The Circus That Ran Away with a Jesuit Priest: Memoir of a Delible Character

About this book

Unlikely coordinates the rich ambience of church ritual and the heady aromas of tented circuses propelled Nick Weber on a childhood vector seeking its own maturity right along with his age and education. Even graduate pursuits in dramatic art and theology fed each other until ordained as a priest in the California Province of the Society of Jesus-the Jesuits-he and his superiors happened on a reinvention of the medieval morality play for marketplace audiences. As an official ministry of the California Province of the Society of Jesus the priests Royal Lichtenstein Circus crisscrossed the United States for twentytwo years. Those tours and the unusual personal journey leading to them comprise the adventure of this memoir. It spans a childs exploration of religious and theatrical wonder educational discipline religious inspiration and the muscular spirituality demanded by characteristic Jesuit discernment- even Nicks eventual return to the lay state. "Spiritual and gritty passionate and practical Nick Webers heartfelt story of his life journey capped by his founding of the Royal Lichtenstein Circus is a profoundly moving odyssey that anybody who loves the circus-and life-will appreciate. And for those who arent enamored of the truly special world of circus read this. You will be." - Jack Ryan Circus Press Agent Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Combined Shows International Circus Hall of Fame Inductee "When I first saw Nick Webers Royal Lichtenstein Circus perform it changed my life forever. . . . It has reappeared-full of life-and plays on forever in Nicks beautiful new circus of a memoir." - Bill Cain SJ Steinberg Award Winning Playwright. Equivocation Nine Circles "Nicks backstory . . . moves with the enchantment of a circus bandwagon and delivers more surprises than a year of punch lines." - Steve Aveson News Anchor/Host The Morning Show NBC/Universal/NECN "Thank you Nick Weber for following your dream and preparing all of us . . .for that totally unexpected and unlooked for circus act what we call Emmanuel Godwith- us." - Michael E. Moynahan SJ Pastor St. Ignatius Loyola Parish Sacramento CA