Priest with a Mic

DeKALB – Kyle Manno is not your usual perception of a Roman Catholic priest.

Manno, 32, administrator of Christ the Teacher University Parish Newman Center in DeKalb, is a local social media celebrity. His 2016 carpool karaoke video with Rockford Diocese Bishop David Malloy received more than 630,000 views on YouTube.

Manno has more than 46,000 views on his YouTube channel, more than 14,500 followers on Instagram, and more than 12,750 likes and 15,000 followers on Facebook.

Manno spoke to MidWeek reporter Katrina Milton about his calling to the priesthood and his fame on social media.

Milton: How long have you been at the Newman Center?

Manno: I’ve been at the Newman Center for a year and a half. I’ve been a priest now for four years. I grew up in Palatine and actually went to Northern Illinois University and studied music. Part of being a priest is helping others discover who they are. When you’re younger, especially when you’re college-aged, you want to figure out your identity, who you are and who you’re called to be.

Milton: When did you realize your calling?

Manno: I had my calling in college. I’m also the vocation director for the Rockford Diocese, so I help other young men with their callings. God wants to put you on an adventure, and you’re called to change other people’s lives.

Milton: How are you different from most people’s perception of a priest?

Manno: I think a lot of people think that most priests are old, miserable, decrepit and don’t like being priests or something. Their image of a priest is someone not on fire. They think of church being a dry, boring place and you’re told ‘Don’t do this, don’t do that.’ I want people to see that faith life, this journey, is amazing and can blow your mind and make you so joyful and put a light inside you. Priests can be happy and have fun and love being priests. I hope to offer viewers of my social media a taste of church without having to go into a church. I hope to help them get in the door to help them learn more about who God is.

Milton: Tell me about your social media.

Manno: I post videos on YouTube as well as Facebook and Instagram about my daily life, I answer questions, do sit-down interviews and I do Priest with a Mic. I have visited downtown Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles, and I’ve asked people what they believe, what makes them happy and sad. Priest with a Mic is good because people have truth deeply imbedded with them. I enjoy meeting people and understanding why people do what they do, why they believe what they believe. I love being able to connect with anyone and everyone around the world through social media. Students follow and send links to their friends, who aren’t parishioners or Catholic or they may be atheists. Social media helps me share and connect with others.

Milton: Do you often have a positive response talking to people?

Manno: I have done Priest with a Mic on the street many times, and I’d say 90 to 95% of people are really nice. I think I’ve had maybe one person say one negative thing. People are either really friendly or really intrigued. In downtown LA, it’s common to see people dressed up as Captain America or Catwoman and you can take a photo with them for $3. People asked all the time if I was really a priest. I was nervous at first, thinking people would be angry or anti-priest or anti-Catholic. People so far have been very nice. Even if they’re not interested in talking to me, I say, “God bless you, have a good day.” They always give me a friendly response.

Milton: Are people surprised that you are a priest?

Manno: I think most people are amazed that I have a significant number of followers on social media. Young people are intrigued that their concept of a priest is dispelled. They’re intrigued and want to learn more. It’s why social media, especially Instagram, is so great. It’s the best video platform to connect and engage with college-aged students.

Milton: Why is connecting on social media so important?

Manno: People of the younger generation watch so much stuff on YouTube, TED Talks and vlogs, they learn from social media more than any other avenue. If we’re not meeting them there, it’s very hard to meet them. When I first did Carpool Karaoke with my bishop, the video got more than half a million views in a week. People all over the world were commenting on it. I realized that you can reach so many people on social media. I thought of Pope Francis saying we need to be in the streets evangelizing, in the streets and in the street of social media. I realized I needed to be out there, not in here. I needed to go out there, meet people in the street, and get Christ out there. Joy is contagious, and by going out there, you can ignite joy in other people. Other people will see that joy, and it will ignite their hearts.