Skateboarding priest reaches out to youngsters

A Hungarian Roman Catholic priest is reaching out to young people with his skateboarding tricks – and becoming a YouTube sensation in the process.

A video of the Rev Zoltan Lendvai skateboarding has clocked up hundreds of thousands of hits. The video, called Funny Priest Skateboarding, shows the priest manoeuvring on his skateboard as he talks to a group of teenagers.

Rev Lendvai, who is based in Redics, near the border with Slovenia, learned to skateboard as a young teenager at school. He believes skateboarding is an effective way of reaching young people with the Christian faith, according to Reuters.

He told Reuters that he is inspired by the 19th century Italian priest and educator Saint John Bosco, who used games to teach poor children.

“Many times I have felt that this is the way I can bring many people a bit closer to Jesus,” he told the news agency.

He told of three teenage boys who started coming to church after he taught them some skateboarding tricks and that he has given away at least six skateboards bearing the papal coat of arms to young people in his parish.