What is a 'Clown Mass'?

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Neil_Anthony

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I keep reading on here where people refer to “Clown Masses”. What is that?
 
NoPlaceLikeRome said:
When people feel for some reason that it is a good plan for the priest and other “lay ministers” to dress as clowns for Mass. Praise God, I have never personally witnessed such a horrific event.

See:

romancatholicblog.typepad.com/roman_catholic_blog/2006/12/a_sacrilegious_.html

amywelborn.typepad.com/openbook/2005/05/tears_of_a_clow.html

You’ll find more if you Google “clown Mass.”
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Thanks. When I googled it all I could find was blogs bashing the practice. What is the supposed purpose of this kind of thing? Is it a protest against the church?
 
It appears to be something that happend one place one time, and thanks to the internet - it became a world wide event. 🤷
 
Neil_Anthony said:
I keep reading on here where people refer to “Clown Masses”. What is that?
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My understanding it was misrepresentation of a real event, spread on the Internet by neo-Catholics. The so-called “Clown Mass,” was actually Mass being said for professional clowns who travel with the circus. Some one took a photos and used them to misrepresent what was actually taking place.

Jim
 
It has also become a “sledgehammer” for certain groups and people who do not like Vatican II. To them, every Ordinary Form Mass is a “clown Mass” :mad:
 
JimR-OCDS said:
My understanding it was misrepresentation of a real event, spread on the Internet by neo-Catholics. The so-called “Clown Mass,” was actually Mass being said for professional clowns who travel with the circus. Some one took a photos and used them to misrepresent what was actually taking place.

Jim
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The pictures that I saw included the name of the church where this took place, and I don’t think it was even a Catholic Church - Episcopalian, I believe. 🤷
 
This is interesting. About 20-25 years ago (maybe a little longer), I was chatting with a young seminarian who was visiting my parish. If I remember correctly, he said to me that he was interested in something he called **clown ministry **which I took as some sort of outreach program for young children. I thought then that this seminarian was unusually naive and immature. After reading this thread, I wonder if there was more to this “ministry” than I thought. Has anyone heard of 'clown ministry?" I had never heard of a “clown mass” until reading this thread.
 
PoliSciProf said:
This is interesting. About 20-25 years ago (maybe a little longer), I was chatting with a young seminarian who was visiting my parish. If I remember correctly, he said to me that he was interested in something he called **clown ministry **which I took as some sort of outreach program for young children. I thought then that this seminarian was unusually naive and immature. After reading this thread, I wonder if there was more to this “ministry” than I thought. Has anyone heard of 'clown ministry?" I had never heard of a “clown mass” until reading this thread.
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Yes, in fact there was a priest who dedicated his life to the circus people. He died recently and the circus people, along with the Bishop who is in charge of this ministry, had a Mass for him, with clowns in attendance.

Jim
 
PoliSciProf said:
This is interesting. About 20-25 years ago (maybe a little longer), I was chatting with a young seminarian who was visiting my parish. If I remember correctly, he said to me that he was interested in something he called **clown ministry **which I took as some sort of outreach program for young children. I thought then that this seminarian was unusually naive and immature. After reading this thread, I wonder if there was more to this “ministry” than I thought. Has anyone heard of 'clown ministry?" I had never heard of a “clown mass” until reading this thread.
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Not the same thing. A “clown ministry” is, as you guessed, usually directed at children in a “Jr Church” type setting - not on a weekly basis but as a special event clowns will come and tell a Bible story or do a skit with a Biblical moral, and give the kids those animal-shaped balloons and stuff like that. I believe it’s more often seen in non-Catholic churches. They’ve never had clowns at my parish. 😃
 
PoliSciProf said:
This is interesting. About 20-25 years ago (maybe a little longer), I was chatting with a young seminarian who was visiting my parish. If I remember correctly, he said to me that he was interested in something he called **clown ministry **which I took as some sort of outreach program for young children. I thought then that this seminarian was unusually naive and immature. After reading this thread, I wonder if there was more to this “ministry” than I thought. Has anyone heard of 'clown ministry?" I had never heard of a “clown mass” until reading this thread.
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Not only have I heard of it, I know people who do it! I’ve even taken classes with some of the more prominent names in the field.

Basically, it is one expression and outlet of clowning (and childrens’/family entertainment, more generally) which employs this medium as a way in which to both more easily connect with an audience as well as to get them thinking outside the box; to have them let down their guard such that a message might get through, but also to get their attention - shake them up just a bit, perhaps - to recognize that something is off beat.

“Clown Ministry” comes in many shapes and sizes. For some clowns, it is a way of teaching kids about Christian concepts while also entertaining them. They may use magic, skits, and certainly comedy. Others may be performing thoughtful pieces which are scriptural, theological, or experiencial in focus. There are clowns who work for adult retreats in this regard. A few very talented performers are able to incorporate circus skills while telling the stories of salvation history.

Some clowns will take their ministries out to other places, which intersect with other specialty areas of clowning (such as nursing home visits.)

And, then, there are clowns who find their way into para-liturgies, even leading them perhaps.

