Often times life presents us with two paths. When this happens we must choose one or the other right? Not if you are a priest.

Father Eric Andrews, who preaches at John XXIII on UT campus, chose to take two paths, and now he walks down both without compromise.

 Andrews attended New York University where his pursued a degree in his passion, film and television production. 

  "My folks wanted me to be a engineer or a doctor or something like that," he said. "But I went to film school, I always had a fascination with television."

It was towards the end of his junior year that Andrews caught a lucky break: an internship with Jim Henson and the Muppets.

"I had my hands in many things, but not too often in a puppet."

Andrews likened his job to being a "pastor on the set." He had to make sure people were fed on time, assemble the crew and resolve problems so that the show could go on. He did a lot, but he was not a puppeteer. 

"I had my hands in many things, but not too often in a puppet," said Andrews.  Andrews was a producer for Jim Henson, so his job did not often include walking down Sesame Street, but he was not excluded from it.

"Every now and then they needed an extra person to wave a hand or wag a tail, but that was about it," he said. 

Even though Andrews had a great start to his career, he still had another passion: service to others. 

Andrews grew up in Pleasant Valley, New York, a small town with a population of about 8 thousand. It was there that he developed a strong sense of service in the church and the community. His father was involved with local politics, his mother was a nurse, and his aunts and uncles were also involved with community service.

"Service was the bottom line," said Andrews.

At NYU, he had been involved with campus ministry, and had considered a career in the priesthood. But he saw his work with the Muppets as a positive influence in the world, he described that work as "building up the Kingdom of God."

But after spending several years with the Muppets he knew, "I'd rather give my life to God than some TV show," he said. So he left media production and went into the priesthood.

Andrews joined the Paulist Order, an order of missionary priests who use media and technology to further spread the word of God. So in a way, Andrews just changed titles. At that point he also became known as "Father Eric."

After he was ordained, Father Eric Andrews, was sent to Knoxville to be an associate pastor at John XXIII, a Catholic church here at UT. As a pastor Andrews has gone well beyond his duties, serving not only Catholics on campus but everyone else as well.

Andrews serves as chair for the Campus Ministers' Council, he is a member of the Chancellor's Associates, and he has always made himself available to university students and faculty. Whether a student is in the hospital, someone needs to break bad news to students, or UTPD needs a minister, Father Eric has been there. Andrews sees himself as "not just a pastor to John XXIII but a pastor to the whole campus."

The good work Andrews has done has not gone unnoticed. UT Chancellor Jimmy Cheek recently awarded Father Eric with the Extraordinary Community Service Award. It was Cheek's last chance to honor Andrews, because he is leaving for another ministry, in Los Angeles.

This July Andrews will be leaving the campus he has called his parish for nine years to become president of Paulist Productions. He says he is ready for the move, even if his parishioners are not happy to see him leave. 

"I'm saddened that Father Eric is leaving us," said Eric Padro, UT student and member of John XXIII, "but he has his mission and if he is being called elsewhere then we'll just have to let him go."

Although Andrews will no longer be a pastor in title, he says he will always be a pastor at some level. He will continue preaching at the UCLA campus and he says he will try to minister to the Hollywood community. Andrews plans to get "people within the industry to donate their talents to help build up the human family" through Paulist Productions. 

Andrews commented on the culture of the Hollywood industry, and how his show-biz background is crucial to success.

  "You don't get any credibility in an industry unless you are also a fellow worker in the trenches," he said, " I think I have some credibility in that area."

Although he is leaving Tennessee for good, Andrews said Tennessee will never leave him.

"I'm thankful for being in Tennessee where you learn how to just talk to people, and not be afraid to ask for what you need," he said. "The Tennessee spirit will do me well in Hollywood, I'm really thankful for this time here."