Father Jim Sichko talks helping the community, journey of priesthood and meeting Pope Francis

RICHMOND, Ky. (WTVQ) — Father Jim Sichko is no stranger to the spotlight and being a priest he knows his main mission is to be a servant of God.
But for Father Sichko, kindness isn’t monetary and it can come in a variety of ways.
Recently, he was on a trip back to the city when a simple act from a stranger helped families this winter.

“Even in the darkest of times, it is my belief, God brings light,” says Father Jim Sichko, who is known to many for his random acts of kindness, for being a servant of God and for his compassion.

“I was shocked when I showed up at 9:45am over 200 people in line waiting in the cold,” he adds.

On Thursday, Father Sichko offering to help people pay their utility bills, for those families who were past due.
An act, inspired by a recent trip.

“While I was on the flight, a man next to me was talking to me and wanted to know what I do, and I said, well, I work for Jesus. You know, I always laugh. I said I work for a global enterprise, and he started Googling me and then he said, here’s $5000 go do something good,” he recalls.

Even though he says he was only able to help 58 families, the donation inspiring him to add another $5,000.
The money used to give back coming from all sorts of donations.

“Kindness begets kindness whenever you do anything good for the least of anyone else, it always comes back to you a thousandfold,” adds Sichko.

But his mission as a priest is one that dates back to his younger days.

“One of the difficulties in priesthood is that I don’t see the sense of families supporting and talking to their young children about being priests,” said Sichko.

And his actions towards others have not gone unnoticed, as he is heavily followed on social media.

But one of his biggest accomplishments has been meeting Pope Francis and becoming a Papal Missionary of Mercy.

“He exudes the mercy of, of God for me,  that all people are welcomed and until we learn to welcome all people, we have a lot of work to do,” says Sichko.