A reader sent me information about St.
George Parish in Baton
Rouge and Dexter. Now you might ask who is Dexter?
You guessed it. Dexter is the
lovable Puppet Dog that is used to explain the Mass and they stop the
Mass for Dexter to weigh in.
The Children’s puppet Masses (two words I
hate putting together) are suppose to be so popular that for one
weekend all Masses will include Dexter the Puppet Dog – at least I
think it is a dog. Do not give what is holy to dogs, unless they are a puppet dog. But hey it must be alright because he has
a cool 12 on his shirt which is so scripturally based. Now
maybe in some wild way you can attempt to justify this for a children’s
Mass, but for all Masses during a weekend? Hey let us get
purple dinosaurs as altar-dinos because wow wouldn’t that be fun and
the children would love it. They could sing little songs
explaining what they are doing. Besides what’s the limit as
long as children are learning something? Besides isn’t the
combination of Mass and puppet – Muppet.
Now puppets used as a teaching tool are
probably a great idea if used in for example the parish hall, but
puppetry and Calvary are a non-starter. Now I grew up in
children’s theater and my father was both an actor and a puppeteer and
I got to help him out at times. So I don’t have
puppetphobia and think in the right setting an explanation of the Mass
using puppets for children could be useful, but not during Mass.
Tommorow is the feast day for Saint John Bosco who was a
juggler, magician, and acrobat and used these skills in his
evangelization effort with children – but does anybody seriously think
that he would ever have considred doing this during Mass? I
think the is more likely have turned his dog Grigio on any puppets
trying to appear at Mass.
My reader informs me that they
have it on good authority that the Bishop of Baton Rouge knows about
this and has no problem with its continued use.
I am starting to wonder if Louisiana is
now the headquarters of the Puppet Mass since a Fr. Sweet in Shreveport
is a ventriloquist who does Mass with his puppet Charlie. I
assume In Persona Puppet.
Update via a commenter:
You say “the Bishop of Baton Rouge knows about this and has no problem with its continued use”. But in fact the pastor was told the day after this occurred (some weeks ago, well before advent) by the chancery that it was not okay, and that it was never to happen again…the bishop’s office was NOT okay with it. Apparently this was the idea of a lay ministry coordinator who doesn’t know much about liturgy at all. The pastor and associate pastor (not to mention most of the parishioners, who were quite properly aghast) were very uncomfortable with it.
Update: People who defend this are blind. First, as a parishioner at this particular parish I’d like to correct some facts. Fr. Mike, our pastor, came to us in November of 2005 so he just celebrated his second anniversary as Pastor. Also, this puppet mass never happened before Fr. Mike was pastor. Last year was the first year this ocurred and this year was the second. It was after this year’s Mass that it was announced that all Masses on one weekend would be puppet masses because of the “popularity.” While some of us are truly outraged to make it look like this has been going on for many years and that the Pastor is trying to weed this stuff out is false. Such things as this, liturgical dance, and other abuses continue to be a problem in our parish and it seems that everyone wants to turn a blind eye.
48 comments
That’s “in persona puppeti”. Get your cases right.
I’m sorry, I just can’t avoid being sophomoric on this one. One word: “Retarded.” Sorry. But really people…are we this out of touch with reality?
Or “The Mass for Dummies”?
Go here:
http://www.diafrica.org/kenny/CDtexts/SS1Cor.htm
and check out this:
14-7: 1 Cor 14:34-40
-and this is an honest question, in todays society do we completely ignore this verse, or am I reading this completely wrong.
Now, if I am correct- perhaps the “dog” is the necessary loophole to this teaching.
J/K
You say “the Bishop of Baton Rouge knows about this and has no problem with its continued use”. But in fact the pastor was told the day after this occurred (some weeks ago, well before advent) by the chancery that it was not okay, and that it was never to happen again…the bishop’s office was NOT okay with it. Apparently this was the idea of a lay ministry coordinator who doesn’t know much about liturgy at all. The pastor and associate pastor (not to mention most of the parishioners, who were quite properly aghast) were very uncomfortable with it.
