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Unmasking the mystery of Mardi Gras By Dolores Madlener The carney’s spiel of “What you see is what you get” can trick us into believing our eyes. He mixes magic and meaning—an ancient formula that’s never failed to fascinate. Our Catholic ancestors invented carnivale or carnival just before Ash Wednesday as an emotional and digestive break prior to embarking on 40 days of rigorous fasting and self-denial. Literally, the word “carnival” itself means “farewell to meat.” The mask was and still is a big part of the “trickery” surrounding the Mardi Gras revelry, and with its Catholic roots, masking is steeped in symbolism. Franciscan Father Robert Pawell, director of the new Mt. Carmel House of Study and Prayer at 708 W. Belmont Ave., has devised a two-part, pre-Lenten program to reflect on the mystery of masking. The first part, from 7-9 p.m. March 6, will deal with “An introverted celebration of the mask. The shadow we hide and its creative power for renewal.” While most folks think they’re being open and above-board in their daily lives, Pawell said that’s just not so. Participants will explore the masks people wear and why we wear them. “For instance,” he said, “you can get so heavily identified with
a role you think it’s all of you—like becoming so identified with
being a parent you forget you’re a spouse. Or some people see
themselves only as their profession, like the legendary bishop
who ‘slept in his miter.’” The Franciscan understands. “The Latin word ‘persona,’ was used for the mask actors wore in Roman theater.” Literally it was the thing one spoke through, “per-sonare,” to sound through. Pawell said he hopes the first session “will be a time to seek our true face and look at ‘Who do I think I am?’ literally, and in a prayerful way.” He believes the phenomenon of the mask has a potential for spiritual growth and renewal as men and women approach Lent. He sees his workshops as a way of trying to appreciate who God calls each one to be. “Not throw away our other roles, but let them have a secondary place in our lives.” This spiritual director calls it a search for authenticity in how to be honest with God and with ourselves. Pawell throws in St. Paul as backup: “Our life is hidden with Christ in God.” Our true self is hidden—and what appears is just an aspect of our true self. Part Two (March 7) is called “An extroverted celebration of our unmasked selves.” Participants will make their own masks with crayons and markers. No one has to be an artist, he said, and that’s the holy joke. “Mardi Gras or carnival isn’t just revelry and rowdiness,” said Pawell. “There’s a whole psychic release when you begin to laugh at yourself—when you look in the mirror and say, ‘This is what I’ve become. Do I want to play this role forever?’ He calls it, “a playful reality from taking ourselves too seriously.” Pawell, who was raised on the Northwest Side of Chicago and holds a B.A. in philosophy and psychology, also has a baccalaureate in sacred theology from the Antonianum in Rome. He has been involved in a variety of ministries and spent 20 years in New Orleans before returning to Chicago. His newest “role” is director of the House of Prayer. He is familiar with the spirituality of Mardi Gras. If the rest of us think that’s an oxymoron, he blames our frowns on the nation’s Puritan past and Catholic fundamentalism. He’s adamant: “You don’t find Mardi Gras or carnival in Protestant cultures. It only exists in Catholic culture, tied to Lent and repentance—the prelude to renewal.” The two-part program is $10 per evening; register by calling (773) 525-3533, and put on a happy face, please!
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