By Msgr. Noel G. Burtenshaw

“Ladies and Gentlemen.” You hear the drums roll in the background. There’s a hush in the great arena. It is the moment reserved for the splendidly adorned ringmaster. He is about to release on his waiting audience the sparkling circus show.

“Ladies and Gentlemen. Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey proudly present the Greatest Show on Earth."

The music explodes and the grand parade of artists begins. The clowns are first, proud of their connecting part. Their artistry, their all-aged acts of comedy, will connect each act as the great, travelling circus unfolds.

Clowns are so prominent, but they are only a part. Lovely ladies are there and not just to decorate. Watch them gallop horses and elephants with skills and certainty. Acrobats are there, flyers of the trapeze, walkers of the high wire and the heart stopping animal tamers – all are the team members of the circus world beloved of every generation.

As the circus came to town last week and performed to record breaking crowds at the OMNI in Atlanta, another part of the team was playing a prominent role. He was Father Jack Toner. As the different acts stepped into the glare of the spotlight, Father Jack took his place at the entrance to the big top and there he stayed as the circus brought its thrills to every heart.

“I love it,” said the smiling Father Jack who travels the nation with the circus as chaplain to all who live and perform within the big top. “This is my life now, if you like, this is my parish and these beautiful men, women and children are my parishioners.”

It really began when Father Toner was 15. “I badly wanted to join the circus,” says this youthful priest now ordained 40 years. ‘I suppose every kid wants to be in the circus, but for me it was more than just a dream. I loved it. But I had to choose. Would it be the seminary or the life of a travelling performer?”

The seminary call was heard and Father Jack, who hails from Connecticut, joined the LaSalette community. ‘I had to put the thought of circus out of my mind – for a while. It never was too far away.”

Father Jack went into all kinds of service as a priest. He was in seminary work, foreign mission work and lots of others. Finally, after part-time work with performers for many years, he was appointed by the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Migration and Tourism to be circus chaplain in 1983. “That means,” says Father Jack as he invites you to his trailer, “I am chaplain to all faiths and also to all the circuses around the country.”

Ringling Brothers is the largest circus on the road today. “There are 600 people employed in this circus. Of course there are two sections or, if you like, two complete shows with 300 performers and workers in each. Last year both shows performed before 70 million people across the United States.”

“There are others circuses, too,” says this enthusiastic ever-on-the-go priest. “There are actually 60 of them, some large, some small. These circuses still perform under canvas. I try and get to see them all. That’s my job. I’m their chaplain.

In his clerical black, Father Jack stands at the entrance to the three rings. All the action is there at that spot. “Stand back,” he tells you as he spots the elephants returning from the ring. “Some of these big guys are friendly, but some are not.” The mountainous beasts trot past as the earth shakes and the performers wave to him. “Hey, padre. Hey, Father Jack.” Father Jack Toner reaches out to touch them all. They gather around him, gleeful after a good performance, happy with the applause ringing in their ears. He laughs with them, there’s a pastoral relationship.

He comments to you, “That’s the Espansas group. They are from Mexico-wonderful trapeze artists. That’s Eric Braun, he has a dog act. His family has been in the circus going back 150 years. His children just made their first Holy Communion. That’s Lou Jacobs, best clown in the business.”

Father Jack is where he should be. He has the “dust of a thousand lots on his shoes” as circus people say. This is his home.

The circus is also his parish. Each Sunday as the shows travels Mass is celebrated between the afternoon and the evening performance. “About one third of the performers are Catholic,” says Father Toner, so we have Sunday Mass in the center ring. We also have instructions for the children. We have that in the ‘parish center’.”

The parish center is the trailer he calls home. “Circus life is hard on children. They perform, learn their trade, learn their lessons from a tutor and try and be children, too. It’s hard.”

In the parish center, Father Jack also does his counseling, his instructions and all the other ministries of a parish priest.

It is easy to see that this unusual man loves his parish-family, but he quickly reminds you that he is loved back. “Oh, they are wonderful. Constantly they ask if I have enough food. Without my requesting they maintain my trailer, always they watch out for me. Family life is very strong, very powerful in circus life, so family kindness flows easily from them. I am glad I am here.”

P.T. Barnum, as everyone knows, was the founding genius of the modern day circus. He was the one who called his dream show the “Greatest Show on Earth.” And in its greatness the show goes on, with dare-devils constantly attempting the never-before-done as audiences gasp.

Father Jack Toner is a part of that scene. At 5:30 p.m. last Sunday, he too performed, in costume, in center ring. As the performers gathered, as the trapeze, minus a flyer, swung to and from above, as a lion growled in a hidden cage and somewhere, in a foreign language, conversation was exchanged by off duty performers. Father Jack began the liturgy at the table of the Lord.

At this moment the spotlight belonged to him alone.