his heart gave out .I did not know what to do.I did not know what to do. I must have said something. I must have hung up the telephone. I know I slid down the wall and sat in the dark. I did not know what to do. I knew I could not sleep so I went back to my room and I made tea, I watched the sun come up and then I took the same flight and carried the same little frayed suitcase that I would have taken anyway, though now my journey home took on a whole new purpose.
By the time I got to Derry his body was already returned to our brick row house for the wake. Our front door already displayed the black bow of mourning. In our loving Irish tradition we still lay out our dead in our living rooms for the great parade of friends and family and neighbors to come and pay their respects. The triangular flags were waving on our street when I got there and they seemed suddenly a sad reminder of a celebration gone wrong. An ordination and a funeral all on the same weekend. It did not seem fair.
I walked in our little dark hallway and past the room where he lay. I was not ready yet to see him dead, needing first the courage that only comes from a cup of tea. Tea, the Irish solution to everything. So I slipped into our kitchen ,so familiar to me in everyway and a vision took my breath away. For there hanging on the indoor line to air, were my favorite yellow flannel sheets , the last loving act of a most thoughtful man. I held them to my face, breathed in their kindness and cried.
The sweetness of the memory lingers in my mind and I feel it in my heart. Even now I feel it,after so many years, when grief has already healed and been transformed. In my minds eye I can still faintly see the black bow on the front door ,the triangular flags waving in the gentle rain and then clearly ,brightly ,the yellow sheets of kindness on the indoor clothes line to air.
Instead of being saddened by loss I am filled with so much gratitude for all that I had. I am grateful for the lessons learned and the kindness shared.For the power of love,the love of an old man for his girl expressed, not through words but in one final thoughtful gesture.
That love never goes away. I have learned this. I know this to be true. The Love remains forever, it becomes part of you, the best part of you.
I see little yellow flowers of kindness all around me blowing on a Californian breeze.
The slam of the screen door brings me back to the present and my daughter appears running through the garden, all smiles and sweetness. I pick a little flower and hand it to her, she laughs and slips her hand in mine and we head back toward the house for a cup of tea.
The above blog entry from IrishCentral is
Operation Smile is a charity that Roma Downey has been actively involved with for many years. This year Roma Downey and her husband Mark Burnett are again fully funding an Operation Smile medical mission to another country in 2009.
The Official Roma Downey Message Board has been moved to Facebook. You will find additional news and photos there. Please come join us!
Roma has made the movie Come Dance at my Wedding for Hallmark to air in June 2009. Please check your local listings and the official Hallmark channel website. I will post updates here as well. Below are pictures taken of Roma with her co-stars John Schneider and Brooke Nevin while filming the movie in Vancover. These photos are courtesy of Roma Downey, please do not take them and post them elsewhere online.
I wanted to answer here a few questions that I have been asked...
Official Press Release:
Roma Downey named spokesperson for Christian Values Network
“Touched by an Angel” star becomes first national spokesperson
for organization providing ministry funding.
Nashville, Tenn., October 8, 2008 — Roma Downey recently was selected as the initial spokesperson for Christian Values Network, an organization that helps financially support ministries and faith-based charities worldwide through an innovative online shopping portal that turns everyday purchases into contributions for faith-based organizations.
Downey, an actress and producer best known for her main character in the TV series “Touched by an Angel,” brings an influential voice in support of Christian ministries. She will partner with Christian Values Network (CVN) to promote the need to sustain faith-related programs through an innovative online shopping initiative.
“I am excited to be a part of the Christian Values Network team,” said Downey. “The concept is such an easy one to embrace, yet it also is so beneficial to ministries that continue to seek monetary support. What a fantastic way to turn buying power into giving power. It’s giving that our faith inspires us to do.”
“Roma is a natural addition to Christian Values Network,” said Jed Trosper, CEO of Christian Values Network. “She so embodies our vision of aiding Christian organizations, and her sweet, genuine approach will bring an authentic appeal to Christian Values Network’s ongoing programs.”
Irish-born Downey has a global fan base, having established credible acting careers in Europe and the United States. She starred in various productions with the London Drama Studio and toured with Dublin’s famous Abbey Players. She has performed on Broadway and in multiple leading television roles, the most notable being her 1994-2003 stint with “Touched by an Angel.” Downey has been nominated several times for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 1997, she was named by People Magazine as one of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World.”
About Christian Values Network
Mark Burnett, Roma Downey Marry in Malibu
Reality TV producer Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Apprentice) and former Touched By An Angel star Roma Downey were wed in a private ceremony at their home in Malibu Saturday afternoon, PEOPLE confirms exclusively.
"It was wonderful to have shared our big day with our family – Roma, myself, our children and our parents," Burnett, who's also producing this summer's On the Lot on FOX and Pirate Master on CBS, tells PEOPLE. "It was so meaningful and so intimate."
On a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Burnett, 46, and Downey, 47, said their "I dos" in a ceremony officiated by Downey's Angel costar, Della Reese, 75, who is an ordained minister.
Burnett's sons from a previous marriage, James, 13 and Cameron, 10, acted as best man and ring bearer, respectively (Cameron was also the ring bearer for the wedding of Donald Trump and Melania Knauss in January 2005). Downey's daughter from a previous marriage, Reilly, 10, was a bridesmaid.
Also in attendance were Burnett's father, Archie, 83, dressed in a traditional kilt, and Burnett's stepmother, Jean; for Downey, Reese and her husband, Franklin, stood in for Downey's parents, both of whom have passed away.
At the end of the half-hour ceremony, which included family members reading selected passages from novels and poems, a small plane that Downey had hired as a surprise for Burnett flew overhead with a banner that read, "... and they lived happily ever after."
Retreating to their backyard, the family settled into a seafood reception with shrimp cocktail, fresh lobster salad and broiled lobster tails. The adults toasted with Cristal Champagne; the kids, with Martinelli's sparkling apple juice. To finish the day: wedding cake, ice cream and fruit.
The couple, who had been Malibu neighbors for years when they started dating in January of 2004, became engaged last November during a Thanksgiving family vacation in Zihuatenejo, Mexico. The traveling will continue as the pair leaves on a 10-day honeymoon to Jordan, where Lawrence of Arabia was filmed, and London.
Read more about the nuptials in the next issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands May 4.
Roma Downey on stage as Miss Fischer...
Roma Downey is returning to her theater roots in the play A Picasso. The play opened February 11, 2007. Article from the Malibu Times is below:
Malibu Times
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Returning to her roots...
Malibu's angel prepares for a devilishly good drama at the Geffen.
By Kim Devore / Staff Writer
Roma Downey is famous for being an angel on screen and off. She inspired millions as Monica in the uplifting fantasy drama "Touched By An Angel." As a tireless spokesperson for Operation Smile, her real-life good deeds can be called equally divine.
Downey's next project takes her in a very different direction. The striking redhead has teamed up with legendary director Gil Cates in a thought provoking two-person play called "A Picasso," which makes its West Coast Debut at the Geffen Playhouse Feb 11.
