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Jan. 11,
2007 |
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| Pallottine priest earns his 'Stripes' as clown
Providing laughs is another facet of Fr. Serwa's ministry |
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By Amy Guckeen
Special to your Catholic Herald |
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| Pallottine Fr. Greg Serwa uses makeup, a wig and red nose to transform himself into “Stripes” the Clown. Fr. Serwa has been involved in clowning ministry since 1976. (Catholic Herald photo by James Pearson) |
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MILWAUKEE — Some know him as Stripes. Others may call him Fr. Greg. But all know him as a man that fills everything he encounters with laughter.
A Milwaukee native, Fr. Greg Serwa is not just your ordinary Pallottine. While he may celebrate Mass and do the other sacramental work that is part of priesthood, Fr. Serwa also has a hobby-turned-ministry, a way of going incognito and providing laughter and smiles. He’s a clown.
“You always have to laugh,” Fr. Serwa said. “You have to laugh at yourself a little bit. That’s all part of it.”
Fr. Serwa came to clowning by accident during a parish festival at St. Anthony of Padua (now St. Vincent Pallotti) in 1976. He decided that they needed something fun for the kids — something like a clown. When asked if he’d like to be that clown, he volunteered, linking humor to his ministry.
In subsequent years, parishioners assisted in constructing his clown costume, applying makeup and teaching him how to make balloon animals and juggle — although he never quite mastered the juggling.
All the hard work by Fr. Serwa and volunteers paid off, leading to the creation of Stripes, his alter ego in the clown world. As he grew more and more adept at clowning, Fr. Serwa helped to form a service group at Pius XI High School dedicated to clowning. The group made visits to Children’s Hospital, helping to bring smiles and laughter.
“It’s interesting being a clown because people don’t know who you are necessarily,” said Fr. Serwa, who continues to clown at parish festivals. “The same can be said in some ways for priests. You wear a uniform and people identify with that uniform. It can keep people away or invite people in. As a priest, you’re always dealing with things that are important to people’s lives. You have to be real gentle with people. The same can be said for clowning; little kids can be quite frightened of clowns.”
In his 30 years as a clown and 36 years a priest, Fr. Serwa has found several striking comparisons between the two. One was that of balloon animals. As Fr. Serwa explained, there are lots of little children and only so many balloon animals to go around, much like a priest and his parishioners.
“You only have one to give away,” Fr. Serwa said of a balloon animal. “Who needs it the most? In the priesthood, everybody would like a piece of your time, but there’s not always time to get to everyone, so you must decide — who needs you the most right now?”
The time that Fr. Serwa does get to spend with parishioners at St. Vincent Pallotti — as well as other parishes around the archdiocese where he fills in — he cherishes, as he gets to embark on one of his favorite aspects of the priesthood: the journey with others.
“What is always awesome to me is that I am given so many opportunities to walk with people in the really important times in their lives,” Fr. Serwa said. “It’s an awesome kind of thing and something that happens on a daily basis for us as priests. I really see that as a privilege or gift.”
For Fr. Serwa, discerning his vocation in his younger days was a relatively easy process, as he always knew somewhere in his heart that he would become a priest. With three aunts who were religious sisters and his first encounter with the Pallottines as a student at St. Mary Help of Christians School in West Allis, it just made sense, although it was a journey he says, that never ends.
“I joined the priesthood because someone asked me to,” Fr. Serwa said with a laugh. “I had always thought about it. I had three aunts who were nuns, so it was always in the back of my head, which made it an easy decision. But keep in mind that that was a grade schooler talking. The priesthood is not a one-shot deal, it’s an ongoing decision.”
Besides clowning and working at the Pallotti House, for the Pallottine province, Fr. Serwa also serves as liaison between the Union of Catholic Apostolate — an association open to laity, clergy and religious that “strives to revive and bring to fruition the charism of every person” — and the Pallottines. |
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