Most clown ministries, it seems, are finding their outlets in the protestant and evangelical world. Indeed, this is where much of the concept started in previous decades. To a more limited degree, it has also found its way into Catholic parishes and apostolates.

Here is where we may encounter some difficulties (from the viewpoint of devout Catholics that may be on this forum.) For the place of clowns actually being involved “in” Church services can be not only challenging, but questionable - if not outright inappropriate at times.

Should a priest dress as a clown to say Mass? Well, obviously, no. But can he minister to a group of clowns who, for good purpose, may wear their “slap and motley” (makeup and costuming) to a special service? Well, why not? The parish school football likely wears their uniforms to Mass before the big game, also, after all.

I find it frustrating, then, that all which gets repeatedly tramped out whenever this topic, incessantly, arises is the now well noted video of some sort of “Clown Mass” that happened on the west coast a few years ago. It’s a bad example of something which is not in any way representative of the majority of clown ministry. And, yes, other questionable occurances have happenned over time. But if we are only going to point to worst case scenarios, then we will never get an accurate picture of the larger whole.

Ironically, I find it quite intriguing that no one ever seems to mention the annual Anglican Mass for Grimaldi in England (which is, perhaps, more representative of something unique (it’s only held once a year) done fairly well, all things considered. Here is a piece on the event from I’m not sure what year (it appears a bit dated):

youtube.com/watch?v=GWd99XYJ-ao

You will notice some oddities. Clowns do think differently, undoubtedly, and it may seem initially irreverant. But it is really intended as sincere in a manner of finding the sacred in the seemingly absurd - in the same manner whereby Jesus, himself, often flipped the world on it’s heels as well as finding beauty and wonder in the sublime and simple.

Again, there are numerous notable (and average) performers who manage to find expressions of clowning in ministry - accomplishing the task both well and with real devotion/reverence, even through comedy. We are comic beings, after all; fallen, funny, and in need of redemption. Clown ministry tries to get at this in offering a deeper, more meaningful message via art that most people don’t typically take seriously, but should.

Among the resources available which can introduce someone more significantly to intriguing world of clown ministry is the website: clown-ministry.com/

There is an excellent magazine entitled, The Cross and The Clown which would also expose anyone more deeply interested in understanding what clown ministry is really all about to some of the people and ideas which are involved in this area of devout expression expertly:

clowning4christ.com/News.htm

I hope that this insight honestly adds some light to the discussion of these matters which usually just ends in fanning of flames, absent any real understanding or appreciation of what it’s all about.
 
puzzleannie said:
an urban legend from the 70s that keeps getting a reprise on these forums
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I was wondering when someone would call them an urban legend.:tsktsk:

Denying their ever happening does no more good for the faith than would be denying that the pedophilia scandals happened. They did happen, we admit it deal with it and move on. If they keep occurring, they need to be addressed until they disappear.

Trust me they did happen and still do although from everything that I have seen and heard not with the frequency that they once did… They were mainly a European thing but they also happened with some regularity at more progressive parishes nationwide from the 70’s until at the least the late 90’s. I happened to stumble upon several of them in California, Texas and Arizona in that time frame.

And no they were not directed at circus workers or children as some have claimed. They were more along the lines of the Barney Mass in California and the gymnast Mass that took place at a very progressive Parish in Washington DC in the early 90’s I believe. That Mass was well documented in a book that spoke quite favorably of the practice, calling it as I recall a breathtakingly spectacular afternoon as the Priest wove his homily around the performers.👍, It also spoke at length of the general rebelliousness and progressive mindset of that particular Parish, which was also looked upon favorably by the author. I can provide the name of the Parish and the book to anyone who wants it. It is a fascinating read…

They are celebrated by Priests who I would imagine feel the need to interject their own personality into the Mass. Perhaps in the hope of providing entertainment which apparently the laity needs in the celebration of the Mass.
 
Some parishes in Seattle at least have something called 'CLOWN"s, which is Children’s Liturgy Of the Word…and then something else. It’s like, they dismiss children who are pre-First Communion and explain the Gospel so they can understand it.

Still sort of abuse, but not on the level of clown Masses.
 
puzzleannie said:
an urban legend from the 70s that keeps getting a reprise on these forums
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Sigh. If only this were an urban legend. Unfortunately, for those of us who haave witnessed them, they are very real.

Those of us who grew up in the Archdiocese of Seattle in the 1970s and 1980s will remember these masses all too well. CHANNEL, liturgical dancers, and yes, clowns with baloons and puppets doing the gospel. I shudder to have witnessed it.

Clowns would do the mass, with the priest either actively taking part or being an encouraging participant. They would mime readings, do puppets for the gospel, speak the homily about how they are fools for chirst, etc. Dancing around and swooning during the consecation (if it were valid), and then distributing questionable communion bread. I can still see the clown Eucharisitic Ministers, with make-up and floppy shoes.

Sigh. Yes, it is real, people. And it is not in Episcopal Churchesm, it is in OUR Roman Catholic Churches. It has been done, and as per Youtube, you can see it is still done today. Thankfully, though, it has never been widespread. Yet.
 
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