Veteran actor and Malibu neighbor Peter Michael Goetz portrays Picasso, while Downey takes on the role of Miss Fisher, an alluring art critic turned Gestapo interrogator.
For Cates, working with the two acclaimed actors is a treat.
"To go to work every morning and have a great actor like Peter and beautiful and talented Roma is extraordinary," the director said. And when it comes to dishy Miss Fisher, "there is no character that Roma could play, including a hangman, and not appear sexy."
"A Picasso" takes place during the German occupation of France. The year is 1941. The city is Paris. The location is an art vault where Miss Fisher attempts to have the famed cubist painter authenticate three paintings that have been confiscated by the Nazis.
Portraying the artist, who had a certain reputation when it came to women, posed a challenge for Goetz.
"Picasso is a difficult role to play," Goetz said. "I don't want to portray him as unlikable."
As for Downey's character, "She is torn," the celebrated star explains. "She knows the Third Reich will burn these pieces as degenerate art, but it's a life or death situation for her."
The actress has spent weeks immersing herself in the role.
"It's very complex and provocative and deep," she told The Malibu Times on the way to rehearsal one Thursday morning. "It's like peeling an onion; there are so many layers."
Downey also draws on memories that layer her own life. "I had an art school background as well as experience growing up in Northern Ireland with our war. The more shades and colors you can bring with you, the more interesting the picture you can paint."
Born in the city of Derry, Northern Ireland, Downey is no stranger to the stage by any means. At the Drama Studio London she appeared in classics by Shakespeare, Shaw and Chekhov. She toured the United States with Dublin's famous Abbey Players, was nominated for a Helen Hayes Best Actress Award and starred opposite the great Rex Harrison on Broadway.
But switching gears from the more recent world of television has been a bit like getting back on a bike.
"In TV you have the luxury of saying 'oops' and doing it again. Here, there is a mountain of dialogue and just two of us on stage," Downey said. "To jump back into such a meaty role has been a quite a challenge. I am returning to my roots, but I forgot what hard work it is."
Adding to the challenge, the production will be presented in the new Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater, an intimate 117-seat auditorium that was part of the Geffen's $19 million facelift.
"The Audrey couldn't be more perfect for the unusual setting of the play," Cates said.
Even so, it's an up close and personal venue that would challenge the most polished Broadway vet.
Despite a few understandable jitters, this is Downey's time to shine.
Not only is her professional life filled with rich rewards, her personal life is thriving as well. She's looking forward to a spring wedding to media mogul and longtime love Mark Burnett, who popped the question late last year in Mexico.
"He surprised me on Thanksgiving," Downey said. "Our children were with us. They saw the ring. They all knew. The only one who didn't know was me."
The couple's first encounter came three years ago at a Cross Creek beauty shop.
"He was getting a haircut and I was getting my nails done," Downey recalled. "Our eyes met and I am sure I blushed. When he left, I discretely asked who he was, and they said he had just asked the same about me."
The soon-to-be inseparable pair discovered they had a great deal in common. "We were both single with kids. We lived on the same beach. We were each self-made. We both came from the same corner of the world," Downey said. "But, most importantly, we were crazy for each other."
Their families have been integrated into what Downey calls, "Our own little Brady Bunch."
When she's not working, Downey treasures life at home with her clan and new puppy, Finn McCool-a frisky, but not so wee, Irish Wolfhound.
For the next several weeks, Downey will be juggling the demands of both family and a new play filled with "great plot twists and delicious surprises."
Delicious surprises for the "Touched by an Angel" star seem to be heaven sent these days.
"Things are very different now," she said. "I am at this place in life and I just couldn't be happier."
Roma's Rose Collection is her newest Home Interiors line. Below I've included photos of a few more items in the collection. Please visit the main Home Interiors website to view more of the items from her collection.
November 2006 - Roma Downey and Mark Burnett became engaged in Mexico over Thanksgiving and are planning a wedding next year. Both are very happy and all of their children are thrilled!
Actual press release:
Mark Burnett, Roma Downey to wed
Tina Fineberg / AP
LOS ANGELES - Actress Roma Downey and reality-show producer Mark Burnett are engaged, a publicist for the pair said Monday.
Burnett proposed to Downey during a Thanksgiving trip to Mexico, publicist Jim Dowd said. Both are 46.
“They have never been happier,” Dowd said. “They are enjoying this exciting time with their children and their families.”
The couple, who started dating in 2004, plan to marry next year.
“I have found my angel,” Burnett said in a statement.
Both have children from previous marriages. Burnett has two sons, ages 13 and 9, and Downey has a 10-year-old daughter.
Downey starred in the TV show “Touched by an Angel” from 1994 to 2003. Burnett is the producer of reality shows including “Survivor” and “The Apprentice.”
The above picture is of Suzie McNeil with Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. The picture was taken at a dinner party hosted by Mark and Roma at their house in Malibu in February of this year. Suzie McNeil is a Toronto singer who finished fourth on Rock Star's first season. Rock Star is a reality show on CBS that is produced by Mark Burnett. Photo courtesy of Suzie McNeil's Official Website
Dear Friends,
Thank you all so much for your continued support of our series. Everywhere I travel I am amazed by how many of you stop me to tell me how much you loved Touched By An Angel and the message of hope that it gave. I know you miss the show and the characters we played. I miss it too......... Since we went off the air I have been enjoying time with my family and being a Mommy...but I have also managed to volunteer on several international missions with my charity Operation Smile to help raise awareness for the wonderful work they do.
I also have a new line of Inspirational Home Accessories that I designed with a company called Home Interiors and a line of inspirational jewelry that I sell on QVC.
And soon I hope to announce a new tv show that Della Reese and myself are putting together and we hope to have on the air next year.....my sincere thanks to all of you for your loyalty and your support, Always remember that God loves you and that His angels are everywhere seen and unseen.
God Bless,
Roma appeared on QVC Friday the 30th of June selling her Sterling Agate Angel Pendant with Chain in Message Box. Some additional information about this necklace:
A beautiful blessing. Designed by Roma Downey, this blue lace agate angel pendant is presented in a special gift book. The book's removable pages are filled with spiritual and inspirational quotes. The pendant's oxidized, decorative bail accommodates the delicate rope chain; both are in sterling silver. The approximately 18"L chain secures via spring ring clasp.
Other items from her collection are available for purchase through QVC. Put Roma's name in their search box and it will pull up all the items currently available for purchase. She will be back on QVC later this year and will be introducing some new items into her collection.
Please visit the Contacting Roma Downey page. It was updated quite recently and you will find the new snail mail P.O. Box address.
Please come join us at the Official Roma Downey Message Board and meet other Roma fans and chat about anything related to Roma, Touched by an Angel, all things Irish, etc...It provides some great options...you can post pictures of yourself, your family, or Roma pictures. The group is open for the public to view, but you must apply to join and be approved by me to post messages to the group. You will need a hotmail or MSN email address or a MSN passport (which allows you to use any email address) to apply. When you join, please choose the option to "hide" your email address. This is for your own protection since it will be open for anyone to view if you don't choose the option to hide it. This message board is an extension of the Official Roma Downey Pages.
