Clown Mass?

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In the thread “Leaving a bad mass” the question is posed if you would leave a mass with liturgical dancers or a “clown mass”.

Now I have heard rumors about this supposed “clown mass” for about 30 years. I assume that the accusation is that the celebrant dressed as a clown. I think it is just a rumor by some to discredit Vatican II.

Has anyone actually attended or seen evidence of a “clown mass”?
 
I’ve seen 1 photo (in the posession of Fr. Jerry Pokorsky of Adoremus), and I’ve heard 100 more rumours.

I think it’s not as comon as some might like to think.
 
No where near as common as during the seventies and eighties and probably never common enough to warrant all the talk if the mass wasn’t so precious.

Ranks right up there with the Bum Mass in which the consecration occurs on top of a discarded cardboard box.

Personally, I’ve seen neither though in my travels I’ve seen a lot including the altar done up like a chimney and surrounded by empty presents supposedly symbolising what we are able to give back to our Lord in His house.
 
Such things happened 20-30 years ago, but are not common now. Abuses like everything else in life, go in cycles.
 
This has been posted on previous threads

stjosephsmen.com/letters/clownmass.htm

http://www.stjosephsmen.com/letters/images/clowns_small.jpg
CLOWN “MASS” - 1 Sept 2002, 9:15AM, Christ the King Church, Pleasant Hill CA, Diocese of Oakland!

CUROCK has fully documented the abomination on videotape. A still picture is attached, but does not do justice to the full sacrilege. That’s the pastor,

Fr. Brian Joyce in clown vestments… uhhhh the bald older gentleman in the clown “vestments,” captured at the Gospel which was performed by the troupe and followed by a homily also performed by the troupe.

Not surprisingly, little, if anything, in Fr. Joyce’s archived homilies [Click Here: http://ctkph.org/homilies/”]Index of /homilies] gives joyful assent to authentic Catholic teaching. There were many offenses against Our Lord and His Magisterium at the CLOWN MASS, but one of the worst was when Fr. Joyce revelled in quoting his nun homilist (Why should Fr. Joyce obey the Church in dogma OR discipline?) from last week, Sr. Carol Zihn, who promoted the United Nations in her “Wisdom from the World” homily at Mass.

Fr. Joyce gleefully quoted Sr. Zihn at his CLOWN MASS (not archived on his webiste at the time of this writing): “All of the species of the world, except for our housepets and houseplants, would be better off tomorrow if mankind became extinct today – and the housepets and houseplants would bounce back and be better off in a few years.” Hmmmm, give me a moment here – Prince of the World, Wisdom of the World, United Nations, United Nations Family Planning and forced abortions and sterilzations, better off without mankind, Sr. Carol Zihn, Fr. Brian Joyce, Bishop John Cummins.

The parish website is: ctkph.org

Here you can find the homily for the clown mass:
ctkph.org/homilies/homilies2002/homily090102.htm
 
All the talk of clown masses has awakened a memory from childhood - late 70s, early 80s… at that time, our director of religious ed for elementary school kids used to dress up as a clown sometimes for the CCD classes. A few times she showed up dressed as a clown at the “Childrens’ Mass”. I seem to recall her giving the homily in full clown costume. She may have done other things at Mass but I really don’t recall…

I seem to remember a couple of different clown characters - one who was silent and would mime things, and one who talked. And I think one of them wore purple and one wore green - I was too young to have noticed, but looking back I wonder if she was color-coordinated for the liturgical season.

Anyway, thinking about it now - they probably thought that was a cute way to get kids interested in the Mass, or to hold their attention. The funny thing is, aren’t a significant number of kids (and adults too) scared of clowns? And regardless, at some point children need to realize that you don’t go to Mass to be entertained, or to see a show. If you want to see clowns, you go to the circus. But fortunately (as others have pointed out) I think the liturgical clowns are largely a thing of the past.
 
Don’t you remember that movie and play called Godspell from the 70’s. 😛

It seems that so many now famous, Christian or not, actors spent time dressing like clowns to protray Jesus and Christianity. It is such a shame that these abuses actually moved from the distasteful to real liturgical abuses in the mass.

Hopefully no more.

God Bless
 
I am very sure that this is no ‘laughing matter’. I somewhat remember a Mass featuring people dressing up as clowns at my college Neuman Center parish. St. Thomas More at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green Ohio (circa 1979-1980)
I thought at the time that is was extremely strange. Seeing Eucharist Ministers dressed up in make up really put a bad image in my mind.

To see Bozo the Clown standing behind an altar make me want to herd them up and place them back in the Clown Car.

I still pray that the Church will never let this cycle repeat again!

Go with God!
Edwin
 
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Edwin1961:
I am very sure that this is no ‘laughing matter’. I somewhat remember a Mass featuring people dressing up as clowns at my college Neuman Center parish. St. Thomas More at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green Ohio
Click to expand...
I was at St. Thomas More BGSU from 1980-1984. Never saw a clown Mass, but plenty of liturgical dancing was going on. Now that I think about it, I seem to remember the ushers dressing strangely – clowns, perhaps???
 
If I saw anything like that shown in the photo, I’d get up and walk out, and I’d make sure the priest, congregation, and all the celebrants saw me do it. I’d make sure the door slammed shut, too.
 
Wowza! Youza! I stand corrected! I will no longer dismiss this as a rumor.

This parish is not more than 40 miles from my home. I went to mass there once and the Holy Gospel was a play put on by the youth group. I should have walked out.

Thanks, all for the replies!
 
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