Martin Scorsese received a warning from a priest over his poor punctuality

He told People magazine: "I wasn't so great at it. It was very hard for me to be there on time for the 7:00 Mass. I would always be late. The priest had to say, 'You can't go on like this.' "

But the 82-year-old director continued to serve for a few years and his time with the church left a lasting impression on him, with the statues of saints in particular having "cast a spell" over him.

He said: "It's amazing the impact of being back there while the High Mass was being celebrated."

Of the saints, he added: "Who are these people? And why are they elevated, so to speak, to something special, sainthood?

"Were these saints human? As a young person, you thought maybe they were more than human, and that's something I've been fascinated by since that time."

The acclaimed filmmaker has explored the subject in his new Fox Nation docudrama 'Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints' - which focuses on eight historical figures - and he believes it is important to examine the work of the likes of Joan of Arc and Francis of Assisi to show people positive examples of how to lead their lives.

He told the New York Times newspaper: "The world as it is now, it is good to have examples of people who led their lives through compassion and love.

"Some are martyrs; some died for it. Some of the eight that were chosen deal with legend, but the legend does come from one or two facts.

"Legends grow out of actions that really did mean the sacrifice of someone. It's all about faith, something one struggles toward. It's always been important to me."