About Ross Lonergan
Born and raised Catholic, and already a refugee from the seminary at age 13, Ross left the Church in his late teens, returning at the age of 55 with half a lifetime of experiences, attitudes, and beliefs as well as a sexual orientation that did not quite jive with the “teachings of the Church.” The journey back to Catholicism has become a full-time enterprise involving a rather monastic existence of reading books and articles on a wide range of Catholic topics, writing the (unproduced) pilot for a TV series about a Catholic parish, and as of December 2009, blogging on faith, the priesthood, and other “issues Catholic.” In his study, writing, and prayer Ross seeks a balance between being who he really is and finding a place in a Church and parish community that he deeply loves.
Ross has a Master’s degree in contemporary Chinese literature from UBC. He worked for many years in international education (including teaching ESL), taught in the Pacific Rim Program at Langara College, and has lived and traveled extensively in East Asia.
Ross blogs at Confessions of a Liturgy Queen (http://confessionsqueen.blogspot.com)
The Shoes of the Fisherman II: A Real-Life Sequel?
There are uncanny (and encouraging) similarities between the fictional Pope Kyril I and the recently elected Pope Francis I.
Excuse Me, Did You Misplace Your Modifier?
One of the most common, and to the careful reader, one of the most distracting, errors made by writers, even the so-called professionals, is the misplaced or “dangling” modifier.
The Portable Writing Teacher
Aspiring writers are fortunate: to find all the great teachers they need, and more, they just have to walk into their local library.
The Writer as (Performing) Artist
Like opera singers, professional baseball players, and Olympic-level figure skaters, writers have a responsibility to give their audience a deeply pleasurable experience. Acquiring the ability to consistently deliver such experiences takes hard work.
The Shoes of the Fisherman
This 1968 film, with its idealized vision of a truly humble and charitable pope, is worth watching in light of events in the Catholic Church today.
A Cozy Wedding in Indonesia
In Indonesia, the author is invited to attend a wedding reception like no other he has ever experienced.
Breakfast With Brubeck
Fond teenaged memories of ritually playing Dave Brubeck’s Live at Carnegie Hall album at Sunday breakfast in the 1960s.
Can You Say “Yeah, Lord”? A Review of Robert Duvall’s “The Apostle”
When the charismatic evangelical preacher Sonny Dewey commits a terrible crime he is forced to flee the community he has built and to go into hiding under an assumed name. But Sunny’s got “preacher” in his DNA and cannot stay in the shadows for long.
White Pride Day?
Despite continued incidences—and there are still too many—of racist, misogynist, and homophobic slurs, assaults, and even killings, despite stubbornly persistent ignorance of the culture and sensitivities of visible and invisible minorities, we have come far in the past fifty years, thanks to brave and blessed souls like Mohandas Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Harvey Milk, and many more.
Jessica Lange Shines in “Blue Sky”
This lovely little film, nearly lost in the bankruptcy of Orion Pictures in 1992, is primarily a vehicle for the outstanding performances of its two lead actors, Jessica Lange and Tommy Lee Jones. Lange won the Academy Award for Best Actress as a … Read more →
