BJK writes:

I heard a story on WCBS news this morning about the “Terror of Demons” motorcycle club.

“Two Staten Island pastors have found an interesting way to tend to their flock. They are the co-founders of the “Terror of Demons” motorcycle club, a two-wheeled ministry that’s smashing stereotypes and finding a new way to connect with the faithful.

Meet Father Angelo Micciulla, the pastor of the Holy Family parish, and Father Jean-Paul “Jack” Soler, the pastor of St. Clement-St. Michael on Staten Island. What’s the best part of being a priest on a bike? Father Soler says it’s most definitely the reaction of surprise people have when he removes his helmet and reveals he’s a man of the cloth.”

Not that long ago, ‘extracurricular’ activities like this by a priest, let alone two pastors, would almost certainly have merited some sort of reprimand from the presiding bishop — not anymore. Appearances matter, they symbolize what a person is: perhaps the ‘surprise’ expressed is that a priest would enjoy dressing like an ‘outlaw’ biker.

Additionally, what this article didn’t state – but which was heard in the radio interview with Fr. Jean-Paul “Jack” Soler – was the description his of ‘collection’ of prominent tattoos, one of which was described as covering his entire arm, with the text described as ‘Gospel verse in Hebrew scripture.’ In other words, this ‘Pastor’, by his example, is giving tacit approval to impressionable young people in his parish to ‘adorn’ their bodies with similar permanent adornments.

I imagine that in his priestly training, he wasn’t aware that Rome was sacked by Germanic hordes from the north – the ‘Vandals’ among them – whose military modus operandi was to engender terror in their victims via their aggressively tattooed bodies. A fine standard for the modern Catholic.

Lastly, it should surprise no one that Cardinal Dolan is an ‘honorary member,’ who of course has been given a (very large) biker vest, proudly featuring the ‘Club Colors’ on the back.

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