Have they lost their minds, these lay ministers?Thank God that the chancery put a stop to it, but what is wrong with these lay people who run, or think they run the parishes? “Oh, my God!” is not using His name in vain, but a prayer of supplication.
P is correct. A good friend from college just got hired there as the youth minister. He tells me that the Pastor there is relatively new to the parish and that he is trying to reshape the parish so that it doesn’t have things like puppet masses.
Working in a parish I realize that change happens SLOW . . . too slow in my opinion, but the speed at which it occurs to fit with a pastor’s view is usually 3-5 years.
The Worldwide HQ for teddy bear Masses is in Singapore.
Check out this one. And this.
The Franciscan priest was newly ordained last year.
Well it seems that from digging around on the web that the current Pastor has been there since 2005 so that makes it at least his third year (he could have been there longer but I can’t find anything to verify this.) This doesn’t explain then (if the Bishop did prohibit this and the Pastor is against it) why it was announced that they would be doing it at all Masses on a weekend instead of the one Mass that was done in the past. Something smells fishy here.
Please calm down. They are just putting the “dog” in “dogma”.
This is proof that God is working hard in the Catholic Church. If he wasn’t we’d all be Unitarians by now.
What a joke!
I wondering if anyone is going to attempt a silly defense of this on the possiblity that the puppet is teaching everything in accord with Church teaching.
Or the ever-popular non-response: It’s not YOUR parish, so it’s none of your business.
At least a purple dinosaur would be the right liturgical color for lent… and attending that Mass might rightly be called a severe pennance.
Pastor is ‘uncomfortable’ with it? I would hope that this is an understatement. He should also be uncomfortable with his own lack of supervision of the unnamed lay ministry coordinator. A simple ‘no’ would have nipped this in the bud.
Maybe I’ve been doing this too long, but the only thing that popped into my mind when I saw the picture was: “Whose jersey is Dexter wearing?”
I know…not enough coffee…
I think a lot of these “experts” on the parish level commit these acts of liturgical or catechetical stupidity more out of ignorance than out of a well-grounded liberal agenda (a la Archbishop Marini’s well-developed liberal liturgical views). They just happened to be the people within the parish who volunteered for the job, not knowing how little they know. On a purely natural level, using puppets to explain something to kids makes sense; it’s just that they don’t have enough understanding of the Mass or of the liturgy to realize how utterly inappropriate something like this is.
Always assume ignorance before malicious intent–it’s usually correct.
Always assume ignorance before malicious intent–it’s usually correct.
Agreed. And that is why when one goes to correct this, they need to approach people charitably and with a helpful attitude rather than breaking out the Holy HeresySmashing Warhammer +10 and attacking.
People who defend this are blind. First, as a parishioner at this particular parish I’d like to correct some facts. Fr. Mike, our pastor, came to us in November of 2005 so he just celebrated his second anniversary as Pastor. Also, this puppet mass never happened before Fr. Mike was pastor. Last year was the first year this ocurred and this year was the second. It was after this year’s Mass that it was announced that all Masses on one weekend would be puppet masses because of the “popularity.” While some of us are truly outraged to make it look like this has been going on for many years and that the Pastor is trying to weed this stuff out is false. Such things as this, liturgical dance, and other abuses continue to be a problem in our parish and it seems that everyone wants to turn a blind eye.
Thanks Tim for your first-hand account. I will certainly keep you and your parish in my prayers.
Nothing says ‘take the Mass seriously kids’ like a interrupting sock puppet. *sigh*
It is not really just to assume ignorance. Besides, that assumption seems to mean invincible ignorance, as simple ignorance may also be a malicious intent to distort the rubrics.
Does one have to be a parent to understand how using puppets makes a thing comprehensible to children, because I don’t remember having ever learned anything from a puppet? To be honest, I think it would have caused more anger than understanding if I had to see that at a Mass.