Released on February 7, 2006, the set includes the first 16 episodes of season 3 of Touched by an Angel: The first 16 episodes from the 1996-97 season on four discs: Promised Land, Random Acts, A Joyful Noise, Sins of the Father, Written in Dust, Secret Service, Groundrush, The Sky Is Falling, Something Blue, Into the Light, Homecoming parts 1 and 2, The Journalist, The Violin Lesson, Forget Me Not, Smokescreen.
On St. Patrick's Day, Roma left for a vacation to Africa for an African Safari! I'm sure she had great fun.
Roma left for Honduras on Wednesday, February 8th, for one week on another mission for Operation Smile. They will be in the city of Tegucigalpa in Honduras. She passed on to me this message regarding the journey to Honduras with Operation Smile:
"We hope to help make a difference in the lives of over 100 children with
facial deformities."
Many of you will remember Roma's trip to Vietnam with Operation Smile back in 2003. The above picture is from Roma's trip with Operation Smile to Vietnam in July of 2003. Roma Downey counts returning a child to his mother after surgery at Le Loi Hospital, Vietnam, as one of her life's highlights.
Roma did a PSA regarding her visit to Vietnam and also a 30 min PSA regarding the trip in general appeared several times on various channels, most recently I caught it late night playing on a cable channel. It was really special to watch. I'm sure they will be doing the same thing with the trip to Honduras. When I have updates, I'll post them here.
Roma's Home Interiors line debuted on April 1st.
Roma was on QVC on Monday, December 19th at 1 pm (ET). She did not appear for the e
ntire hour. She showed a lovely angel necklace from her jewelry collection. Her next appearance on QVC will most likely be in April 2006. Check back here for updates and also be sure to visit the QVC website for information as well and to see the newest items in her collection. Her jewelry is really unique and beautiful...Celtic meets inspirational. I will be posting information about Roma's furniture and home accessories lines whenever I receive any updates.
Roma prays the entire rosary on the beautiful CD that comes along with this book. It's quite lovely and gives you the special opportunity and a unique spiritual closeness to Roma to be able to pray right along with her as if she was right there at your side.
The book above by well-known author John Edward was published in April. Practical Praying is divided into three sections; the first includes Edward?s thoughts about writing the book and his own personal approach to prayer, as well as the history of the rosary in the Catholic Church. The second section discusses usage of the power of prayer through the rosary. The last section is the audio CD, which the author says is "one of my favorite parts of the book. It?s unbelievably beautiful." Roma Downey refused to accept pay for her work, instead asking Edward to make a donation to Operation Smile in her name "so she could pay for more smiles," he said.
You might enjoy purchasing one of Roma's beautiful rosaries from her collection at QVC to use when listening to Roma's beautiful voice or you may use them and pray the rosary with her.
For those that may be surprised that John Edward wrote a book all about the use of the rosary in your life, you may feel differently after reading a recent article Praying the rosary. John Edward?s new book details his favorite ?weapon of spiritual defense?
that ran recently in The Catholic Telegraph. Click on the link to The Catholic Telegraph to read the full article. Although to many, including some Catholic clergy, they are not surprised at all. During the run of his popular show, he always promoted the use of the rosary and shared that he prayed it daily. John Edward is an Irish-Italian Catholic. In regards to this specific book and his promotion of the rosary, he even received recently a papal blessing, signed by the current pope when he was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The book has become quite popular with Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
Here is a personal message from Roma to all of you that took the time to email in your birthday greetings and for those that donated to Operation Smile in honor of her birthday:
I was so touched that even after being off the air for two years so many
of you wrote to wish me a Happy Birthday. Thank you for your
thoughtfulness and a special thanks to those of you who made a donation to
Operation Smile in my name.
My life continues to be full and happy...I see a lot of Della and we have
begun to develop a new inspirational reality show together.
More details to follow....
May God Bless all of you and those you love.
The above photo of Roma Downey and Mark Burnett was taken at the BAFTA/LA Tea Party - 1/15/2005 at the Park Hyatt Hotel, Los Angeles, CA.
Roma Downey and Mark Burnett are developing a reality show tentatively titled
Giving Hope. It is in the early stages of development. Mark Burnett's company would produce it and Roma has asked Della to be in it, but it is a work in progress and is in the very early days yet of development.
Here is an article by MSNBC which picked it up from an article that ran in the Hollywood Reporter back in late April.
Burnett brings 'hope' to reality TV
New series inspired by 'Touched by an Angel'
Hollywood Reporter
LOS ANGELES - Reality TV kingpin Mark Burnett wants to make somebody's day, and then some.
The uber-producer behind CBS "Survivor" and NBC's "The Apprentice" and "The Contender" is developing a new project loosely inspired by the long-running CBS drama series "Touched by an Angel."
He's even eyeing "Angel" stars Roma Downey and Della Reese as participants in the show.
"It's an unscripted show that will be about bringing hope to people," Burnett said in an interview Friday. "It will be about people in Kansas who have lost their farm and helping get them back on their feet."
"We might profile people under a mountain of medical bills and finding ways to get them out from under it. That's what we'll be looking at -- providing hope and changing lives," he said.
Burnett said he's planning to shop the idea to prospective network buyers "in the next few weeks." The show's working title is "Giving Hope," Burnett said.
Hollywood Reporter
The above picture is of Roma Downey and Matthew Modine in Funky Monkey. Roma's movie Hairy Tale was been given the new title of Funky Monkey, and had a limited theatrical release last September (2004). The movie was released on video and DVD on May 10, 2005. You may click on the picture above to order the movie.
The complete second season of Touched by an Angel was released on video and DVD on May 3rd. The first season is also available for purchase.
The above picture of Roma with her daughter Reilly and Mark Burnett and his two sons was taken at the 56th Annual Emmy Awards - 9/19/2004. Don't they just make one big happy family together!
I have received many emails asking about Roma's relationship with Mark Burnett. And Roma has asked me to post this quote from her, "Mark and I are in a deeply committed relationship and living together and very much in love."
On April 29th Roma became an American citizen!! She is thrilled to have become a US citizen. Although she loves her homeland of Ireland, she has said that America has been very good to her. I hope to have some pictures to post here in the future of her during the ceremony.
Roma was on the cover of Disability Magazine and she was their featured article for that issue. You may read part of the article online at: http://abilitymagazine.com/Roma_Downey.html There is also a link to order back issues if you'd like to read the rest of the article and purchase the magazine.
Roma launched her jewelry collection live on QVC Monday, November 15, 2004. Most recently, Roma appeared on QVC live on Thursday, April 21st at 5 pm (ET). Check back here for updates and also be sure to visit the QVC website for information as well and to see the newest items in her collection. She will appear on QVC four more times this year. The jewelry presented was really unique and beautiful...it's silver, affordable, and gorgeous.......Celtic meets inspirational. You may visit the Creative Brands Group to view some of the pieces. Also, check the QVC website to view pictures of what's available so far. As of May of 2005 - Information will soon be provided about Roma's furniture and home accessories lines.
