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)
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 →
Conviction by Rumor and Hearsay: A Review of “Good Night and Good Luck”
Behind the good looks (People’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2006) and roles in some pretty fluffy films, George Clooney has proven himself to be an actor of skill and substance (Syriana, Up in the Air, The Descendants). His work in Good Night and Good Luck demonstrates that he also has some pretty fine chops as a director.
The West Wing: Aaron Sorkin’s TV Gem (Part Two)
The West Wing was praised for its realistic depiction of the White House nerve centre, thanks to writers and consultants like former press secretary Dee Dee Myers and former White House aide Eli Attie, and to the show’s oversized and expensive set. … Read more →
The West Wing: Aaron Sorkin’s TV Gem (Part One)
There is only one series that has moved me to such a degree that I have been compelled to watch individual episodes numerous times. That series is The West Wing.
Stolen Church
Vatican II was striving to flatten the hierarchical structure that had rigidified over the centuries and in doing so create a Church characterized by the harmonious participation of all its members in bringing the message of love to the world.
Beloved Loser: Seeing the Truth beyond “Success” and “Failure”
After a lifetime of barking in futility up the tree of success, Ross Lonergan reflects on who we are and who we are not.
War Minus the Shooting
If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score? ~ Vince Lombardi Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In … Read more →
“It’s like watching the Aurora Borealis”: A Profile of Meryl Streep
Throughout her career, Meryl Streep has found a way to fully inhabit every character she portrays so that who we see in the film is not Streep but the “quirky little universe” she has created.
“Doubt” is about Doubt
After seeing Shanley’s play, many people wanted him to reveal whether Father Flynn was guilty of what Sister Aloysius was accusing him. Audience members would come out at the end of the performance with wildly opposing opinions, like “Well, he is obviously guilty” or “Come on, there is no way he is guilty. The nun is just jealous of his power.” While he knew the answer to the question, Shanley only ever told the actors playing Father Flynn whether or not their character was guilty.
Opting out of Conflict to Follow the New Commandment
Did Jesus fight? Of course he did. Did he criticize? Without question. In fact, he directed his anger and his scorn at the very behaviour that so characterizes religious life today. But the purpose of his ministry was not to condemn the thinking or the behaviour or the character of those with whom he disagreed; Jesus did not devote his energy to preserving a tradition of orthodoxy or promoting a cause in which his ego was deeply invested. His mission was much simpler but at the same time far more challenging; it was embodied in the new commandment he issued to his apostles: “Love one another as I have loved you.”
