What is a 'Clown Mass'?

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chicago and all others, thanks for good thoughtful posts on this thread. It is a very enlightening read.
 
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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My Parish has C.L.O.W. ministry which stands for Children’s Liturgy of the Word.

I think that you misunderstood the seminarian. He is probably a sincere man interested in teaching children. He’s following the example of Jesus.
 
Benedictine said:
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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The one I saw on youtube was an episcopalian church.
And did the clowns actually read the gospels? Doesn’t the priest or deacon have to read the gospel?
I don’t like clowns at all. Are you sure this really happened?
 
GIMJ said:
My Parish has C.L.O.W. ministry which stands for Children’s Liturgy of the Word.

I think that you misunderstood the seminarian. He is probably a sincere man interested in teaching children. He’s following the example of Jesus.
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It is very possible that I mis-remembered and/or misunderstood my brief chat with the seminarian. I am sure that he was sincere but I am equally sure that he was naive. Still, this was many years ago and I can barely remember what the weather was like a week ago.
 
The last time this came up I read the article about it. I do believe it was at an episcopalian church. And yes, the priest and ministers dressed up like clowns for the mass. The idea behind it was that these people were ‘fools for Christ’ so they dressed like it. IMO it’s the most blasphemous, ridiculous, stupid thing I’ve ever heard of.
 
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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Pixie_Dust said:
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. 😃
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I knew a lady who was in clown ministry; as has been said, she was working with children.
Many people seemed to like the idea, but personally, the clown who represents my own:eek: feelings about:eek: clowns in general (and:( in churches in particular), is the one in Stephen King’s “It”!!
images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=pennywise+%2B+it&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2
 
muffinmojo said:
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.
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Actually, this isn’t an abuse at all. It is fully allowed for.
 
palmas85 said:
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.👍,
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Flexibility is a valuable asset in a priest. 🙂

A family in our parish were recollecting their clown experience in a Mass in a Catholic church in Australia. Their first inkling that the parish was not quite orthodox came when a woman got up to deliver the homily. The second was when she introduced herself as Sister ___. The final clue was when she began to dress up as a clown, in order to “get their attention.” Hey, at least she wasn’t dressed as a nun; apparently the habit is “no longer relevant.” 😉
 
I have just 2 comments. One if this is true and it was okayed by the Pope its okay by me. But i still never got an answer was it done in a Roman Catholic Church? And if so what was the name? And if it was, this has to be blown way out of shape because there is no way in this world that the Pope is going to let anyone disgrace his church. its not going to happen. It just has to be someone starting something negative about the CC again. Evil people are out there and have been trying to twist everything that poor man says. Since day one.
 
There is a world of difference between celebrating the Mass dressed as a clown versus clowning around in one’s own free time.
 
Rinnie–Thank God, I have never been unlucky enough to witness a clown Mass, but both palmas85 and Benedictine attest to them–perhaps they can recall a church name for you.

On your comment
One if this is true and it was okayed by the Pope its okay by me.
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:confused:
And if it was, this has to be blown way out of shape because there is no way in this world that the Pope is going to let anyone disgrace his church. its not going to happen.
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Well, it’s not exactly the Pope’s Church, he’s just sort of watching over her, she’s Our Lord’s, and He allows all kinds of bizarre, sacrilegious, and awful things to happen for His own reasons. The Church started when He was executed as a criminal… the first, what, twenty? popes were all martyred… the Arian heresy took up most of the Church in her early days… in the Counter-Reformation, the Jesuits were super-loyal but were suppressed for a long time… in recent years, tons of priests in the U.S. have been found not only to have been pedophiles but to have been covered for by their bishops and supervisors…

I love the Church dearly and know that God watches over and protects her, but God allows *many *things to happen to her and in her that you or I, if we were in charge, wouldn’t expect Him to, and we shouldn’t have illusions about that fact. Hope this makes sense.
 
Benedictine said:
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.
Click to expand...
ok now i have had the said to me, sent to sights, nothings adding up. Now could you name the Church or PM me this church. Then i could personally call the Church if indeed it is a Roman Catholic Church and get to the bottom of this and the truth. Now if you have seen it you would know exactly where it is,who the priest is etc. You can surely put it on the site but if that against policy PM thanks.
 
rinnie said:
ok now i have had the said to me, sent to sights, nothings adding up. Now could you name the Church or PM me this church. Then i could personally call the Church if indeed it is a Roman Catholic Church and get to the bottom of this and the truth. Now if you have seen it you would know exactly where it is,who the priest is etc. You can surely put it on the site but if that against policy PM thanks.
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well guys just what i kind of figured. Anyway i wont lie to you , if i ever do get the name of the church the Roman Catholic Church,and the phone number i will call it. I am checking out for the night, will check tommorow. Good night all
 
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