I’ve been a little slow in posting some pictures of the Kelly Youth Rally from a couple weeks ago. This is a huge youth rally out in the western rural part of the Archdiocese. I was fortunate enough to get to go to this event right before I returned to seminary for the fall. This was a special rally this year because they dedicated a grotto to Mary in honor of Matty.
Matty had done the music for the Kelly Youth Rally since the beginning, this being the 8th annual rally. Fr. Brian Schieber led the solemn blessing of the grotto and the words of his homily really touched me. He spoke about Matty’s mom Pam as his “Super Mom” on earth and Mary as his “Super Mom” in heaven (They played his song “Super Mom” during the blessing). The thing that really hit me the most was hearing Fr. Brian, who is our Vocation Director, proclaiming to all the kids there:
“I hold up Matty tonight to you as a model of our faith…He used his talents to give God glory…He gave up everything to follow Christ…Be like Matty who wasn’t afraid to say yes.”
I don’t know if Fr. Brian realizes this, but Matty always worried that Fr. Brian didn’t like him very much. This obviously wasn’t true, but they did have their misunderstandings and Matty was often worried about this. To be sitting at that rally and hear Fr. Brian telling everyone, “Be like Matty” was a very emotional thing for me and I know it made Matty happy too. (You can play the video below to hear Fr. Brian.)
Since it is Matty’s birthday today, I thought I had better get something on my blog in his honor. I owed Pam a post about the youth rally, so here’s killing two birds with one stone. To kind of celebrate here a little bit I went out to Matty’s favorite little Italian restaurant here in Mundelein and had some pasta in his honor. Happy Birthday, Matty. We love you and we miss you. Pray for us.
Note: you have to click the video below twice to get it to play and please DO NOT click on any of the “related videos” that Xanga gives you when the movie ends. They are not mine, are random xanga videos, and of questionable content.