[kalee]

http://www.stjosephsmen.com/letters/clownmass.htm

Google is my friend. It has been done before and here's the link. ECUSA isn't very original, this started in the Roman Catholic Church in the 70's.
http://www.stjosephsmen.com/letters/clownmass.htm

[sionnsar]

ECUSA isn't very original, this started in the Roman Catholic Church in the 70's.

That explains some of the ads I see in National Review.

[AnAmericanMother]

Actually, the Anglicans in London started it years ago.

At least they had a reason. Joseph Grimaldi, the "King of Clowns" (1779-1837) is buried at what used to be St. James's Pentonville. Several circuses had their winter quarters nearby, and St. James's became the "Clowns' Church" because of the association with Grimaldi. Eventually (some time in the late 40s IIRC) they began to have a special Grimaldi Memorial Service. When that church was deconsecrated (and eventually wrecked out) the clowns moved the service to Holy Trinity Dalston.

They attend in full "motley and slap" (costume & makeup), and there's a memorial window to Grimaldi in a little corner chapel, with a banner that says "Here We Are Fools for Christ".

Joseph Grimaldi

All in all, it's typical English eccentricity and clubbiness, and I like it.

[wideawake]

The trend began in the 1970s due to the popularity of the musical Godspell.

Silly priests thought they could get huge Broadway-style crowds to come for facepaint, clown Masses.