"As without...so within. I like my space to reflect how I feel...To create a mood or certain energy, from the clothes I wear, to the jewelry I chose, to the decor of my home."
Roma Downey has joined together with Creative Brands Group to formulate The Roma Downey Collections. Roma's strong character and exquisite beauty are expressed throughout her collections, which include home furnishings, apparel, and jewelry. From hand-woven Irish linens, to a hand-hammered silver bracelet, to a hand carved wooden lamp base, each piece is steeped in the tradition of cultural styles. Warm and welcoming, The Roma Downey Collections bring together unique and traditional elements that reflect the spirit of today?s women.
Please visit The Roma Downey Collections webpage to view photographs of some of her upcoming jewelry line. There will be more information available in the future about her other lines and how to purchase items. Only the jewelry line is being launched at this time, the others lines are still in the formative stages. - As of May of 2005 - Information will soon be provided about the furniture line and the home accessories line.
The Irish Voice interviewed Roma back in November and their very enlightening article about Roma is also available online at: http://www.irishabroad.com/news/irishinamerica/entertainment/RomaNewQVCJewels.asp
The first season of Touched by an Angel was released on DVD and video on August 31, 2004.
Roma has asked me to post the following thank you message to all of you who sent or emailed her birthday wishes and those who donated to Operation Smile in her name. (This is Roma's thank you message for her birthday last year - 2004.)
My sincere thanks to all of you for your thoughtful birthday greetings. And a special thanks to those of you who made a donation to Operation Smile in my name. It will make such a difference in the life of a child.
Wishing all of you and those you love a happy, healthy and peaceful summer.
God Bless and thanks again,
Her PSA for Operation Smile started airing in June 2004. You may view the PSA at their website by clicking on the picture above.
On Saturday, May 1st (2004), she was in Beverly Hills and received an award from St Vincent Meals on Wheels....called ?The Angel Award.?
Della Reese presented it to her.
Roma Downey Guest Stars on LIFETIME Television's 'The Division'
Press Release Source: Lifetime Television
LOS ANGELES, March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Roma Downey ("Touched By an Angel") will guest star in three upcoming episodes of LIFETIME Television's popular series, "The Division," it was announced today by Kelly Goode, Senior Vice President, Programming. Downey will guest star in episodes airing Sunday, May 2, 9 and 16 at 9PM (ET/PT) on LIFETIME Television.
Downey plays the role of Regan Delaney, a mysterious forensic expert from Philadelphia who temporarily joins the Division to help solve a murder case while Jinny (Nancy McKeon) is on maternity leave. Inspector Delaney begins working on a case involving a recovering drug addict who, while tracking down her missing daughter in the foster care system, uncovers a huge scandal. Captain McCafferty (Bonnie Bedelia) also learns that Delaney asked to be transferred to the San Francisco precinct to be closer to an old case in which she has a personal interest.
"Lifetime is thrilled to have Roma join the cast of 'The Division' for three episodes," said Goode. "We think this is a fantastic role for Roma to show her depth and range as an actress."
Born and raised in Northern Ireland, Downey is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated actress best known for her starring role on the CBS drama "Touched By an Angel." Currently the host of PAX TV's "It's a Miracle," Downey most recently executive produced and starred in the CBS telefilm "The Survivor's Club." She also stars in the soon-to-be-released feature film "Hairy Tales" alongside Matthew Modine. Downey is also well known for her remarkable portrayal of the late Jackie Kennedy in the Emmy Award-winning miniseries "A Woman Named Jackie." She has starred in numerous television movies including the LIFETIME Original Movie "Getting Up and Going Home."
"The Division" stars regular cast members Bonnie Bedelia, Nancy McKeon, Lisa Vidal, Taraji P. Henson, Jon Hamm and Amy Jo Johnson as San Francisco police investigators trying to balance their personal lives with the demands of working some of the city's toughest streets.
"The Division" is produced by Viacom Productions for LIFETIME Television. Deborah Joy LeVine is the creator and executive producer. Aaron Lipstadt is also executive producer.
LIFETIME is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, LIFETIME is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Launched in 1984, LIFETIME serves nearly 88 million households nationwide. In 1998, LIFETIME launched Lifetime Movie Network, now in over 41 million homes, and in 2001, Lifetime Real Women. LIFETIME Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women, and Lifetime Online are part of LIFETIME Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company, as is Lifetime magazine, which debuted in April 2003.
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Please visit the Roma Downey
message board and chat with other fans. :-) You will need to email
me for the password. If you have problems with pop-up ads while visiting the message board, I suggest you download PopSwatter. I personally use it and am very happy with it.
CBS's The Survivor's Club. If it's a thriller you're looking for, check this new movie out. It stars Roma Downey as Jillian Hayes, Jacqueline Bisset as Carol Rosen and Mutant X star Lauren Lee Smith as Meg. The drama, based on the best-selling novel by Lisa Gardner, explores the line between justice and revenge when three women, raped by the same man, band together to form "The Survivor's Club," but ultimately become murder suspects when a hired hit man kills the suspected rapist. The women believe that the suspect was their attacker because his DNA matches perfectly with samples taken from all three crime scenes. Broadcast as the "CBS Sunday Movie," it will debut on Sunday, March 7 (9:00-11:00pm)(2004). CBS photo of Roma Downey and co-star James Remar by Ben Mark Holzberg
Actress and model Melanie Pitts has a small part in The Survivor's Club as Trisha Hayes, Jillian's sister. You may visit her website MelaniePitts.com to learn more about her.
Another online article about the movie found at The Media Project's "Must See TV" website.
Roma Downey, Jacqueline Bisset, and Lauren Lee Smith Star in "The Survivor's Club," a New Television Movie to Be Broadcast March 7, 2004 on the CBS Television Network
Based On The Best-Selling Novel by Lisa Gardner
THE SURVIVOR'S CLUB, a new television movie starring Roma Downey ("Touched By An Angel"), Jacqueline Bisset ("America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story"), and Lauren Lee Smith ("Dark Angel"), will be broadcast as the "CBS Sunday Movie," Sunday, March 7, 2004 (9:00-11:00 PM) on the CBS Television Network. The drama, based on the best-selling novel by Lisa Gardner, explores the line between justice and revenge when three women, raped by the same man, band together to form "The Survivor's Club," but ultimately become murder suspects when a hired hit man kills the suspected rapist.
James Remar ("2 Fast 2 Furious") and Brian Markinson ("Steven Spielberg Presents Taken") also star.
"The Survivors Club" is made up of Jillian Hayes (Downey), a fiercely independent woman who runs her own successful business, Carol Rosen (Bisset), an upscale homemaker, and Meg (Smith), a carefree college student.