Some of the previous comments fail to distinguish between vincible and invincible ignorance. Ignorance (of the mass and/or liturgical propriety in general) in this context, in this fashion, is entirely preventable both on the part of the “ministers” – ugh in itself – as well as past/current sacerdotal oversight (or lack thereof).
Note from Code of Canon Law: Can. 229 1. Lay persons are bound by the obligation and possess the right to acquire knowledge of Christian doctrine appropriate to the capacity and condition of each in order for them to be able to live according to this doctrine, announce it themselves, defend it if necessary, and take their part in exercising the apostolate.
Note: ‘Bound by obligation’ … that’s pretty strong language. The ignorant have no rights to exercise an apostolate.
There are times when nothing short of the +10 Holy Warhammer of Heresy Smiting is the only thing that can get someone’s attention.
And how is a dog supposed to help kids learn about the solemnity of teh Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? Am I the only one here who would be embarrassed if I took a visitor to such a Mass? I really don’t know how the people in the photos kept themselves from bursting out laughing because of the pure absurdity demonstrated.
Sigh. And people wonder why the Latin Masses are seeing swells in attendance……
-they need to approach people charitably and with a helpful attitude rather than breaking out the Holy HeresySmashing Warhammer +10 and attacking.-
I had one of those once. It was awesome!
As you all probably know the Purple Barney Dinosaur mass is a well established feature of modern American catholic worship seehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHi_VZLtcQ8
It’s time to play the music
It’s time to light the lights, it’s time to meet the puppets on the puppet mass tonight.
It’s time to put on makeup
It’s time to dress up right
It’s time to raise the curtain on the puppet mass tonight.
Why do we always come here? We both already know, we have an obligation, despite the puppet show.
And now let’s get things started
Why don’t you get things started
It’s time to get things started
On the most irrational desperational congegrational puppetational
This is what we call the Puppet Mass!
I can’t believe no one has pointed out yet that these liturgies have “gone to the dogs”…
I can’t get over the fact that Burnt Marshwiggle put in all the effort to compose that parody! LOL! Bravo, and thanks for the memories.
Jeff – Why oh why must you constanly bring these things to my attention. Just stick to the fake funny stuff. This isn’t funny. It’s real and it’s just overwhelmingly depressing. Best not to ridicule this type of behaviour…or give others ideas, God forbid.
Prayers & blessings.
Okay here is my story. I used to do a children’s activity downtown at the Episcopal cathedral, and so I got to talk to a lot of friendly, enthusiastic Episcopal moms. One day near St. Patrick’s Day, one of the moms was talking about how she really had wanted to bake bread for their service (do they call it mass?) and use green food coloring in the dough, so that when “R” broke the bread it would be green inside!! Wouldn’t that be hilarious!!! Several other women agreed. But someone at the church told her she couldn’t.
Usually I remained silent during any of these religious discussions, but I just couldn’t this time. I said, timidly, “Wouldn’t that be a little — irreverent?” And she nodded and said, “Yes, that’s what XXX said. But still, it would be hilarious!”
And my immediate thought was: THAT is why we don’t let lay people plan everything! Green Eucharistic bread on St. Patrick’s Day! Different lay training programs exist so that sort of thing doesn’t happen, but obviously it still does in many places. I would be appalled at the puppet mass (thanks, Marshwiggle, for the great parody) but just look at those sincere, enthusiastic women with the puppet! They think they are doing something really good. Yes, they should be stopped with all possible speed. But I agree with Johnny Domer — they probably have no clue.
The pastor and associate pastor (not to mention most of the parishioners, who were quite properly aghast) were very uncomfortable with it.
Good grief! Doesn’t the lay ministry coordinator have to run these things by the pastor or the assistant pastor? It is the pastor who is in charge of the parish, the buck stops with him.
Burnt: Now that’s a great parody.
Some cultures celebrate Mass a little differently than we do (i.e. dancing in African Catholic Masses), but puppet dogs are definitely over the line.
