April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
Entertainment Column
Inspired
The priest, who has just been named executive producer of Paulist Media Works, spent five years working for Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets. He got the job full-time after earning a film degree from New York University.
Laboring behind the scenes, he discovered that "it's night and day in terms of the difference between puppeteers and the characters they perform. I watched geeky, awkward people undergo personality changes when they put a Muppet on." Kermit, for example, "was Jim's more playful side."
Giving life
"I got joy out of the collaborative process and great experience in creativity," he says of his experience in the production office of Henson's company. "It was almost a ministry. I had thought about a vocation in college and felt a change was needed, so I decided, 'Why not give my life to the Church?'"With his background and interests, he naturally chose the Paulist order, which is dedicated to using the media for evangelization. After his ordination, which occurred the same day his dad became a Catholic, Father Andrews was assigned to St. Paul the Apostle parish in New York City, an experience not unlike his Muppet years, he jokes.
"There's all kinds of zaniness at a parish in the middle of Manhattan," he explained. "You never know who's going to come through the door or what person is going to talk to you from a pew during Mass."
During his five years as an associate pastor, Father Andrews learned that "a liturgy done well -- with good music, homilies that relate to people and a welcoming presence -- makes all the difference. People will come to that -- and stay to know more about the Church."
Bigger audience
In his new role, he will be taking that experience and applying it to a much broader audience. He has a special interest in "reaching out to younger adults through the mainstream media to make religion more interesting to them. I want to entertain, inspire, instruct and speak the truth to young people. They yearn for something spiritual but don't want to be talked down to."As he speculates about where his new job will lead him, he thinks about "how we can take 'Road Rules' or 'Real Life' from MTV and put religion into them, or how we could do a talk show like Rosie O'Donnell or Oprah but with spiritual content, or how we might do a variety show that's specifically Catholic. It's time to explore -- to take what sells and come in with a message about values."
Imagine that
Father Andrews charges that "the Church doesn't put its money where its mouth is in terms of evangelization through the media," so funding the programs he has in mind will be a major challenge. "I'll have to find the funds by pitching shows that can reach a large audience," he said.As he surveys the scene now, he noted, "there is nothing out there" that meets the needs he sees. So the 35-year-old priest believes "it's time for a new generation to step up and imagine something new."
Stay tuned to see what he imagines.
(To learn more about the many media efforts of the Paulists, go to www.paulist.org.)
(02-24-00) [[In-content Ad]]
- Pope welcomes Burch as new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See
- Catholic leaders acknowledge tension between Trump immigration policy, religious liberty
- Peace requires a ‘different narrative’ world’s top church leaders urge
- Washington Roundup: Officials call for calm in US; lawmakers react to Russian drones; and more
- New saint has special connection to nation’s capital with parish’s adoration chapel
- Pew finds US Catholics ‘like what they’ve seen so far’ in Pope Leo XIV
- Migrants are not enemies, just brothers and sisters in need, pope says
- Jubilee of Consecrated Life celebrated in Paris shines light on communities shattered by abuse
- Trump, Utah governor reveal suspect in Charlie Kirk assassination now in custody
- Pope tells new bishops they must address abuse claims promptly
Comments:
You must login to comment.