When news broke that LeBron James was heading to the Philadelphia 76ers, the sports-crazed region did what it does best: it went completely wild.
Across social media, photo-shopped images instantly flooded every feed. Lebron James was suddenly spotted grabbing a hoagie at the local deli, ordering a whiz-wit at the neighborhood steak shop, and hanging out on the streets of Philly.
Watching the digital frenzy unfold, Father James DeGrassa, pastor of Queen of Peace Catholic Church just north of the city, saw more than just viral memes. He saw a prime pastoral opportunity.
“I started seeing everybody posting pictures of him. ‘Oh, he’s at our deli,’ or ‘Oh, he’s having our cheesesteak,’” Father DeGrassa told my colleague Zelda Caldwell at the National Catholic Register, adding: “I jumped on the hype.”
Why let the local sandwich shops have all the fun? Why not capitalize on LeBron fever to get people into the pews?
Father DeGrassa started by updating the roadside parish marquee: “Welcome LeBron; Mass for Feast of Saint James; Tomorrow at 8 am.”
Then came the main event. On Saturday — the actual feast day of St. James — he shared an AI-generated image on Instagram featuring himself and the NBA icon
