Construction zone priest builds laughs … and connections
Fr. Drew Hoffman, pastor at St. Paul University Parish in Wichita, Kansas, created a viral construction video to show priests can participate in building projects. The video, filmed with students from the Catholic Student Center, humorously shows him digging a hole, highlighting the priest's role in hands‑on work and the importance of teamwork with skilled professionals. Hoffman emphasizes using social media to engage youth, balancing outreach with boundaries, and encourages priests to be present in modern contexts without compromising Church values. His ministry at the university has attracted more students to sacraments and activities, reflecting growth of Catholicism on campuses and the need for parish expansion.
13 days ago
Fr. Drew Hoffman, a Wichita, Kansas, priest serving at St. Paul University Parish and Wichita State University’s Catholic Student Center, uses humor, social media, and personal engagement to connect with students. A viral construction-themed video reflects his broader approach: remaining approachable while encouraging people to use their own talents and encounter the Church through personal relationships. 1
In the video, Fr. Hoffman appears in priestly clothing, cowboy boots, and a hardhat while attempting to work at the parish’s construction site. He jokes that a pastor involved in a building project should participate directly, saying that his hands were made “not just for chalices but for calluses,” before the professional workers humorously send him away. 1
The video was created with students from the Catholic Student Center. Hoffman acknowledged that he is not a construction expert, but said the video expressed his belief that priests should not appear too important to take part in ordinary tasks and projects. 1
He also emphasized the importance of recognizing other people’s abilities. In his view, leadership requires working alongside parishioners while allowing specialists to handle areas where they have greater expertise. 1
Hoffman has been a priest for 10 years and has spent six of those years at St. Paul University Parish, where he runs the Catholic Student Center while also overseeing a full parish. Before arriving at Wichita State University, he served for two years at Kansas State University’s Catholic Student Center. 1
His energetic style and ability to relate to young people have coincided with increased student participation in parish activities and the sacraments. Social media is one of his primary tools for reaching students because it is where many of them already spend time. 1
At the same time, Hoffman said online ministry requires boundaries, particularly because social media can also expose young people to distress. He described his goal as meeting people in the modern world without abandoning the Church’s stability or chasing temporary trends. 1
The construction at St. Paul’s is connected to the parish’s need for additional space. The Catholic Student Center has experienced continued growth, including a large group of new members in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults during the previous Easter season and increasing participation in student activities. 1
Hoffman said he believes many young people are seeking structure, tradition, moral direction, and an identity rooted in something larger than themselves. He also attributed their interest in the Church to a desire for mercy and the assurance that God welcomes them back. 1
Although humorous videos help students approach him, Hoffman considers social media only an entry point to deeper ministry. He said young people’s questions, wounds, and concerns ultimately require personal conversations rather than online content alone. 1
He described the priesthood as combining approachability with spiritual authority, allowing people to feel comfortable initiating conversations while encountering a representative of Christ. 1
Hoffman connects his energy and desire to serve with his own experience of God’s mercy. He said his years as a student at a college Catholic center transformed his life and shaped his desire to offer a similar experience to others. 1
Hoffman said his central advice to young people is to “Give it all to Jesus!” He teaches that life is received as a gift from God and from other people, and that lasting fulfillment comes from returning that gift to God and the wider community. 1
He also said that the students inspire him and that he is grateful to accompany them. For Hoffman, the joy of priesthood comes from giving his life to Christ and helping young people discover the same possibility of self-giving. 1
Priests’ hands‑on ministry fosters youth engagement and parish growth
The claim is well supported by Catholic pastoral teaching: priests engage young people most effectively not merely through formal instruction, but through personal presence, practical involvement, and credible witness.
Pope Leo XIV stresses that priests must understand young people’s family wounds, loneliness, and social pressures while offering them more than companionship: they must witness to a life transformed by friendship with Jesus. He also encourages parishes to go beyond those who already attend, using sport, art, culture, and other activities as bridges toward friendship, communion, and evangelization.
“Hands-on ministry” should therefore not mean entertainment detached from faith. It means priests accompanying young people in concrete realities—service, sports, cultural activities, charitable work, prayer, and parish life—while gradually leading them toward Christ and the sacraments. Pope Francis described this as putting young people “on the way”: through service and shared action, they begin to experience themselves as part of the Church, and deeper questions and sacramental participation can follow.
This approach also explains possible parish growth. Young people are more likely to invite others when they are treated as active participants rather than passive recipients. The Church’s pastoral framework encourages youth to serve marginalized people and address social needs, thereby strengthening the missionary character of parish communities.
The priest’s personal example remains essential. John Paul II taught that young people need a concrete model of Christian life, not merely an abstract presentation of ideals; a priest’s joyful, faithful, and dedicated ministry can awaken the desire to follow Christ. Similarly, John Paul II described the priest as both a sincere friend and a morally consistent witness who helps young people discern a meaningful vocation.
There is also an important ecclesial balance: priests should not attempt youth ministry alone. Young people, lay leaders, movements, schools, families, and diocesan organizations all have a role. The priest coordinates, accompanies, teaches, celebrates the sacraments, and provides spiritual fatherhood, while lay people often reach settings—schools, workplaces, sports, and social networks—that priests cannot reach directly.
Thus, priestly involvement can foster youth engagement and parish vitality when it combines:
The evidence supports the pastoral principle, but it does not establish a universal statistical law that every hands-on program automatically produces numerical parish growth. Its deeper fruit is conversion, belonging, vocation, service, and a more missionary parish community.