LAKEWOOD, Colo. — On Sundays, Father Witold Kaczmarzyk stands before hundreds of parishioners, leading mass without a hint of nervousness.
"I don't get nervous," he said.
But Friday night was different.
Instead of standing at the altar, Kaczmarzyk took the stage in his church basement, where 540 people gathered for something rarely seen: a Catholic priest headlining two sold-out stand-up comedy shows.
"It was pretty stressful," Kaczmarzyk said of his first experience doing stand-up. "I was like shaking. What am I doing with my life? I'm just a priest."
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But that was before tonight.
The performance is the latest chapter in an unexpected rise to internet fame. Earlier this year, a parishioner snapped a photo of Kaczmarzyk zipping to church on a scooter. The image spread online, helping turn the priest into a social media sensation.
"The scooter happened this summer," he said. "Facebook took off. I get two million views a month."
While the scooter helped build an audience, it couldn't help him Friday night. Standing alone with a microphone, Kaczmarzyk relied on his material.
Several jokes landed especially well.
"I told my dad I was doing this and he said 'you are not funny,'" he told the crowd, drawing laughter.
The confident performer seen on stage isn't how Kaczmarzyk describes himself growing up.
"I used to be a shy guy, hiding from people back in high school and college," he said.
Over time, he learned to push through his fears.
"I had to convince myself to go out. Just do it," Kaczmarzyk said.
That advice appears to be paying off.
On Sundays, Kaczmarzyk fills the sanctuary. On Friday night, he filled the basement, earning laughs and even a standing ovation from audience members.
And for those who arrived skeptical, wondering whether a priest could succeed in stand-up comedy, Kaczmarzyk proved one thing: He had a prayer after all.
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