On the surface, it would appear that the members of "The Survivors Club" have nothing in common. Yet the three women have formed a strong bond based on the fact that they all survived their attack. The women believe that the suspect in custody is their attacker because his DNA matches perfectly with samples taken from all three crime scenes. But just when Jillian, Carol and Meg feel that the end of their nightmare is near, their accused rapist is shot by a hired assassin while entering the courthouse trial. Their nightmare, thought to be over, is just beginning, as authorities believe that one or all of them could have been responsible for hiring the killer.
Roma Downey is probably best known for her role as Monica in the CBS television series "Touched By An Angel," for which she was nominated for an Emmy and Golden Globe Award. Her other television credits include starring roles in the films "The Test of Love," "Borrowed Hearts: A Holiday Romance," "Monday After the Miracle" and "A Child Is Missing," all on the CBS Television Network, and "Getting Up and Going Home." Her additional stage credits include the Broadway production of "The Circle," and Off Broadway productions of "Love's Labour's Lost," "Tamara" and "Arms and the Man." Among her feature film credits are "The Last Word" and "Devlin."
Jacqueline Bisset has undertaken a diverse range of dramatic and comedic challenges in the more than 50 films in which she has appeared. Her television credits include "Jesus," "Dancing At The Harvest Moon," and "Joan Of Arc," all on the Network, for which she was nominated for both an Emmy and Golden Globe Award. Her additional television credits include "America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story," "Sex & Mrs. X," and "Britannic." Her feature film credits include "The Deep," "Day For Night," "Bulitt," "Class," and "Under the Volcano."
Lauren Lee Smith's television credits include "The L Word," "Dark Angel," "The Wedding Dress," on the Network and "Mutant X." Her additional television credits include a guest starring appearance on "The Twilight Zone." Her feature film credit includes "Get Carter."
James Remar's television credits include "Sex and the City," "The Huntress" and D.R.E.A.M. Team." His additional television credits include guest appearances on "Without a Trace," on the Network, "Peacemakers," "Third Watch," and "The Twilight Zone." His feature film credits include "2 Fast 2 Furious," "Duplex," "The Warriors," "The Cotton Club," and "Renaissance Man."
Brian Markinson's television credits include "Angels in America," "Steven Spielberg Presents Taken" and "100 Days in the Jungle." His additional television credits include guest appearances in "Judging Amy," on the Network, "Party of Five," The X Files," and "NYPD Blue."
THE SURVIVOR'S CLUB was produced by Bender-Brown Television in association with Jaffe/Braunstein Films Ltd. Michael Jaffe, Howard Braunstein, Kevin Brown, Roma Downey and Tom Todoroff are the executive producers. Chris Leitch directed the film from a script by Nancey Silvers.
Press Contacts: Tiffany N. Smith 323/575-3833 tiffany.smith@tvc.cbs.com
Drama Queen -
After years on Touched by an Angel, Roma Downey is trying to re-establish herself as a dramatic actress. Her role in the Victoria-produced The Survivors Club should help her on her way.
The above picture was taken while Roma Downey went over her lines on the set of The Survivors Club at Hugo's in Victoria's Magnolia Hotel.
SOURCE: Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)
BYLINE: Michael D. Reid
BODY:
After helping troubled souls for nine years as Monica, the compassionate angel
with the Irish lilt on the hugely popular CBS series Touched by an Angel, Roma
Downey is ready to spread her wings and venture into darker territory.
"I was deliberately looking around for something that would take me into a
different area, so this is fun for me," says Downey during an interview at Hugo
's the other day. She was there to film a restaurant scene for The Survivors
Club, a CBS Movie of the Week based on Lisa Gardner's best-selling suspense
novel that she is also executive producing.
The diminutive, auburn-haired beauty co-stars with Jacqueline Bissett and
Lauren Lee Smith as Jillian Hayes, one of three women who have been raped, form
the club of the title and become murder suspects when the rapist is
assassinated.
The film, set to air next March on CBS, is her first dramatic outing since
Touched by an Angel ended its nine-year run last spring.
Although Downey is determined to re-establish herself as a dramatic actress,
she says she doesn't worry about being remembered most for Touched by an Angel,
a show critics said didn't have a prayer of success when it started in 1994.
"For nine years I played a non-human celestial being, so does everyone think
of me as that?" she asks cheerily. "I think they do. It's a long time to be
associated with one show, but what a great show to be associated with."
Downey, a Roman Catholic born and raised in Derry, Northern Ireland, says her
role as Monica prompted more than just fan mail and autograph requests. The
cast, including her close friend Della Reese, the veteran actress and ordained
minister who officiated at Downey's 1996 marriage to her ex-husband, producer
David Anspaugh, were also often stopped by strangers and told heart-wrenching
stories about how Touched by an Angel had a profound effect on their lives.
"For a TV show to have the potential to do that is extraordinary, and to have
been part of that journey is an enormous privilege," says the Emmy-nominated
actress, dressed in a crisp white blouse and smart black dress covered by a chic
camel-hair coat. "It was also at times a big responsibility because there was an
expectation of a certain type of behaviour."
Without a smidgen of insincerity, Downey herself appears to have been touched
by the inspirational series about the healing power of faith as illustrated
through tales of angels sent to Earth to help people cope with issues from AIDS
to alcoholism.
When the show wrapped, she was approached by various agencies to keep
spreading goodness off-camera.
"I thought, 'What can I do?' It's an exciting time to be at one of those
crossroads where the world is your oyster," says Downey, who now hosts It's a
Miracle, the PAX TV series that recreates eyewitness accounts of "amazing things
that happen in people's lives."
The striking, seemingly tireless actress also joined the board of governors
of Operation Smile, a charity that had been featured in Touched by an Angel. The
Virginia-based volunteer medical services organization provides reconstructive
surgery and related health care to children in the U.S. and developing
countries.
Downey says she'll never forget a mission in July to Vung Tao, Vietnam, where
she joined surgeons, dentists, speech therapists and other health professionals
who treated 125 children suffering from cleft palates and other facial
deformities.
"I had the honour of handing these babies back to their mothers after this
45-minute operation," she recalled, her Irish accent tinged with emotion. "I
feel so enormously blessed in my own life and I felt I needed to give something
back."
Downey helped make a fund-raising film for Operation Smile that would
hopefully raise awareness of the problem.
"The surgery costs $700 U.S. dollars and it can change a life so if my
celebrity status -- whatever that is -- can help ... ," she says, her voice
trailing off. "We're so celebrity-driven, aren't we? So you can take something
as silly and shallow as celebrity and apply it to a charity where it gives it
meaning and makes it worthwhile."
Indeed, this celebrity has come a long way since her days as a hat-check girl
who lost out on an Irish Spring soap commercial in the '80s after moving to New
York.
"That was such a long time ago," she says with a laugh, cringing at the
memory. "I thought I'd be a shoo-in and there I was sitting in a room full of
gorgeous girls from Boston and New Jersey and Philadelphia. "Here I was, the
real deal, but unbeknownst to me what they were really looking for was some kind
of Hollywood Irish sound."
