It started when he was 17 years old.
Sheldon Narine, a Roman Catholic Deacon from Trinidad & Tobago, decided to name his first car “Crazy Catholic” and proceeded to paint the words boldly on the vehicle.
“I didn’t want to be a Sunday Catholic,” he told Dominica News Online with a smile. “I wanted to be somebody that is crazy about Jesus, somebody that makes religion exciting.”
Little did he know the name ‘Crazy Catholic’ would have stuck and would eventually help shape his career in comedy. “The name just stuck and it grew and grew and got bigger and bigger,” he stated.
What makes Narine a bit unusual is that he is the only clergyman who is also a comedian who has been spreading laughter for the past 28 years.
So the question is, how do you mix comedy with religion? “God has a sense of humor, you know,” the deacon pointed out. “And that comes from the joy of living, it comes from knowing Jesus. There is a freedom that comes from this and it makes you want to praise him and laugh with joy.”
Although he has been able to pull large crowds at his show, his comedy is clean and there is something for everyone. “We Caribbean people are creative people,” he said. “Whereas a lot of people will use smut and obscenity in their their jokes we use a lot of creativity. To reach a lot of people who are not Catholics or religious, you have to be creative when you perform.”
His performances include stand up comedies and theater. He is also an actor, director, writer, motivational speaker and has been rated the number one family comedian in the Caribbean.
Narine, who is in Dominica to help raise funds for the Cathedral renovation project, is inviting everyone to attend his first show on Friday evening at the Arawak House of Culture.
“The show is for everyone, not just Catholics,” he explained.”We all like to laugh. Laughter is the best medicine and our job is to entertain. You can bring your family because there is nothing vulgar, obscene or crude. It is going to be clean comedy.”
The show begins at 8:00 pm.
@Lizavier4Jesus
It is so easy to find fault in others, it is so easy to critize others. Fortunately for you others posted comments to give you information you lack.
Did you attend the show? Did you get a chance to meet Crazy Catholic? I think you should get more information before you speak about anyone, because I don’t think you will want anyone to past judgement on you like that. The show was very hilarious. I remember the first piece they did, and it had to do with sick leave and that in it self is a venial sin. Never go to the doctor for a sick leave when ou know you not sick..
@ show me the money
A married man can become a deacon once he has been married for at least ten years…. There is a big deference between a deacon and a priest. A deacon can perform non sacramental like distribute the Eucharist.
I will not listen to any CLEAN DIRTY JOKES!
Any dirty joke that has even an iota of cleanliness in it I will deem to be SOILED
Dr. Henry thanks for suggesting that show last night. It was so much fun. Great job one and all for organizing this event. I sincerely hope that the fund raising remains robust in earnest.
What is life without a laugh and some good, clean, decent jokes? I only listen to clean jokes be it on TV programs. If they consist of certain connotations which I can stamina I will view the program or even laugh.
I love to repeat it.
Sometime ago a dear Dominican friend sent me a book entitled, “The laughter of God.”
I heard on Catholic Radio, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him of your plans.” In Jeremiah, “…For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord…”
There are a few priests who are funny. A few of them will give a joke prior to Mass. Others will give relevant ones during their Homily. This makes the congregation laugh.
There was a parish priest in the area where I reside who would always give a joke at the end of Mass. When he was transferred to this parish, it took me a while and no doubt some parishioners to get accustomed to him telling jokes every Sunday after Mass. Later we all looked forward to his jokes. It was a nice way after celebrating Holy Mass to end. We went on our way with a smile on our face and a laughter in our heart.
When his allotted time in the parish was up, he was transferred to another parish. I thought, what gift will I give him? Well, God had his plan in this one. I thought of giving him some of my jokes as a parting gift. I searched for some jokes which I have in a few books, typed them, placed them in a three-ring binder with protective transparencies and gave them to him along with some Catholic hymns on tapes. I also gave him in another three-ring binder some copies of Catholic information and prayers. What work it was to prepare them all but I was happy doing them and happy to give them to him.
Toronto being a big city, I have not seen him since but probably will sometime at a Catholic gathering. Sometime ago the Deacon in this parish told me that he saw him and he asked about me. Of course, he asked about the other parishioners he knew.
I love sharing the jokes with others, whatever I have. St. Paul said, “Share all good things with one another.” From time to time I will also tell some jokes, be it on the telephone. We have a rollicking good time laughing.
People are not one and the same. Everyone cannot be comedians. There are some who cannot tell a good joke. God gave each one of us a different talent, as also the laity. Whatever our talent, each one of us make up for what others are lacking. We are obligated to use it according to God’s plan and for His honor and glory. If we do not know what our talent is or have difficulty discerning it, we should pray to God for his inspiration and guidance. He will be too happy to grant it. Know that God is not pleased with idle people of any nature.
I will end with this one a priest told us during a Homily at a Mass in honor of the Holy Spirit:
A man, a doubter, sat under a walnut tree. The fruit of the tree is small while the tree is huge and beautiful. He looked up at the tree and said, “Why would God make such a big tree and the fruit so small?” The walnuts are small (incidentally I read that they are healthy for us). He continued, “If I were God I would not make such a small fruit for such a tree.” Well, as soon as he said that a walnut fell on his head. He brushed it off his head and said, “If it were a pumpkin I would be dead.”
Now tell me, does God not have a sense of humour to immediately show this man his stupidity and by questioning Him and saying, “If I were God…?”
The result of this was that the man said, “I better conform to the Will of God.”
Father said it with such humour that the congregation laughed. It was amusing. All of us need a good laugh wherever we may be and at the right time.
I wish the Deacon and his wife all the best. Deacon, keep on telling and spreading your jokes to every one and wherever you may be. God is pleased with you. I hope someday to be able to listen to your jokes be it in Trinidad. Good luck. God bless you always!
