Jimmy Fallon On His Catholicism

[tinytherese]

[b] Jimmy Fallon on His Catholicism[/b]
by [url="http://www.sacatholic.com/author/inspiredangela/"]Angela Santana[/url] on Dec 5, 2011 • 10:16 AM [url="http://www.sacatholic.com/2011/12/05/catholicism-jimmy-fallon-wanted-to-be-a-priest/#comments"]44 Comments[/url]

[url="http://www.sacatholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Jimmy_Fallon1.png"][img]http://www.sacatholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Jimmy_Fallon1.png[/img][/url]“I grew up in an Irish Catholic family, and I think they force you to watch every James Cagney movie.”

That was Jimmy Fallon’s first mention of his Catholicism on his recent NPR [i]Fresh Air[/i] interview. (He was explaining his first impersonation / impression: [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cagney"]James Cagney[/url] as a two-year-old.) Later in the interview ([url="http://www.npr.org/2011/05/23/136462013/late-night-thank-you-notes-from-jimmy-fallon"]listen here[/url]), he spoke with host Terri Gross about his Catholic upbringing…

GROSS: So you went to Catholic school when you were young.

Mr. FALLON: Oh yeah.

GROSS: Did you have…

Mr. FALLON: I wanted to be a priest.

GROSS: Did you really?
Mr. FALLON: Yeah. I loved it.

GROSS: Why?

Mr. FALLON: I just, I loved the church. I loved the idea of it. I loved the smell of the incense. I loved the feeling you get when you left church. I loved like how this priest can make people feel this good. I just thought it was – I loved the whole idea of it. My grandfather was very religious, so I used to go to Mass with him at like 6:45 in the morning, serve Mass. And then you made money, too, if you did weddings and funerals. You’d get like five bucks. And so I go ‘Okay, I can make money too.’ I go, ‘This could be a good deal for me.’ I thought I had the calling.

GROSS: Do you think part of that calling was really show business? ‘Cause – like the priest is the performer at church.
Mr. FALLON: Yeah. You know what – I, really Terry, I’m, I recently thought about this. [...] It’s my first experience on stage is as an altar boy. You’re on stage next to the priest, I’m a co-star.
(Laughter)

GROSS: ‘Also starring, Jimmy Fallon.’
(Laughter)

Mr. FALLON: Yeah, I have no lines but I ring bells. I ring bells and I swing the incense around. And you know, you are performing. You enter through a curtain, you exit through the, I mean you’re backstage. I mean, have you ever seen backstage behind an altar? It’s kind of fascinating.
GROSS: Right.
[url="http://www.sacatholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/altarboy.jpg"][img]http://www.sacatholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/altarboy.jpg[/img][/url]Mr. FALLON: So I think it was my first taste of show business – or acting or something.
GROSS: And there are comparisons, I think, between a theater and a church. They are just, kind of, places that are separated from outside reality.

Mr. FALLON: Yeah. And I remember I had a hard time keeping a straight face at church as well.

GROSS: Did you?

Mr. FALLON: Which – yeah…

GROSS: Did you do imitations of the priest?
(Laughter)

Mr. FALLON: Oh, of course. Yeah. I used to do Father McFadden all the time. He’s the fastest talking priest ever. He’s be like…
(Mumbling)
(Laughter)

Mr. FALLON: And then you leave and you go, ‘What was that?’
(Laughter)

Mr. FALLON: That guy’s the best. I mean, that was church? Sign me up! I’ll do church. I’ll do it 10 times a day if that’s church! He was great.

GROSS: Do you still go to church?

Mr. FALLON: I don’t go to – I tried to go back. When I was out in L.A. and I was kind of struggling for a bit. I went to church for a while, but it’s kind of, it’s gotten gigantic now for me. It’s like too… There’s a band. There’s a band there now, and you got to, you have to hold hands with people through the whole Mass now, and I don’t like doing that. You know, I mean, it used to be the shaking hands piece was the only time you touched each other.

GROSS: Mm-hmm.

Mr. FALLON: Now, I’m holding hand – now I’m [i]lifting[/i] people. Like Simba.
(Laughter)

Mr. FALLON: I’m holding them (Singing) [i]ha nah hey nah ho[/i].
(Speaking) I’m doing too much. I don’t want – there’s Frisbees being thrown, there’s beach balls going around, people waving lighters, and I go, ‘This is too much for me.’ I want the old way. I want to hang out with the, you know, with the nuns, you know, that was my favorite type of Mass, and the grotto, and just like straight up, just [b]Mass[/b] Mass.
[i]Transcript adapted from NPR.org[/i]

[url="http://www.sacatholic.com/2011/12/05/catholicism-jimmy-fallon-wanted-to-be-a-priest/"][i]Source http://www.sacatholic.com/2011/12/05/catholicism-jimmy-fallon-wanted-to-be-a-priest/[/i][/url]

[AccountDeleted]

Wow - I'm sure many people feel like this, especially those who have been away and they come back to a Mass that has lost all its beauty and reverence.

