Elvis left the building to go to church.
A New Jersey deacon who is also a singer in an Elvis Presley tribute band is known for getting “everybody buzzed” by his parishioners.
Anthony Liguori Jr. is affectionately known as “Deacon Elvis” by the members of Corpus Christi Church in Hasbrouck Heights. But new churchgoers are often shocked by his resemblance to the King.
“During the Christmas service, I could see people coming in, and they were tapping on the shoulders and pointing…It was very funny to watch,” Liguori, 64, told the Post. .
“Even when I’m out there preaching the gospel, I see people looking at me, some with grins on their faces. The family says, 'No, this is what he does.'
Although the Saddle Brook, N.J., native doesn't sing from the pulpit, he sports sideburns, high hair and a sterling silver cross handmade for Elvis by a superstar rancher in 1972.
Don Dunn, a Liguori fan, purchased the cross at a convention in Memphis in 1978 for about $1,500. When Liguori was ordained a deacon by the Catholic Church in 2011, Dunn gave it to him.
“He said, 'I don't have any children, so I have to give it to someone who really deserves it.' I was floored, and he gave me a… A photo of Priscilla wearing this.
It's not strange to equate Elvis with religion, Liguori explained.
“People would yell at concerts, 'Elvis, you're the King!' and he'd say, 'No, you're not, Jesus is the King,'” he said.
“Many of the churches in the very poor area of Mississippi where he lived were black gospel churches, so he received much of his rhythm and soul from there.”
He also noted that the late singer, who died in 1977 at the age of 42 and would have turned 90 on Wednesday, was extremely generous.
“When he was successful and the money started coming in, he thought it was a way to help people. I didn't want that.”
When he was six years old, Liguori's great-grandmother introduced him to Elvis movies.
“He thought the girls were cool, the guitars, the bikes, the hair,” Liguori recalled. He began playing Elvis' music in high school and performed professionally in college.
Although he attended Mass every Sunday, it was a near-death experience at the age of 20 that brought Liguori closer to God. The omentum, a piece of tissue that covers the abdominal organs, had become twisted from years of contact sports.
“My whole body was poisoned…I remember being in the operating room and kind of standing up…I know it’s a cliché, but I could see the whole tunnel and the light…I had a vision of paradise. There it was…Jesus held me and I felt His warmth,” and the power healed me. ”
Liguori, who is married to his high school sweetheart and has two children, felt a calling to deaconship after sharing his story with others.
Deacons undergo five years of seminary training and perform many of the roles that priests perform.
“We can preach the gospel, baptize, perform weddings, and officiate at funerals. The only thing we don't do is hear confessions and perform consecrations.” he explained.
His nickname was given to him shortly after his ordination when he was asked to sing at a retreat advertised on a poster that said, “Deacon Elvis Provides Music.” .
“I was surprised at first, but the archbishop approved the poster. He actually called me directly.”
The Alabama Country Music Hall of Fame singer-songwriter has performed all over the country with his band, which includes his son Christian, and has performed everywhere from cruise ships to casinos and, of course, his church. is playing.
“We had a fundraiser here a year ago and packed the whole house. We couldn't sell any more tickets.”