The Irish lass was floored when her agent gave her the bad news.
"He said, 'You're going to find this hard to believe, but they said you don't
sound Irish enough."
Before doing Touched by an Angel, Downey was best known on the small screen
for her performance as Jacqueline Kennedy in the mini-series A Woman Named
Jackie. The graduate of England's Brighton Art College and the London Drama
Studio was more of a fixture on the stage circuit, having co-starred with Rex
Harrison in a Broadway production of The Circle and been nominated for a Helen
Hayes Best Actress Award in 1991 for her work in a production of The Playboy of
the Western World during a tour of the U.S. with Dublin's famed Abbey Players.
Apart from acting, the pert, porcelain-skinned Irish ambassador is also an
avid storyteller and singer.
She appeared in the TV special An Irish Holiday with Irish personalities,
from stars of Riverdance to her friend, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Frank
McCourt (Angela's Ashes). She and McCourt also teamed on a radio special Castles
of Gold: Songs and Stories of Irish Immigration.
She says not being tied down by a rigorous TV series schedule has given her
the freedom to pursue other projects, including an album she recorded with Phil
Coulter, and a line of "Celtic meets inspiration jewelry" she's launching next
spring.
Downey, a single parent who recently moved from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles
with Reilly Marie, her daughter from her marriage to Anspaugh, also wrote Love
is a Family, a beautifully illustrated book about non-traditional families.
"I was inspired because I couldn't find a book like that to read to my own
daughter," she said. "A book that would say, 'You know what? We may not look
like other families, but what is the definition of a family?' Surely being
raised in a loving environment counts."
While Reilly Marie was raised on the set of Touched by an Angel and visited
summer shoots of other films Downey has made, mom admits there's "been a little
separation anxiety on both ends" since school has kept her daughter in L.A. for
most of the shoot.
Downey has kept in touch with her by phone and through a Webcam attached to
her laptop computer, and there were plans for Reilly Marie to fly up "to go
whale watching and have tea at The Empress and be the complete tourist."
Those who can't get enough of Downey's dreamy Irish accent won't hear it in
The Survivors Club, she says.
"I'm an American girl," says Downey, playfully affecting an exaggerated
Yankee accent.
To ensure she sounds American, she's working again with Tom Todoroff, the
actor and vocal coach she playfully calls "the brogue-basher" who also appeared
in A Woman Named Jackie.
Although The Survivors Club deals with a dark subject, she said she was
attracted to the script because it's ultimately uplifting.
"It's about joining together to emotionally support each other. Bad things
happen to good people," says Downey, apologizing for having to break away to
shoot another scene. "Ultimately when you look back on your life, it isn't so
much about what happened to you but how you deal with it. Life can be tough, but
with friendship and courage you can overcome."
The actress has come a long way since her days as a hat-check girl who lost out
on an Irish Spring soap commercial in the '80s.
LOAD-DATE: November 3, 2003
Roma began shooting the movie in the Victoria and Vancouver Island areas of British Columbia in Canada around October 6th 2003. The wrap date for the project was around November 1st 2003. Her co-stars are James Remar and Jacqueline Bisset. It is a drama/thriller called ?The Survivors Club?.....details below:
Downey joins CBS' "Survivors Club"
By Nellie Andreeva
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The network of "Survivor" is launching "The Survivors Club."
CBS has given the green light to an original movie based on Lisa Gardner's best-selling suspense novel, with Roma Downey attached to star.
The project revolves around three women -- Jillian (Downey), Carol and Meg -- who are raped by the same man. They band together in the Survivors Club to help police track him down. On the opening day of the rapist's trial, he is assassinated by a sniper, and the three women find themselves going from being rape victims to becoming murder suspects.
"It's a hell of a book," said Kevin Brown, one of the producers. "It's a very edgy, adult psychological thriller."
Shooting is slated to begin in the fall.
The casting of Downey marks a departure for an actress known primarily for a string of soft, spiritual roles in TV movies and the long-running CBS drama series "Touched by an Angel."
"She wasn't the obvious way to go, and that is what we liked about her," said Howard Braunstein, another producer. "We think she'll be great."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Castles of Gold, songs and stories of Irish Immigration will most likely be aired by PRI (Public Radio International) again this year, by popular demand. In 2004 it won an award - an INDIE award in the spoken word category from AFIM - the Association For Independent Music. Check your local PRI listings to see if it's airing in your area this St. Patrick's Day and on other days throughout March of 2005.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.castlesofgold.com
Roma Downey is included in this beautiful and unique photography book as well as her Touched by an Angel co-stars Della Reese and John Dye. - The Sweater Book: Hundreds of People...One Common Thread by Stephen Mosher.
A decade in the making, The Sweater Book is a fascinating study in personality. By asking his subjects to put on the same cardigan sweater and seeing how they choose to wear it, Mosher was able to capture on film a most remarkable phenomenon - when given a common item with which to express themselves, each person's distinctive personality came shining through, and the sweater becomes a symbol of what each considers to be most unique about themselves.
The resulting collection of over 500 stunning black-and-white photographs proves to be a touching and exhilarating ride from New York to Dallas, from Hollywood to London, as Mosher explores the creativity of celebrities and humbles alike - in their homes and workplaces, with their families and pets, in any way they chose. The people featured includes top names from the world of theater, film, TV, fashion, music, dance, and literature, such as Roma Downey, John Dye, Della Reese, Marina Sirtis, Michael Bolton, Dominick Dunne, Matthew Broderick, Ted Danson, Tim Allen, Noah Wyle, Quentin Crisp, Josh Hartnett, Ryan Phillipe, and many more. See Sarah Michelle Gellar on the set of Buffy The Vampire Slayer before the first episode aired. See Swoosie Kurtz and Chris Meloni show some skin. See Jason Alexander re-enacting the behavior of his newborn child. See Jenna Elfman jumping for joy and Sela Ward snuggling her sibling. You will be amazed at how many different ways this one sweater can be worn!
This Christmas, Roma Downey adds her special magic to Holiday Light, Singing Angels and Silver Bells.
Holiday Light, Singing Angels, Silver Bells
Holiday Light is part of the Public Radio International (PRI) Holiday Package and aired on public radio stations across the country during the Christmas season. The Western Wind is known nationwide for it's rich and profound exploration of vocal ensemble music. It's holiday programs for NPR and PRI have become public radio staples and are aired perennially. Holiday Light will follow in the footsteps of highly successful programs such as The Chanukkah Story and The Birthday of the World. Consult your local public radio sations for details. A CD of the program is available on The Western Wind label (WW1225). You can order online at: www.westernwind.org It is also available in record stores such as Borders, Barnes and Nobles, etc.
Read the article in the Pittsburgh Post on Roma hosting It's a Miracle and her involvement with Operation Smile.
Please read the recent article from USA Today regarding Roma's involvement in Operation Smile and the miraculous changes this charity makes in a child's life.
