Madrid, Spain, Nov 7, 2007 / 02:25 pm (CNA).- On Sunday a man dressed as a clown interrupted Mass at the Church of Corpus Christi in Granada, Spain and destroyed the parish’s baptismal font.

Father Lauro, who was celebrating Mass at the time, said, “This young man is not the only one who comes around here.  There are many who, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, enter the church daily.   This kid has been showing up for the past week and he has even received Communion on a few occasions.”  Although the police were able to track the man down after he fled from the church, the Augustinian Fathers who operate the parish asked that charges not be pressed, saying, “After all, there are so many on the streets, and we won’t gain anything.”  However, he said he hoped police would keep them away from the church.

Isabel Lopez, 80, who was present at the Mass, said the disruption was “like a bomb.”  “We were very frightened.  We didn’t do anything because we were praying the rosary [before Mass] and we shouldn’t disrespect the Lord, even in those circumstances.  So we just kept praying,” she said.

Lopez said every evening two or three people enter the church and disturb people who are praying. 

The baptismal font, which dates to the 19th century, was completely destroyed.

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