I know he makes fun of the priest and the way things were done, but you can also tell that the Mass 'fed him' something and that he misses that. If he had gone back to a Latin Mass instead of a NO, maybe he would have continued to come back... we don't know, but I know for myself that sometimes I have a really hard time at the NO, even with a really well meaning priest. It just doesn't have the same type of 'food'. Now when I go I just focus on the consecration and receiving Communion, but try to ignore all the game show activities that seem to have popped up, especially recently, with the parish children getting involved in the Mass and the priest even forgetting to start the Mass properly because he was helping the kids to put little decorations on the tree! I understand why a person returning to the Church today might not want to go back again.

I don't know what this interview says to anyone else, but it says to me that the Church really needs to grab the reins of the horse and pull her in a bit more. I am glad that the traditional Masses seem to be growing in number and acceptance around the world. It's not even the Latin so much (although if we had that, there wouldn't be debates about translations) but just the whole concept of the Mass as a place where one can meet with God and be fed spiritually rather than a 'social event' with hand holding and jazzy music. *sigh* I am not 'anti-Novus Ordo' - I am just not happy with the direction that some Masses have taken, including my own parish, especially since my priest is now ignoring the new translation and filling the Mass up with extraneous activities (like tree decorating). *sigh*

Edited December 7, 2011 by nunsense

[MissyP89]

Cue ad orientem debate....now!

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='MissyP89' timestamp='1323238013' post='2346299']
Cue ad orientem debate....now!
[/quote]

I hope not. My comments weren't about the direction the priest faces or even the Latin, they were about the loss of something intangible and the 'secularisation' of SOME NO Masses. With the EF, there aren't the same dangers, but the NO can be reverent and well done if the right attitude and understanding are there, especially on the part of the priest. He is, after all, in control of the Mass. Perhaps he has to be a little strong to deal with parish leaders who have strong ideas about music and other things, but he should be able to say no to things like hanging decorations on the tree DURING the Mass or even going so far as to act like game show hosts during the homily (one I saw in Orange County was a take-off on Deal or No Deal).

I attended some NO Masses in Singapore that were quite beautiful so I know it isn't simply the form of the Mass or even the language, but more the understanding that the priest and community have of why we are there in the first place.

I didn't mean to start another NO/EF debate because our Holy Father allows both kinds and I happen to love both kinds, but some NOs are almost unbearable - and then I simply focus on Our Lord in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

[GeorgiiMichael]

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1323238900' post='2346309']I didn't mean to start another NO/EF debate because our Holy Father allows both kinds and I happen to love both kinds, [b]but some NOs are almost unbearable[/b] - and then I simply focus on Our Lord in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
[/quote]

I understand what you mean on this account. I've only ever been to NO mass, since I just came into the Church on May 1st, and I haven't been able to attend an EF mass. I've been to some parishes where I just had to say to myself, "My feelings aren't important, the sacrifice of the Mass is important," over and over again. Fortunately, I go to a university that also has a seminary, and so the Masses are all pretty orthodox, to protect the formation of the seminarians.

[MissyP89]

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1323238900' post='2346309']

I hope not. My comments weren't about the direction the priest faces or even the Latin...
[/quote]

Oh, no worries, I knew that! It seemed to me that Fallon's comments about being a "costar" at the "performance" of Mass would spur a debate, that's all.

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='MissyP89' timestamp='1323240161' post='2346320']

Oh, no worries, I knew that! It seemed to me that Fallon's comments about being a "costar" at the "performance" of Mass would spur a debate, that's all.
[/quote]

Well, I can certainly understand that, but I think Fallon is commenting from a 'hindsight' perspective here. At the time he may have been a lot more involved spiritually than he thinks, but since his profession is entertainment now, he naturally relates his earlier experiences to that and might even think that was his only motivation. But there are easier ways for young people to get attention than serving at Mass.

As for the priests today who think the Mass is more performance art than piety, well, I have met EF priests who are also seem more concerned with their own image than with being true Christians, but in the EF they have a lot less opportunity to turn the Mass into a crowd pleasing performance because the liturgy is so constrained. I think that's a good reason for a very structured liturgy!! Less possibility for interpretation... but that could be done with the NO too if Bishops would insist on the rubrics being followed faithfully and not allowing their priests to improvise so much! But then again, I'm not sure our Bishop is even aware that our priest is ignoring the new translation ... so what to do?

[EmilyAnn]

I find it weird that he says that you have to hold hands through the whole Mass because that's just plain not true (at least not at any Catholic Church I've heard of). He's either going to the weirdest parish ever (lighters? seriously?) or perhaps being a drama queen.

But I like the way he talks about the beauty of Mass, too many people nowadays seem to think church is boring and dull. It's nice to see someone, even someone who doesn't attend anymore, see the beauty in it.

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1323238900' post='2346309']

I hope not. My comments weren't about the direction the priest faces or even the Latin, they were about the loss of something intangible and the 'secularisation' of SOME NO Masses. With the EF, there aren't the same dangers, but the NO can be reverent and well done if the right attitude and understanding are there, especially on the part of the priest. He is, after all, in control of the Mass. Perhaps he has to be a little strong to deal with parish leaders who have strong ideas about music and other things, but he should be able to say no to things like hanging decorations on the tree DURING the Mass or even going so far as to act like game show hosts during the homily (one I saw in Orange County was a take-off on Deal or No Deal).

