Rebecca Hamilton is a colleague Catholic blogger here at Patheos. Rebecca is a state representative in Oklahoma and her blog is Public Catholic. A couple of days ago she posted her reflections about (her) Archbishop Paul Coakley’s pilgrimage on the Camino of Santiago de Compostela in Spain: My archbishop is not a wimp. This reminded me of the movie … Last year Martin Sheen starred in a movie written and directed by his son, Emilio Estevez. It is the fictional... Read more
This fantasy story takes place in a broken-down rural Texas town where people are being evicted from their homes and farms, others are ill, lack faith, or face other challenges. Then into their midst comes a 12-year old boy who utters words of faith to encourage and invite people to faith. All he will say is, “I am Gabriel.” He then proceeds, in an attitude of severe humor deprivation, to be a voice of encouragement to the good towns people.... Read more
I wrote a blog post for the National Catholic Reporter today noting the death of Henry Herx. Click here to access the story. As soon as I sent that off I received an email from James Wall in Chicago. Jim is a contributing editor to The Christian Century magazine and from 1972 – 1999 was the editor of the magazine. I met Jim at the City of Angels Film Festival in 2000 at a screening of John Ford’s The Searchers.... Read more
Earlier this year I reviewed “October Baby” for On Faith and Media: “October Baby” tells the fictional story of Hannah (newcomer Rachel Hendrix), a 19-year old college student who collapses during the performance of a play. In an effort to find out why she is having medical issues and nightmares her parents tell her she is adopted. This overwhelming news sends her and her best friend, Jason, on a road trip to find her real mother. Along the... Read more
Last year, for the 10th anniversary of September 11, I wrote this reflection as a spiritual New Yorker. I lived and carried out our apostolate there for 13 years: I grew up in San Diego listening to my Connecticut born and bred mother praising the wonders of New York City. Her parents took her and her siblings there often to visit an aunt who lived and prospered there. For some reason the Museum of Natural History was the place she... Read more
Iris is “A journey through the world of cinema” as seen through the lens (iris of the camera and the human eye) of live theater, street theater, mime, circus, dance, gymnastics, special effects and film. Sister Madonna and I were given free tickets in hopes we would write a review for the faith community that would correspond with a group sales promotion for the show. Sister Madonna had been talking about seeing “Iris” since it opened at the now Dolby... Read more
I saw this interview on The Tonight Show with Josh Lucas and his new film Red Dog. The interview was on YouTube and then it was not. Red Dog had the biggest box office ever in Australia but is going straight to DVD here on November 6. The preview has the gist of this true story. I ordered a copy and will review as soon as I get it. Wonder why no theatrical release? Sure seems like one of the... Read more
In 1917 the Mexican Constitutional Congress adopted a new constitution. It confirmed the separation of church and state first decreed in the 1857 constitution, returned subsoil rights to the government from ownership and control by foreign corporations, established the basis for secular education, and provided for land reforms. Five articles restricted the power and liberty of the Catholic church. These forbade public worship outside of churches, restricted the church’s right to own property, closed monasteries, deprived clergy of civil rights,... Read more
Late last year I began doing video reviews and writing study guides for the catechetical publisher RCL/Benziger through the website Sister Rose Goes to the Movies. Click here for a brief introduction about why a nun is reviewing movies! Here is a list of the video reviews and guides that you can play in class or for groups; you can download the guides and make copies for reflection and conversation: The Dark Knight Rises How to Talk to Kids about... Read more
Along with a few million people, I watched as four richly textured films opened this summer and gently held their own against crowd-pleasing blockbusters. From the darkened theater we traveled near and far. The starting point for our journey was the United Kingdom, but we jetted swiftly to India in “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” The film’s title is the name of the retirement destination for “the elderly and beautiful” that seven disparate Brits read about in a brochure.... Read more
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