Lions, tigers and prayers ... oh, my
Circus' priest gives comfort to faithful
By Joseph Ruzich | Special to the Tribune
September 17, 2007
It might sound a little odd to say Rev. Charles Watkins conducts mass for a bunch of clowns -- but that's his job.
Several times a year Watkins, 62, leaves St. Cletus Parish in west suburban La Grange to say mass for circus employees under a big top. It doesn't faze him that sometimes lions roar and elephants scream during his mass, he said, that's just part of the job.
"He is very gracious," said Giovanni Zoppe of Zoppe Family Circus, which ended a five-day run Sunday at Dvorak Park in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. "He baptized my daughter in a little circus tent on a grass lot in Stone Park. It was a very special moment for me. He gives all of us the comfort of knowing that a priest is with us. It's not easy being in a traveling show."
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1 comment:
Very nice article.
Thanks.
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