mime (n) : an ancient dramatic entertainment representing scenes from life usually in a ridiculous manner.
The tasteless Passion Mime was cancelled last year as a result of poor interest. May it be cancelled once again.
Couldn’t Peace of Christ offer a more respectful performance to depict the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Photo removed, as per request of Alison LeChase. Since we apparently do not have the “right” to post the photo here, we will instead link to a publicly accessible gallery not hosted by CF:
http://share.shutterfly.com/view/flashShareSlideshow.jsp?sid=0CaOWbZu2asXmQ
Tags: Progressive Drivel
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Youth ministers seem to mean well but I think they have been taught and trained by folks who really do not seem to understand youth or the depth of the faith. I suppose it’s not true of all trainers and all youth ministers but if a sampling of just bulletin announcements is any indication it would seem to be true of many. We continue to dumb done the faith thinking that appeals to the young. I don’t think it does. At least, not for long!
At any rate, the chancel or interior of the church is not the place for this. It’s a serious abuse. Do in in the parish center or hall or even on the front steps of the church which where all such things were for centuries, but not in a sacred space.
I agree with Bernie – the interior of the Church is not the place for this.
I disagree that it should be discouraged, necessarily. It is good, even vital, for the Church to use all means accessible to her to communicate the Faith, and in this day and age that means a whole lot of new and different means. Mime is not my cup of tea – I still recall Dustin Hoffman (in Tootsie) tipping over a mime in the park. But if it imparts the faith in a dramatic and effective way, why not?
I might add, our liturgy has long been primarily a visual thing (before Vatican II few could hear the Priest much less understand him) – let’s not automatically reject new things just because they’re new. On the other hand, novelty for novelty’s sake oughtn’t be embraced, either.
Jesus in white-face wearing a Superman emblem…need one say (or see) any more?
Hmm…don’t know what to make of this. Is this just entertainment rather than communcating the faith? I’m all for new ways for teaching the faith but is this best we can come up with? There’s a reason the stations of the cross have been around for so long, but maybe I’m just showing my age.
The superman emblem comes right out of Godspell, I believe. Not that I’m necessarily advocating Godspell, but just pointing out that it’s not original.
keithpip – Dramatizing the passion is not new, to be sure – it’s been done at Oberammergau for 380 years. It’s both entertainment and communicates the Faith. Nobody has ever complained about the power of that performance to communicate the Faith, have they?
Oh man not this again.
I’d suggest Rochester laity write to Bp. Cunningham and at the very least make sure this is moved to the social hall and not the sanctuary like where it is usually done in the past, but at the same time maybe we shouldn’t give it ink and hope there is the same lack of interest as last year.
I’m all for communicating the Faith in new ways, but even if both Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar were not the theological messes that they are, in the final analysis, new ways of communicating the Faith should not be trivializing.
Scotty – No argument there.
I have seen performances by Leonardo Defilipis in churches, with him using the sanctuary area. The EWTN show “Saints Alive” also includes use of the front part of the sanctuary. Are these also not acceptable?
Why is this so difficult to grasp? Churches are not performances halls!
I don’t think, generally speaking, that performances should be held in a church. I can tolerate certain exceptions: organ concerts of sacred music and symphonic performances of classical Masses or other sacred music. Now, in some remote, poor or mission areas the church may be the only building big enough for the local community to see or hear more secular performances. I certainly would not impose a strict restriction in those situations.
Okay – so should we write EWTN and suggest they take “Saints Alive” off the air? Or to Leonardo Defilippis and recommend that he cease performing “Maximilian” in churches? Or maybe even contact the local Chesterton Society and advise them to stop having actors portraying Chesterton or Belloc (or others) presenting/performing in character at their conferences, which are held in a chapel at St. John Fisher College?
Giving a laundry list of other potential offenses is a distraction. The mime passion play is progressivist, trivializing, drivel. I don’t think it should be done at all. That it be moved to the social hall is a compromise that I think very generous.
Not all art – even sacred art is worthy of performance or display in a sacred space. It is very likely that most art is not suitable to display or performance in a sacred space. An amateur mime production with Superman logos would likely fall into the category of better performed in the parish hall – or not at all.
A professional production the likes of Defilippis, or Chesterton or the recording of a documentary for EWTN is not all all in the same category artistically or catechetically.
I am not opposed to the use of a Church for performances, but the performances need to be worthy of the space.
