Father Hugh Burns

"I am a Catholic priest of the Dominican Order living in Jersey City since 1995. Before that, I lived in Washignton DC and Puerto Rico. I am originally from Boston and a graduate of Boston College 1975. My ministry is that of a preacher or Evangelist, visiting parishes all over the country and preaching retreats, conferences Or "revivals" in both English and Spanish.

I have also been a commentar on WBGO and NPR since 2001. Thanks to WBGO I got an introduction to the editors at NPR's 'Morning Edition.' My commentaries on NPR have focused on issues related to religious aspects of 9/11 and its aftermath and on issues related to the Church's abuse scandals. I have also covered those issues for WBGO, but also some more whimsical and humorous topics - 'Ode on an SUV,' 'Bathroom Meditations,' and noisy new restaurants - all of which have a spiritual/ethical angle. 'Fruitcake' in which I talked about an old family recipe won a PRNDI Award.

I use humor a lot in my preaching. I believe that the most serious of topics can only be treated with a certain amount of humor. Through humor we can look at our foibles, incongruities and uncertainties, which would otherwise be overwhelming if we were to look at these areas head on."