Dolcy D’Cruz
Fr Rob Galea has the gift of commanding the attention of thousands of people, keeping them dancing on
their feet and listening with
rapt attention to what he has to say about God. Taking a more modern approach with his preaching, Fr Rob
connects directly to the new generation with his ideas of spiritual living. He
was recently in Kerala, India for his talks and concert at the Divine Retreat
Centre at the International Youth Retreat which saw the participation of nearly
6,000 youth, with Goan youngsters forming the majority.
An ordained Catholic Priest currently serving in Sandhurst Diocese, Victoria, Australia, Fr
Rob originally comes from the
island Republic of Malta
in Southern Europe. A singer and songwriter, he has an international fan
base and he travels the world proclaiming the word of God. In 2008, Fr Rob, together with the
late Bishop Joe Grech, founded the Stronger Youth Program which is fast becoming one of
Australia’s largest Catholic youth movements.
Speaking about how he reaches out to youngsters, Fr Rob
says, “I get to minister to hundreds of thousands of teenagers across the globe
and one of the advantages of doing that is to see how different cultures and
generations respond to the love of God. For example, the reality in America,
India, Africa and Europe is very different. All I notice is that youngsters have an unbridled thirst for God that cannot be rationalised. Without faith, it will be
close to impossible for a young person to live a life following Jesus; it is possible but very
hard.”
Fr Rob was a contestant in Australia’s ‘The X Factor’ in 2015. He has recorded
with several renowned artistes
such as pop idol Guy Sebastian, Paulini, and Amelia Farrugia, and has shared
the stage with artistes
like Matt Maher, Hillsong United and Darlene Zschech. Fr Rob was also selected
to sing in the English version of the official 2016 World Youth Day song
‘Blessed are the Merciful’, and the international version of the official 2008
World Youth Day song, ‘Receive the Power’. He has released his albums ‘More of
You’, ‘Closer’, ‘What A Day’, ‘Divine Mercy Chaplet’ featuring Gary
and Natasha Pinto, ‘Reach Out’ and a live concert DVD and live CDs, titled ‘Fr Robert Galea,
Reach Out Live’, ‘Glorify Mass Setting’, a contemporary mass setting for young
people, and ‘Something About You’. “This is my third visit to India. I recorded Divine Mercy
and Mass with Gary Pinto from Kerala and his wife Natasha from Sri Lanka.”
He says that music is the language of the heart. “It transcends the mind and
goes to the heart. So where there is a barrier, it goes beyond and speaks to
the heart. As a priest, I have been called to
proclaim the word of the lord, and there is no better way to do that than through music. I write my own music as well as a lot of singles
for different artistes.
At the moment, I am recording songs for different pop stars around the world. I
am still finding someone in India.”
Fr Rob has
also had the opportunity to sing to the Pope on two occasions. Speaking about the experience, he says, “It
was surreal. The only thought
running through my mind was that I shouldn’t faint in front of the Pope.
But when I got to take it in later, I realised what an incredible journey I’ve had, from despair to victory, and now giving hope to
other people.”
Fr Rob is also penning down his biography, which will be available online once
the book is released. Through his
talks for youngsters, he shares his journey of his childhood and teenage years
in Malta and how his turned his life around after learning about Jesus Christ.
“I am writing a book about my journey. There will be two releases – in Australia and New
Zealand – in December. I also
want to release it in Asia but I’m yet to find a distributor. It will release in America by the
end of next year,” he adds.
He
concludes with a message to the youth: “Never
be afraid. One of the
biggest hurdles that
stops you from achieving faith is fear. If you are going to let fear control you then you’re fighting a
losing battle.”