In the past it was brought to my attention that a person claiming to be a female teenager who lives in Derry, Northern Ireland, was impersonating Roma using AOL Instant Messenger and she is also claiming to have phone conversations with Roma and to have met Roma in person, all of which are untrue. This person was warned and eventually the charade ended. Roma has asked me post this disclaimer.....
It is not her. Once again I must say that she DOES NOT chat with fans by way of any of the messenger services, she does not call fans on the telephone either and ask them to pass messages on to others for her. She feels that this whole situation is outrageous and it has to stop and it has made her very angry.
Although this issue has resolved itself, please remember that anyone can claim to be anyone online and to be careful. I cannot stress this enough, especially for teenagers and women. In some cases, it can even be a man posing as a women, or an older man posing as a teenager, like in the Touched by an Angel episode "Pandora's Box." So, please do not engage in conversations with someone posing as Roma, because it is not her.
Please read a recent article from the Salt Lake City, Utah newspaper - The Desert News - regarding Roma's trip to Vietnam in 2003 with Operation Smile and her move from Utah to California.
The above picture is from the "Touched by an Angel" episode #205 - "Operation Smile"
I recently updated the Roma Links page......Go take a look and find many interesting Roma related items online.
The pictures above are from the never aired original Touched by an Angel pilot episode...I've posted several other pictures as well, just click on the above pictures to view all 92 snappies.
Latest update about the release of "Funky Monkey"......
It had a limited theatrical release in September 2004 and will be relesaed on video and DVD on April 15, 2005.
Roma spent her 2002 summer hiatus from Touched by an Angel abroad working on the Warner Bros. feature film "Hairy Tale". It's a romantic comedy - family/kids movie; a story about a young boy, Michael Dean, and his adventures with a chimp and Jack McCall, the man who is caring for and teaching the chimpanzee karate and befriends the boy. Roma will be playing the lead character of Megan Dean, Michael's mom. Matthew Modine as the leading man Jack McCall, and Seth Adkins as Michael Dean, with Fred Ward and Jeffrey Tambor as supporting cast. It was shot in the French Riviera, in the town of Nice. It was filmed within 10 weeks in April through June 2002. For those with a keen eye......look for Roma's daughter, Reilly Anspaugh, dressed up as an extra in the Halloween scene with her Mom and Seth Adkins. Warner Brothers was unhappy with the finished first film and so many re-shoots were done in San Diego, CA in December of 2003.
There are now 75 questions and answers posted on the Roma Trivia Quiz page. Give it a try and see how you do!
The Hollywood Reporter, the entertainment industry's premier trade publication, is celebrating the 200th episode of Touched by an Angel with a special issue devoted to behind-the-scenes looks at the hit series. Available February 13, 2003, this issue is sure to be a collectible. Order your copy today!
You may purchase An Irish Holiday on DVD by clicking on the graphic above. It aired on some PBS stations in November and December of 2002. It's also easy to obtain abroad in Europe on DVD and was released with the title of An Irish Christmas. Roma completed this project while in Ireland the summer of 2002. Her segment was filmed in an old church and later added to the Irish Christmas special shot at Slane Castle. She and Reilly stayed at Ashford Castle in Co. Mayo. It is near the village of Cong which is where they shot the movie "The Quiet Man" with John Wayne and Maureen O Hara.
An Irish Holiday
Roma Downey, Frank McCourt, Phil Coulter and others Celebrate the Season
Viewers of AN IRISH HOLIDAY join Moya Brennan (a member of
Clannad), Maura O'Connell (Irish singer and also seen in the movie Gangs of New York), Brian Kennedy (Get on With Your Short Life) and Jean Butler (Riverdance) in a selection of seasonal Irish songs; rejoice in the spiritual splendor of the Celtic Tenors as they sing a special arrangement of "Adeste Fideles" and "Danny Boy"; thrill to the a capella precision and beauty of the Voice Squad, Ireland's premier traditional vocal group; and delight in Roma Downey's interpretation of a holiday Irish blessing.
Viewers enjoy the "craic" (fun) over dinner as Frank McCourt reads from his international best-seller, Angela's Ashes, and listen as the original star of Riverdance, Jean Butler, recalls her introduction to Irish dance. Ireland's latest dance sensation, An?m, performs a specially commissioned holiday dance routine.
One of Roma's holiday favorites A Child's Christmas in Wales. Every Christmas her father played the cassette of Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales. She continues this custom with her daughter Reilly Marie. Now available on CD.
Author Suzy Yehl Marta with forward by Roma Downey. This book provides guidance on how to help children and teens through divorce, death, and crisis. The author draws on her own personal experience and discusses grieving children, how to become a compassionate companion, stepping stones to healing, and activities and rituals for the healing process.
What Is Spirit? Messages from the Heart
Human rights activist and former Miss World Lexie Brockway Potamkin gathered quotations and inspirations from hundreds of people around the world in answer to the question, "What is spirit?" People famous and ordinary from all religions, ages 7 to 97, took time from their busy lives to contribute. Roma Downey, Bob Hope, Wynonna Judd, Robert Wagner, Dick Gregory, and Jimmy Carter are a handful of the VIPs who responded eloquently. The book would make a lovely gift.
ROMA'S RADIO SPECIAL!
Castles of Gold: Songs and Stories of Irish Immigration
To find a Public Radio International station that may be re-airing the special, please go to www.castlesofgold.com
You may click on the cover image above to listen to samples of the songs and order the CD. It is a two CD set. The first CD is the hour long stories told by Frank McCourt and Roma Downey with music by Pan Morigan. The second CD is all of the lovely songs sung by Pan Morigan.
This is an hour long special for Public radio International which was heard originally on St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, 2002 (It aired in 2003 and 2004 in March, look for it to possibly air again in 2005)
Castles of Gold invites listeners to spend a captivating hour hearing
songs and stories that explore the joys and sorrows of Irish emigration.
Two prominent Irish Americans are the storytellers: Roma Downey,
Emmy-nominated star of the popular TV series Touched by an Angel (as well as many other television shows and feature films), and Pulitzer prize winning writer Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes and 'Tis. The stories they share
are written by award-winning playwright Katerie Morin, whose family
emigrated from County Mayo in the early 1900s. Morin draws on her family's
oral history to re-create the experiences of leaving Ireland for America.
The songs, sung by Pan Morigan, are traditional, presented in
dynamic, contemporary arrangements. Among the most thrilling and
interesting in the Irish music repertoire, these songs are filled with history,
longing, and powerful imagery. They lament the forced exile from Ireland and honor
the memory of beloved places and people left behind.
The 'Castles of Gold band' boasts world-renowned traditional Irish musicians,
including:
Violinist Liz Carroll These beautiful songs and stories have been released on Green Linnet records and are available for
purchase. Please visit www.castlesofgold.com and for more information, call 1-800-468-6644 or visit www.greenlinnet.com
Order the children's book Roma has written Love Is a Family about nontraditional families.
