Glimpses of the gospel in the prayers of a
clown
By ARTHUR JONES
NCR Staff Bethesda, MD.
The trouble with plastic Groucho Marx nose-and-glasses is
theyre so cheaply made they often fall apart.
But after trying a few sets from the humor cart she
had parked on the 10th floor cancer ward at the National Institutes of Health,
Holy Cross Sr. Anne Miriam Hunt found a set that held together.
Then off she went with her praying mantis glove puppet, ready to
invite adult patients to pray with her and her make-believe friend.
Sometimes the people are too sick and dont want to be
bothered, said Hunt. When someone is an NIH patient it means treatment
elsewhere has failed.
Hunt is very low-key and unabashed when, some Tuesdays, she pops
on her red nose to make her humor rounds. Shes a fully qualified clown
(Flutterby is her clown persona) who served her apprenticeship more
than a decade ago at a community college. Im always recycling
myself, said Hunt, who was professed a half-century ago and this February
celebrates her 79th birthday.
Hunt grew up in South America where her father was a State
Department official. When the family moved to Washington, she attended Holy
Cross Academy, Dumbarton College and later, after working for the U.S.
Treasury, entered the congregation. As a young nun she was told she was going
into nursing, received her masters in nursing from The Catholic
University of America, had a career in nursing administration and helped open
Holy Cross Hospital in suburban Maryland in 1963.
In the early 1970s, Hunt was part of the Movement for a Better
World national retreat team. Following Vatican II (1962-65), she put in four
years giving church renewal programs at parishes, seminaries and diocesan
gatherings.
Shes a certified clinical mental health counselor who worked
for 14 years as a pastoral counselor in a downtown Washington parish, St.
Dominics. Until two years ago. I was downsized, she said.
These days, in addition to clowning at childrens parties and
pushing her NIH humor cart one day a week, she teaches people who give marriage
preparation courses.
There was a time when, as Flutterby, she was miming the scriptures
in area churches. Subsequently, the Catholic bishops decided: No more
liturgical experimentation, clowns included.
Theyre wrong of course, she said. The
clown is a symbolic figure of death and resurrection. Whatever face you put on
youre dying to self. The bishops dont appreciate the spirituality
or theology of it.
Hunt does. She was invited to NIH by George Patrick, director of
recreational therapy, when the two sat together and chatted at a spirituality
and health conference several years ago.
Serendipity, said Hunt. The sort of serendipity that
sometimes occurs when she goes into a patients room and finds someone who
wants to talk, to pray or to laugh. Laughter or prayer. Either way, Hunt is
prepared.
When she leaves she hands out her humor sheet and her photocopied
prayers.
What do the patients think? Its hard not to smile when she
has the puppets going.
This day shed already stopped to see Carol Womble from North
Carolina, then Lori Rains from Atlanta and had more calls yet to make.
In the elevator, two patients -- one wearing his cowboy hat --
responded to questions about her.
Sister Anne? Thats one real nice lady, one said.
The Stetson nodded in agreement. Real funny.
A sort of honorary Marx Brother sister.
National Catholic Reporter, February 20,
1998
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