The irreverent reverend is taking his one-padre comedy show “Father Johnny: I Swear to God” to the IndyFringe Festival August 13-23 for three performances. 

Having heard every confession imaginable, Father Johnny has material. His standup and storytelling show blends sharp, observational humor with the warm, mischievous wit of a man of the cloth who’s spent decades observing the ridiculousness of the human condition. Father Johnny will transform himself into colorful characters of his past and delight audiences with a bit of musical comedy to deliver the laughter, which he believes is the oldest sacrament we have.

WHAT: “Father Johnny: I Swear to God”

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 15, at 9:30 p.m.        

Thursday, Aug. 20, at 9:30 p.m.              

Saturday, Aug. 22, at 5:00 p.m.

WHERE: The Blackbox at IF Theatre, 719 E St. Clair St., Indianapolis 

TICKETS: Tickets: $20                 

Buy at the door or online at IndyFringe.org or use the QR code below  

Content Advisory: Recommended for audiences age 17+

About the Artist

Father Johnny went to Catholic schools from elementary through graduate school. After earning a master’s degree, he shocked his parents by moving to New York to pursue standup comedy. In the 90s, he appeared on Jon Stewart’s show on MTV and “America’s Funniest People” on ABC. Alas, the starving-artist life didn’t suit him, so he fell back on his degree and went to work. After retiring two years ago, he started writing and performing comedy again. As a real-life Catholic historian, he has a brutally funny and unfiltered view of the church. Father Johnny was a 2025 semi-finalist in Indiana’s Funniest Person competition at Helium Comedy Club.