Media Release

Bengaluru, Jan 11: A Franciscan monk has taken to rapping to spread the word of God in the Austrian capital Vienna, home to musical greats such as Beethoven, Mozart and Strauss. Fr Sandesh Manuel, aged 41, who is originally from Bengaluru (India), has been a Franciscan for 23 years and a priest for ten years. Fr Sandesh has become a viral hit on YouTube with thousands of followers after sharing videos in his monk robes rapping about issues close to his heart.

Fr Sandesh is studying singing and guitar in the Private Conservatorium, as his YouTube videos include rap songs and funny videos. The Franciscans are a religious order within the Catholic Church, founded in 1209 by Saint Francis of Assisi, who Sandesh follows.

Father Sandesh wants to underline that priests are not aloof from parishioners, but are ordinary human beings too. He tackles subjects such as loneliness, through his music to help people, who feel isolated especially with the ongoing lockdown restrictions. Father Sandesh doesn't just talk about issues related to religion but also talks about Austria, recently rapping about current topics like racism and environment.

Official Youtube channel: https://shorturl.at/fBMOP

Official website: https://www.sandeshmanuel.com