A Celebration of Women: Our Greatest Feats, Our Favorite Stories, Our Richest Legacy
Women we admire, women with maximized gifts and talents, women who dared to change neighborhoods and nations -- in this collection, they are women helping women, inspiring others to answer callings, accomplish goals, achieve dreams.
From the halls of government, the obscurity of mission fields, the fame of entertainment?from pulpits and soup kitchens, homes and boardrooms around the world, the writers speak out of past and present into a woman?s future.
In this collection of original vignettes, essays, excerpts and quotes, the writers educate, equip and empower women to be God?s hope-givers for the twenty-first century.
With advice, lessons, stories and quotes from Roma Downey, Della Reese, Martha Williamson, Star Parker, Elizabeth Dole, Gloria Copeland, Macel Falwell, Betty Robison, Jane Hansen, Beverly LaHaye, Janice Shaw Crouse, Becky Norton Dunlop, Coretta Scott King, Eva Burrows, Anne Graham Lotz, Joy Strang, Catharine Kroeger, Evelyn Christianson, Freda Lindsay, Madeline Manning Mimms, Dee Jepsen, Mother Teresa, Vonette Bright, Shirley Dobson, Beth Moore, Sara Divito Hardman, Margaret Court, Winnie Bartel, Kay Arthur, Joyce Meyer and many, many more.
You will find Roma on Phil Coulter's new CD "Lake Of Shadows" on track/song number 13, Prayer For The Fishermen. She recorded this track while she was in Toronto the summer of 2001 filming her holiday TV movie "The Sons of Mistletoe."
The Lake of Shadows is the local name given to Lough Swilly, an inlet from the North Atlantic not far from where she grew up in Derry. She spent many summers playing on the beaches there, so she was happy to be included in this project because of her own childhood memories.
Healing Angel
The Healing Angel album
did very well on the New Age charts. The CD
and cassette became available
September 14, 1999. Click on the image above to
order, see a listing of the songs, or to listen
to a few audio samples.
Roma Downey performs uplifting meditations on
life, adapted from ancient Celtic texts and set
to lush musical soundscapes by composer Phil
Coulter. She completed this project while in
Ireland the summer of 1999.
You can view part of the video from the song
"Be
Thou My Vision" and listen to Roma talk
about the
project at the
Official Touched by an Angel website.
You may search for other Roma or Touched by an Angel related items by using the search box below.
Please email
me if you would like to contribute
information to this page. Please do not send attached graphics or backgrounds in your emails. Or you may find that the email box is full when you try to email me.
You are listening to Loving from Roma's CD Healing Angel featuring Phil Coulter.
The Roma Sightings page is copyrighted including
the title "Roma Sightings."
Posted by RomaDowney at 3/21/2009 11:14 AM EDT
I am lying deep in the garden of my Californian home and the March sunlight feels warm on my face.
Roma Downey.
Roma with John Schneider
Roma with Brook Nevin
Roma will not be selling any further jewelry on QVC.
There will not be any further Roma items available in her Home Interiors line, for the company has gone out of business.
Christian Values Network (www.cvn.org) provides financial support to ministries, churches and charities worldwide through its relationships with more than 160 leading online retailers. Participating members of the complimentary Christian Values Network (CVN) service make their everyday purchases at popular Internet stores through www.cvn.org. Christian Values Network gives a percentage of every purchase to the member’s chosen Christian organization. It also financially supports ministries through its free Christian Values Network Credit Card program. More than 375 churches and ministries currently participate in Christian Values Network initiatives, including World Vision, Campus Crusade, Luis Palau Ministries, and more.
All the pictures above are courtesy of Roma Downey. Please do not take them.
SUNDAY APRIL 29, 2007 04:00 PM EDT
By Cynthia Wang
Reilly (Roma's daughter), Downey, Burnett and Della Reese after the vows
Photo by: Danny Moloshok
Roman Downey co-stars with Peter Michael Goetz in "A Picasso," directed by Gil Cates. The play opens Feb. 11 at the Geffen Playhouse. Photo by Deborah Wald
Heartstrings Photo Frame - Roma Downey Collection™
Angel Wings Keepsake Box - Roma Downey Collection™
Reality TV mogul and ‘Touched By An Angel’ star started dating in 2004
Mark Burnett and Roma Downey pose for photographers in this Sunday, May 15, 2005 file photo in New York. Burnett and Downey are engaged, a publicist for the pair said Monday, Nov. 27.
Roma and Reilly dressed-up for Halloween 2006.
Photo courtesy of Roma Downey.
Suzie McNeil, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey.
Roma x
Touched by an Angel - The Third Season, Vol. 1
Practical Praying: Using the Rosary to Enhance Your Life
Sincerely,
Roma Downey
2005 Lester Cohen, WireImage.com
Updated: 12:09 a.m. ET April 29, 2005
2003-2004 Warner Bros. All Rights Reserved.
2004 Steve Granitz, WireImage.com
~ Roma Downey
For those wanting to know what's new with Roma and what been happening in her life, this article has lots of information including that she has applied for US citizenship.
Roma Downey 
Thursday March 18, 3:05 pm ET (2004)
Source: Lifetime Television
Roma Downey, Jacqueline Bisset, and Lauren Lee Smith Star in "The Survivor's Club."
Phoebe Glassner 212/975-3148 pglassner@cbs.com
CREDIT: John McKay, Times Colonist
09/02/03 01:34 ET
Angel actress an abassador for surgery.
The above picture is from Roma's trip with Operation Smile to Vietnam in July of 2003. Roma Downey counts returning a child to his mother after surgery at Le Loi Hospital, Vietnam, as one of her life's highlights.
Roma Downey and Kelsi Copier
Roma Downey and Matthew Modine in Nice, France while filming "Hairy Tale."
Photo courtesy of Roma Downey
The special stars some of Ireland's most beloved performers: actress Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel); Moya Brennan (of Clannad); best-selling author Frank McCourt (Angela's Ashes); the Celtic Tenors; stars from Riverdance; and many more. In the venerable surroundings of the breathtaking grounds of Slane Castle in Ireland, these celebrated talents come together in a unique and intimate gathering for AN IRISH HOLIDAY. Composer, performer and reigning king of contemporary Celtic music Phil Coulter and his guests regale one another with traditional stories and anecdotes, entertain with song and dance, and revel in each other's company.
Aiofe Ni Fhearraigh sings during "An Irish Blessing"
All photos courtesy of Greg Anderson
Pictures from Roma running with the Olympic torch Friday, February 8, 2002 at Murray, Utah. She picked it up at Murray city hall around 4.30pm on that day.
Photo of Pan Morigan by Joanne Savio
Told by frank McCourt and Roma Downey -
Piper Jerry O'Sullivan
Irish whistle and flute player Joannie Madden (of Cherish the Ladies
fame)
Citern and mandolin stylist Larry Campbell (of Bob Dylan's band)
Celtic harpist Lois Colin
Button accordionist John Whelan.
And many others -
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Edited by Joann C. Webster & Karen Davis
Lake of Shadows
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1998-2008
Anna Kasper. All rights reserved.
Irish Angel Creation
