Home   News   Article

WATCH: Highland priest whose creative response to coronavirus pandemic has become a TikTok hit 'loves making others happy'


By Contributor

Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.



Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!
Father James.
Father James.

A Beauly-based priest who says he loves “making others happy” has 400,000 followers and 3.3 million ‘likes’ on a TikTok channel in which he sings, and talks about faith, writes John Dempster.

Father James Anyaegbu, a Nigerian priest “on mission” in Scotland is based at St Mary’s Church in Beauly along with his colleague Father Max Nwosu.

With the coming of Covid-19 Father James added a new dimension to his ministry. In response to Pope Francis’ call for priests to show “pastoral creativity” during the lockdowns, James took to social media “reassuring people of God’s love and care, even in the midst of the pandemic”.

As well as TikTok, you can find him on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (where he has 25k followers).

The content includes songs (including “Oh Lord you are so good to me”), short videos on Catholic beliefs, on-line prayers, masses and discussions.

Much of this work James does in his own time, assisted in filming and editing by Father Max.

James makes people happy simply through his warm smile and his infectious, bubbling, joy. A podcast interview he gave makes clear the source of this joy.

James is joyful because he is secure in his identity and role. He knew from the age of six that he would be a priest.

“This is what I want to be,” he says. “This is what God has called me to be.”

He’s joyful because for him, prayer is not simply a duty at certain times of day, but a constant attitude of thankfulness and openness to God.

He’s joyful because he’s convinced God is with us in the hard and testing times.

“I believe the grace of God has been holding me,” he says, adding that, “it’s only faith that can see us through in the midst of trials and temptations.”

He’s joyful because for him Jesus is a living reality, a presence, source of the creative thoughts birthed in his mind. “Each day I encounter Jesus,” he says.

And Father James’s joy is not restricted to priests, but is open to each one of us.

This is true even for those of us for whom faith is hard. If we long for God, we too will find God coming to meet us.

James is connecting with people’s hearts, all over the world, and the responses both from Catholics and other folk are largely positive. When we are doing the work we’ve been made for, others are blessed.

I believe that the power to awaken joy which we sense in Father James’s videos spring not so much from his personality, musicianship and technical skills as from the presence of the God who calls us through them to find the truest, deepest joy.

More from Christian Viewpoint


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More