Good work Crazy Catholic. Keep it up. God blessings on you and your family.
ok
he neeed to visit d/a more often lol am loving it
Nice piece of news. I wish i was there because i like comedy but don’t go because it seems the only way others can make joke is to make it nasty. For all those wondering about he being married, well there’s many many ways our catholic men can be deeply involved in the church without being a priest – deacons, lay ministers, evangelists, prophesying, and the list goes on. And yes, there are married priests in the catholic church in 2012 namely the Anglican converts. Why people don’t seem to know that bit I don’t know. The church has never said it is wrong for a priest to be married. Now lets not stray on the topic here.
@ Anonymous
At the same time the Catholic Church needs Priests to administer ‘all’ the Sacraments. The main one, one of it is celebrating Holy Mass. Deacons are not allowed to this. Only priests can.
As we continue to grow in faith and perfection, Catholics are obligated to pray for the priests and for vocations to the priesthood. It is not sufficient to go to Church on especially Sundays and that is the be all and end all of our Catholic practice.
seems like u know everything about the church dont u know what it said in revelation 17 about this church.
Yes this photo was taken at the winsor park stadium
I agree that our God of Spirit do have a sense of humour, there are many verses in the Bible that makes laugh after I receive the sentiment of the speaker.
Not only that, good old and wise Solomon told us at the Book of Proverb “that laughter is good like a good medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones”. But none of the above is a reason for me to think that God is a comedian
However, my trouble is that this man thinks of his relationship with God as a “religion”–which is all about “one day of the week” for him–he says he “didn’t want to be a Sunday Catholic”. But at 17 he was old enough to choose being known as the “Krazy Catholic”
And so, he can tell us that there is nothing “vulgar” in his work as a comedian for as long as his tongue drop out; that work is still the thing of the world, it has nothing to do with God through His Person of Love in Jesus Christ.
God saw that Job was an upright and blameless man also. However God had to allow Satan to buffet Job for many, many, years in order to train and discipline Job’s attitude and conduct about the true reason for uprightness and blamelessness.
You see people, Job was not being upright and blameless to give the glory to God. God demands that we give Him the glory by His influence in us because of Jesus Christ–that influence is Holy Spirit.
Unless this man is making people laugh by the words Holy Spirit speaks through him, he is still doings the things of the world–God wants nothing from the world.
how exactly have u been reading the bible? what job went through had nothing to do with he having a bad attitude. you need the holy spirt to teach you as you read.
You are holding back the smile Irving but you still look handsome. Nice to see you without your cricket outfit.
Is that picture taken in DOminica? That a nice background is this bayfront?
Onlooker, you are obviously laughing at yourself, this is the stadium in Roseau, Dominica. Why are people like you always prepared to put Dominica down?
Onlooker; look properly and you will see.It is evedent that you don`t even know your country.That picture was taken inside of the stadium yeard. the two tallest buildings you see at the back they are the fianancila center and zerox.
HEY SIR! this is the stadium
Who cares? What a stupid question
At the Stadium
Roseau not bad looking man? From the first look I thought that photo was taken in foreign.
That’s the first for me
Never know catholic priest have wife news to me, not that there is any thing wrong with it but am saying did know ther use to get married
It said he was a DEACON not a PRIEST..that’s 2 different things…PLease read & understand b4 commenting
Priest deacon all is the same they do the same jod
“Roman Catholic Deacon”
He’s not a priest, but a deacon.
not u a lone to have good time they are human beings tooo aa
Um…he’s a permanent deacon…they can be married
Deacons are Lay Ministers in the Church. They are not ordained so they do not become priests. They assist the priests and can conduct a Service when a priest is not available but cannot conduct Holy Mass.
they are ordained as deacons not as priest
@Show me the money
Some men are appointed as deacons years after they have been married and have children; I what I am talking about because my uncle became a deacon more than 25 years after he was married and had children–he is a dedicate Catholic.
Deacons married priests dont.
decon not prist
@ Show me the money
As a Catholic I was surprised to know he has a wife. In certain instances they do get a dispensation. However, if they are already priests they cannot marry.
There are some men from the Anglican Church who have converted to Catholicism especially in the U.S. Some of them study for the priesthood and became priests. They have wives.
There are others whose wives passed on and who decided to become priests.
Know that it is difficult for us traditional Catholics to accept and be complacent about. Nevertheless, the Hierarchy of the Catholic Church has made the decision and we are to obey without questioning it. This is obedient to God.
Likewise manner when governments make decision, whether we like it or not (whether we fuss about it) we are to obey. Holy Scriptures tells us ‘to obey (all) authorities.’ Let God be the guide and judge. God will be pleased with our obedience. Blessing and graces abound from no other but our God for our obedience.
@ Show me…
I got misled by your comments. A Catholic Deacon can get married. If he is married, he cannot be a priest unless his wife passes on. Deacons who are not married can become priests.
we need someone so in da in the church. these men are 2 boring man.
why don’t u join the priesthood…or deaconhood…
i will give it some thought but trust me I will not be boring.
we dontg need any of these leader.because they are misleading gods people thats why the bible said to come out of her.the catholic church normally calls itself the mother church.we dont need any worshipping of idols. we dont need to call any priest father. we dont need any one to molest the little children of god. we do not want any compensation from buggery.every thing that is of god the catholic church is againts it.they have kill the matry of jesus than any world war combine fire burn babylon wore to them that mislead gods flock
if you think they boring then make your son become one and make sure HE not bring
@ strength
If you find them boring, it is all in your mind. What do you contribute to the excitement of the Church and going to Church. People blame the Church, the Priests and not themselves. Examine your conscience to see how well you serve the Church.
St. Paul said, “Examine yourself to see whether you are living in faith…” God is taking note.