New Peacock series set around Philadelphia's St. Francis Inn

By Eli Pacheco 

Places like St. Francis Inn, an outreach ministry founded by the Franciscan Friars, have served those in need in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood for decades, providing fellowship and meals in the epicenter of the city’s opioid-addiction epidemic. 

They do so in relative anonymity. But a new streaming-service series has heightened awareness of Kensington Avenue. 

Actress Amanda Seyfried, who visited St. Francis Inn in preparation for her role, stars in a Peacock original serial killer mystery series “Long Bright River,” a project that shines a light on issues in this neighborhood – and how the community helps people there. All eight episodes, set in Philadelphia but filmed mostly in Brooklyn, New York, are streaming on Peacock. 

St. Francis Inn, where friars have ministered to the homeless and poor since 1979, plays a role in that. The iconic mural outside of the Inn – an image portraying St. Francis of Assisi’s fabled peaceful encounter with a murderous wolf – is shown in the opening credits. 

Br. Michael Duffy, OFM, appears briefly in episode 7 as “Fr. Gerald” during a funeral scene. He also advised the crew as they prepared scenes portraying the Catholic Church. 

Liz Moore, author of “Long Bright River” and professor at Temple University, frequently visited the area for her book research. She spoke to visitors at the women’s center every Wednesday and invited Br. Michael to audition for a role.  

Moore, a donor to the Inn, told Br. Michael she was thanked for addressing current issues within pop culture. 

“I am glad for that,” said Br. Michael. “Modern-day America isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be.”

Br. Michael Duffy, OFM, pictured here with actresses Amanda Seyfried, left, and Ashleigh Cummings, right, has a speaking part in Episode 7 of the TV series “Long Bright River,” set in Philadelphia’s Kensington community. All eight episodes are streaming on Peacock. (Photo courtesy of Br. Michael Duffy, OFM)

Seyfried grew up in Philadelphia 

Seyfried, 39, who starred in movies such as “First Reformed,” “Mamma Mia!” and “Mean Girls,” plays Mickey, a devoted officer in Kensington, raising a son alone. After several local sex workers are found dead, she begins investigating, suspecting a serial killer. 

Seyfried, cognizant of Kensington's opioid crisis, also visited St. Francis Inn before filming “Long Bright River” and found a supportive community. Having lost an uncle to addiction, she hopes the series promotes compassion for those dealing with substance abuse. 

“If I was going to leave my family five nights a week, it was going to be for something that was really important,” Seyfried, who has two kids – Nina, 7, and Thomas, 4 – with actor husband Thomas Sadoski, told USA Today.  

“Would I rather do comedy? Of course. The levity and challenge of that is fun. But this strikes so close to home for so many people with the addiction storyline, including me.” 

Originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania, Seyfried grew up in Philadelphia. For “Long Bright River,” she felt a duty to portray her role accurately. 

"Long Bright River" worked with Savage Sisters, a nonprofit supporting addiction recovery, to accurately portray substance use and efforts to help those affected in Kensington. Peacock funded rent, food and utilities for Savage Sisters' recovery home in Kensington and also donated money to the local Kensington elementary school. 

Br. John Gill, OFM, served at St. Francis Inn from 2000 to 2017 and returned in 2023. He appreciates that the series highlights real life on Kensington Avenue. 

“Even though this is a fictional story, the series really portrayed the harsh reality of what life is currently like on the streets of Kensington concerning the complexity of substance use disorder, law enforcement and crime,” he said.  

Brother Michael Duffy, OFM, interacts with guests at St. Francis Inn. The Inn is one refuge in the city for those in need, along with addiction-response trained police, treatment centers, warming stations and more. (Photo courtesy of Br. Octavio Duran, OFM)

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