Invincible ignorance?
^
Try: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07648a.htm for starters.
As soon as I saw this it made me think uncomfortably of Revelation 22:15 turned inside out…”For without are the dogs…and every one that loveth and maketh a lie…”
The pastor and assoc.pastor were uncomfortable? Then who is the priest celebrating Mass in the top photo? He looks quite comfortable — and perhaps amused, but not aghast.
When I was a kid we had lots of weird stuff done in the name of making Mass more relevant to kids. Most of the people I went to school with are no longer Catholic. Somebody in this parish needs discover his testicles put them to use PDQ.
When I was in seminary we used to say, when we came back from summer break, that we grew back our testicles over the summer (working, manual labor etc…) Then, with the new school year, we prepared ourselves for them to shrink back up. Sorry about being a little vulgar/realistic – but this is true.
What they need to do is relatively simple: Get a copy of Spirit of the Liturgy, give it to ALL of the Lay Members in this Committee and have them look at Papal Celebrations (Marini II of course) and Copy them.
I frequently attend Mass at St. George, and saw the announcement in the weekly bulletin that Dexter the puppet would be at three of the five weekend Masses for the first weekend of Advent Dec 1/2. Not wanting to be a participant or a witness to Dexter’s deeds, our family attended the vigil Mass which was sans-Dexter.
However, I was told about the Dexter disaster (my terminology) by several friends who attended. One who had no clue of what was to happen until Dexter interrupted the associate pastor several times within the first few minutes of Mass, walked out. This approaching fifty year old friend said it was his first time to EVER walk out of a Mass. He said the associate pastor, who is normally a very confident celebrant, seemed clearly uncomfortable as he read his script in response to Dexter’s questions. After the third or fourth interruption by Dexter, this friend exited the church. He had seen and heard enough. He said there were a good dozen other folks leaving with him. This was all before the first reading was even read.
The second person I spoke with said it was “truly disgraceful.” Some of the people who chose to stay but were clearly against the whole debacle were heard saying to the associate pastor as he processed down the main aisle to retrieve the Book of Gospels: “Shame on you, Father, shame, shame on you!” My friend said the associate pastor looked at them apologetically and was overheard apologizing to complaining parishioners after Mass that he was participating in the Mass as an act of obedience. My friend said the associate pastor seemed acutely pained by the ordeal. This friend also marveled at how the associate pastor, who is well known as an excellent homilist, was able to preach at all that Mass.
Neither one of these folks attended the Masses said by the pastor so I don’t have an account of what happened with him.
Oh, one final thing…I did hear via another parishioner that Dexter has been retired. No official announcement has been made, but let’s all pray that Dexter truly is dead. RIP Dexter.
I forgot to mention in my previous post that the celebrant in the picture is the pastor of St. George.
The Dexter Mass pictures are no longer on the website but the liturgical dancers are still there.
http://www.st-george.org/
I’m thinking maybe dyslexia? They wanted God to be more present at Mass?
This is more unfortunate fallout from the “over-implementation” of Vatican II “reforms”. And, a good example of why Rome is trying to bring dignity and reverence back to the Mass. Sadly, famiarity often does bring contempt.
“I did hear via another parishioner that Dexter has been retired. No official announcement has been made, but let’s all pray that Dexter truly is dead. RIP Dexter.”
Amen. Let’s pray Dexter is not resurrected in an Easter Mass. Surely all dogs go to heaven, especially those who have “concelebrated” Holy Mass. RIP Dexter, indeed!
I’ve been to mass in that Diocese before. I used to work in Port Allen, an area that is part of the Diocese and attended many daily masses at the Cathedral in Baton Rouge. The masses tended to be very reverent there. Anytime you went outside the Cathedral into other parishes though, you were basically flipping a coin between luke warm, and ultra-liberal parishes.
This is why St. Paul talks about not drinking before Mass.
Who let the dogs out? Who who who who?
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