I attended some NO Masses in Singapore that were quite beautiful so I know it isn't simply the form of the Mass or even the language, but more the understanding that the priest and community have of why we are there in the first place.

I didn't mean to start another NO/EF debate because our Holy Father allows both kinds and I happen to love both kinds, but some NOs are almost unbearable - and then I simply focus on Our Lord in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
[/quote]

I used to live in Singapore and our Masses were always wonderful. I think there is an element of people there are generally converts so they are more sort of 'on fire' in their faith. Whereas obviously in other countries you get both those enthusiastic people and those who just attend out of habit. Though actually my parish here in the UK is great, we have two very wonderful priests. One was only ordained last year and he is excellent. But I've heard a lot of criticisms mostly from the US so I'm wondering if this kind of phenomenon is very US based - perhaps because you have many, many evangelical churches are priests feel the need to compete.

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='EmilyAnn' timestamp='1323244740' post='2346325']
I find it weird that he says that you have to hold hands through the whole Mass because that's just plain not true (at least not at any Catholic Church I've heard of). He's either going to the weirdest parish ever (lighters? seriously?) or perhaps being a drama queen.

But I like the way he talks about the beauty of Mass, too many people nowadays seem to think church is boring and dull. It's nice to see someone, even someone who doesn't attend anymore, see the beauty in it.



I used to live in Singapore and our Masses were always wonderful. I think there is an element of people there are generally converts so they are more sort of 'on fire' in their faith. Whereas obviously in other countries you get both those enthusiastic people and those who just attend out of habit. Though actually my parish here in the UK is great, we have two very wonderful priests. One was only ordained last year and he is excellent. But I've heard a lot of criticisms mostly from the US so I'm wondering if this kind of phenomenon is very US based - perhaps because you have many, many evangelical churches are priests feel the need to compete.
[/quote]

I have lived in the US, Singapore, UK and Canada. I have also lived in Canada but as I was in a monastery there, I didn't get to see a range of Masses across the country, as I did in the other countries.

The US does have a lot of 'performance' priests (as I call them) but Australia comes a close second with uncomfortable Masses and there seem to be a lot of liturgical abuses here - a sort of 'anything goes' mentality. Singapore seemed good, no matter where I attended Masses, in the city or the suburbs. The UK wasn't bad, but I found they need to 'import' a lot of priests there, especially from African countries as they have such a priest shortage (at least in the areas I lived). The African priests were mainly from missionary religious communities, and they were very reverent with the Novus Ordo. I don't know what the Western world would do these days without priests from places like Africa or India! I wish we had more here in rural Australia because when you have four parishes dependant on one priest and he wants to do things his own way instead of the way Rome wants, then it's probably difficult for the Bishop to do much. If this priest were asked to retire, we wouldn't have any at all! Every day I am praying for more priests, really good, faithful priests. We need them so badly.

[AccountDeleted]

Sorry, I didn't get to edit the above soon enough.

[quote]I have lived in the US, Singapore, UK and Canada.
[/quote]
that should read

I have lived in the US, Singapore, UK and Australia.

[Vincent Vega]

[quote name='EmilyAnn' timestamp='1323244740' post='2346325']
I find it weird that he says that you have to hold hands through the whole Mass because that's just plain not true (at least not at any Catholic Church I've heard of). He's either going to the weirdest parish ever (lighters? seriously?) or perhaps being a drama queen.
[/quote]
One calls this "hyperbole".

[Papist]

I totally understand what he is talking about, but still no excuse for walking away.

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='Papist' timestamp='1323262756' post='2346364']
I totally understand what he is talking about, but still no excuse for walking away.
[/quote]


Oh absolutely! But for people whose faith isn't very deep, the externals do matter. I think that many cradle Catholics just accepted everything as sort of a cultural heritage rather than a choice, and so when things got tough, they didn't have the inner connection to keep help them through. My SIL is like this. She went to 12 years of Catholic schools but now she is very much a cafeteria Catholic who hardly ever attends Mass, but she insists that she is still a Catholic! To her, it is sort of a part of her identity rather than her beliefs.

Speaking as a convert, I can probably see both sides, but through God's grace I can see past the externals to the heart of the Mass and I just pray for things to get better where they need to.

[Papist]

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1323263265' post='2346371']


Oh absolutely! But for people whose faith isn't very deep, the externals do matter. I think that many cradle Catholics just accepted everything as sort of a cultural heritage rather than a choice, and so when things got tough, they didn't have the inner connection to keep help them through. My SIL is like this. She went to 12 years of Catholic schools but now she is very much a cafeteria Catholic who hardly ever attends Mass, but she insists that she is still a Catholic! To her, it is sort of a part of her identity rather than her beliefs.

Speaking as a convert, I can probably see both sides, but through God's grace I can see past the externals to the heart of the Mass and I just pray for things to get better where they need to.
[/quote]
You just described my sister.

[savvy]

[quote]You just described my sister. [/quote]

And my brother too!

Catholicism is certainly a heritage, but there's so much more to it.

Edited December 7, 2011 by savvy