Deacon Greg Kandra

Greg Kandra was ordained as a deacon for the Diocese of Brooklyn in 2007 and most recently served as a senior writer at the Catholic Near East Welfare Association. He is the author of A Deacon Prays and writes The Deacon's Bench> blog. Kandra was a writer and producer for CBS News from 1982 to 2008 for programs including The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, Sunday Morning, 60 Minutes II, and 48 Hours. He also served for four years as a writer and producer on the live finale of the hit reality show Survivor.

Kandra has received two Peabody Awards, two Emmy Awards, four Writers Guild of America Awards, four Catholic Media Association Awards, and a Christopher Award for his work. In 2017, he was named Clergy of the Year by the Catholic Guild of Our Lady of the Skies Chapel at JFK International Airport. He earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Maryland. Kandra cowrote the acclaimed CBS documentary 9/11. He contributed to three books, including Dan Rather's Deadlines and Datelines and a homily series. His work has been published in America, US Catholic, Busted Halo, and The Tablet. The author of six books, he has been a regular guest on Catholic radio and is a popular speaker and retreat leader.

Kandra retired in 2022 and now lives with his wife in Florida, where he serves as a deacon for the Diocese of Orlando.