One of our most enjoyable conversations is with Monsignor Hilary Franco. You may not know his name, but his story is truly fascinating.
Growing up in the Belmont area of The Bronx, Franco aimlessly listened to the doo-wop of groups like The Belmonts and thought about an acting career. Seeing an elderly priest walk down the street, he asked himself, what am I doing? Does God have a plan for my life? And boy, has he had great adventures!
Franco became a priest, excelled in studies at Rome, studied sociology with the great Joseph Fitzpatrick at Fordham University, and became the assistant and confidant of Catholic tele-evangelist Bishop Fulton Sheen, and trusted advisor to several Popes! Along the way, he hosted a dancing twist-night for Chubby Checker at a Catholic church in Staten Island and sang Gregorian chants with a Vatican City choir! (We have a surprise music number on the program. See if you can guess what the song title is!)
Oh yes, he went on secret missions in the Soviet Union because the Kremlin was scared to death of the rising Catholic-influenced democratic labor union in Poland. Moscow’s leaders were planning on a military occupation. Guess what? Poland is now part of the European Union of democratic countries!
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