DanielKane – I do agree with a more rational, reasonable approach – not a blanket one. As for the mime performance, I don’t know how reverent it is, or if the Sacrament has been removed (as is the case with “Saints Alive”). I have seen youth group productions in churches that have been reverently done, even if the performances were not as polished as Defilippis’s. I’ve also seen musical performances in churches by people like John Michael Talbot that were reverently done. I think it has to be judged on a case-by-case basis when it comes to religious “performances.” I’ve also been to some sacred music performances (choir and organ/piano)that seemed more about showing off than praising God. I’ve found some theatrical religious performances more spiritual and reverent that those show-off organ concerts. And, of course, secular performances should never be allowed.
Photo removed, as per request of Alison LeChase. It should be noted that the Blessed Sacrament will not be present in the tabernacle during the performance(s) and practice(s).
If I recall correctly, that was the case in the past. Pardon me if this comes off as argumentative, but while the removal of the Sacrament during this is better than if it were there, it’s still not good enough because it is still sacred space.
I agree, Scott. It’s as close to a compromise as I think can be expected. I don’t understand their insistence to have these in the church building, itself. Without any bias or baggage, I can comfortably say that a school hall, performance hall, social hall, etc. would be far more accommodating.
I don’t understand their insistence to have these in the church building, itself.
Two things: Jarring disjunctures between art forms (if you can call an effeminate sad-clown circus act an art form) and settings is a progressivist specialty; and, if something with fingers in the hinky theology of Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar happens in the sanctuary, then the hinky theology looks legitimate.
Pre-emptive anti-jerk disclaimer: I don’t think the folks putting on this show and the people approving it are being deliberately nefarious or are insincere. Rather, it is a bad hangover from the 30+ years of chaos and destruction visited upon the DoR.
At any rate, the chancel or interior of the church is not the place for this. It’s a serious abuse. Do in in the parish center or hall or even on the front steps of the church which where all such things were for centuries, but not in a sacred space.
This is the core issue. What’s especially galling is that they use the sanctuary itself as a prop, e.g., having the mime-Jesus lay in front of the altar in the tomb scene. Ms. LeChase is aware that the choice of venue is the crux of the issue. She does not care.
Dr. K, you are under no legal (or ethical) obligation to comply with her request regarding the photos. The parish posted them online.
“the crux of the issue” = the main objection
Dr. K, you are under no legal (or ethical) obligation to comply with her request regarding the photos. The parish posted them online.
In fact, we can ask the question–If there is nothing wrong with miming in the sanctuary, why ask the pictures be pulled? It’s not as if anyone can identify the kids with all the makeup on.
It’s possible the photographs were taken by Ms. LeChase, so I will honor her request not to post the image here. However, I see no issue with linking to a public gallery of the Passion Mime:
http://share.shutterfly.com/view/flashShareSlideshow.jsp?sid=0CaOWbZu2asXmQ
The powers that be at Peace of Christ don’t want people to see pictures of the Passion Mime and criticize their (their=powers that be) distasteful presentation of the Passion.
Photograph 7 shows the “tomb” scene I described in my comment above.
Yikes! Is that a kid lying on the altar in #7? Really? Where the Eucharist is celebrated? No — tell me it is a table brought in for the mime. Please. Copy the pictures quickly, they will be very likely to disappear soon.
I believe there’s a table in front of the altar.
In the VII era, we’re instructed to bow to the altar (which represents Christ) if the tabernacle is not present in the sanctuary. Do the actors show this reverence, or do they pass back and forth during the performance pretending the altar isn’t there? Doesn’t the altar represent Christ even outside of Mass?
Starting to see why the sanctuary is a bad location for a play?
Out of respect for the children, perhaps photos should be restricted without express permission from the parents. They are all minors. Thank you.
A) No photos of the mime are hosted or displayed here. They are on an external gallery unrelated to CF.
B) I’m not going to allow youth ministers and pastors to hide behind children. If these individuals want to mock the Passion, they should don the mime makeup themselves and parade around the sanctuary. Same goes for liturgical dance. If you want to dance during Mass, do it yourself.
For the love of all that is holy, is it so difficult to perform the Passion without mime makeup and superman shirts? Why are the leaders at Peace of Christ so stubborn about keeping these two offensive displays?
The children are also, um, wearing makeup; they’re disguised.
I don’t really think they’re intentionally “mocking” the Passion, but they certainly are lacking the proper reverence for the altar, sanctuary and liturgical space. They are “playing” around the very altar to which we bow, which the priest and deacon kiss at the beginning and end of each liturgy, which is the very place of the re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice. Now maybe these folks think they are somehow “re-presenting” Christ’s sacrifice, but what they are arguably doing is sacrilege.
If they REALLY want to re-present the Passion, they should ask the pastor to come and celebrate Mass with them! Their mime show should be removed to the gym or some other more suitable venue.