May 28, 2026 • 34 mins
Tony Melendez, a renowned toe-picking Catholic guitarist born without arms, says let God use you, take you to places, and you be the instrument that God plays. Melendez's life was forever changed in 1987 when he played his guitar for Pope John Paul II in Los Angeles, and the Pope approached him afterward from the stage to kiss him in appreciation. Melendez says his phone hasn't stopped ringing since that moment, and he continues to perform 15-20 concerts a month.
On this latest episode of Beyond The Beacon, Melendez recounts this story and more with the Diocese of Paterson's Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish before taking the stage for a concert at Sacred Heart & Our Lady Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Parish in Dover, N.J.
Show Notes:
Tony Melendez's website with Pope John Paul II video encounter
Tony Melendez on Spotify
Tony Melendez on Apple Music
"Inspiring toe-picking guitarist amps up hope at Dover concert"
"Join America’s Catholics in Sacred Heart consecration in June"
"Registration now open for National Eucharistic Pilgrimage events in Paterson Diocese"
"Two new priests begin ministry following June 13 ordination"
"8 men to be ordained permanent deacons May 30"
Email questions and topic ideas to Bishop Kevin at beyond@patersondiocese.org.
Produced by Jai Agnish and Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney for the Diocese of Paterson. Engineered, edited, and theme song by Jai Agnish. Illustrations by Dennis Dalelio. Additional video editing by Cecile Pagliarulo. Special thanks to Father Edgar Rivera and Father Leonardo López of Sacred Heart & Our Lady Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Parish. Michael Wojcik contributed to this episode description.
Beyond The Beacon on Instagram and Facebook. Bishop Kevin on Instagram. The Diocese of Paterson on Instagram, Facebook (English) / Facebook (Spanish).
Every three years, each Diocese in the USA has the graced opportunity to make a scheduled pilgrimage as one Diocesan family with their Bishop to the National Shrine in the nation's capital. 2026 is once again "our year!" Please note the two-day and one-day options: Oct. 16, Friday, and Oct. 17, Saturday. Visit the Diocese of Paterson website here to learn more!
On Coffee with Kupke, we have a cup of coffee and sit down with diocesan archivist, Monsignor Raymond Kupke Ph.D., to delve into the history of Catholicism in the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. Hosted by Father Paul Manning and Msgr. Kupke. Listen to Coffee with Kupke wherever you get your podcasts, or watch it on the St. Paul Inside the Walls YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@stpaulinsidethewalls.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:08):
Welcome to Beyond the Beacon with Bishop Kevin
Sweeney, a podcast of theDiocese of Patterson, New
Jersey.
Join us for conversations aboutour Catholic faith and together
let's strive to live a life offaith, hope, and love.
I'm Jay Agnish.
With me is Bishop Kevin Sweeney.
Bishop Kevin, how are you?
Oh good, Jay.
Yourself?
SPEAKER_03 (00:25):
Doing well.
Welcome to the world-famous TonyMelendez.
Thank you so much for being withus.
Welcome to our new set here inthe rectory of Sacred Heart
Parish in Dover, where Tony willbe performing tonight, right?
Yes, tonight.
With 400 people I hear.
(00:45):
That's beautiful.
SPEAKER_01 (00:46):
450, I'm here.
SPEAKER_03 (00:47):
Father Leonardo Lopez, along with Father Edgar
and Father Cerillo, the vicarshere.
SPEAKER_04 (00:56):
Just got on.
Yeah, come into the area lastnight and this morning.
You'll see we're here to set up.
SPEAKER_03 (01:01):
A beautiful community.
I've been able to celebrate Masshere many times.
And like all of the powers ofour diocese, uh connected with a
smaller church, Holy Rosary.
So but uh I'm sorry I won't beable to be here for the concert,
but uh uh really grateful thatyou're taking this time to uh
like I said, I feel honored tobe part of this.
Thanks, thanks, thanks.
SPEAKER_01 (01:21):
And uh Jay was so good in uh uh you heard about it
maybe uh yeah my wife and I wereactually at church here.
We came, we decided to come outand do some thrift store
shopping in the area, and thepriest at the end of the mass
said, Hey, Tony Melendez, whohad this moment with Pope John
Paul II, that's coming to give aperformance, and it just got my
you know my gears going andreached out to you and Father
(01:43):
Edgar, and and uh it worked out.
So thank you to them and toyourself and your brother for
making it all happen.
SPEAKER_04 (01:50):
Oh, and your brother works with you, is that right?
He yeah, he's in the room rightnow setting up for the evening
for tonight's evening concert.
SPEAKER_03 (01:57):
So we're looking forward to hearing a little bit
about your story and um uh overthese 40 years since uh uh that
moment with uh Saint Pope JohnPaul II, but maybe we'll begin
with a prayer.
Great.
So place ourselves in God'spresence, name of the Father and
the Son of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
In these beautiful Easter days,celebrating the resurrection of
(02:17):
Jesus, looking forward toPentecost and the feasts of
Corpus Christi and the sacredheart of Jesus.
We ask the help of the HolySpirit as we pray.
Come, O Holy Spirit, fill thehearts of the faithful and
kindle in them the fire of yourlove, send forth your spirit,
and we shall be recreated, andthou shalt renew the face of the
earth.
O God, who is taught the heartsof the faithful by the light of
(02:38):
the Holy Spirit.
Grant us in that same spirit tobe truly wise and always rejoice
in your consolation throughChrist our Lord.
Amen.
Our Lady Seat of Wisdom, Motherof the Church.
Pray for us, pray for us, SaintJoseph, pray for us, pray for
us, Saint Cecilia, pray for usfor us.
All holy men and women, pray forus, name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
(02:59):
Amen.
Amen.
Um thank you, Tony.
Uh um Joe, did you want to do alittle introduction?
SPEAKER_01 (03:06):
Just uh, you know, Tony Melendez is like you said,
he's a w uh world-renownedmusician who really came into
the forefront with that in thatthat time when you had that
exchange with Saint Pope PaulJohn II uh back in 87, and uh
hopefully you can tell us alittle bit more about that.
And so you identify as amusician.
(03:28):
I asked you earlier if you ifyou call are you a Catholic
musician?
He said, Well, I'm a musicianand I'm Catholic, so I guess so.
So so there there you have it,kind of the short introduction.
But why don't you tell us whatwhat you've been up to lately?
You told me you ever since thatmoment in 1987, you've been
playing like 15 to 20performances a month?
SPEAKER_04 (03:50):
A month.
Uh COVID kind of just took alittle bit of wind out of my
travels.
Um, but as soon as that wasopened up again, I'm back up 15
to 17 days a month.
Um before that I was probably 20days a month.
Uh and I really thought, youknow, after I sang for Pope John
Paul II, um, you know, a coupledays later, it would just go
(04:14):
away.
SPEAKER_03 (04:14):
You know, 39 years later.
SPEAKER_04 (04:18):
I really thought it was fizzle away.
But that moment was such aspecial moment where I'm a gift
given from the youth of LosAngeles.
SPEAKER_03 (04:27):
Uh beautiful introduction by the young man I
just was watching on the video,and we'll put a link to the
video, right?
SPEAKER_04 (04:33):
So um and it was new technology where you could you
know hook up with uh fourdifferent states.
Oh and it was a youth gatheringcalled Spacebridge with John
Paul II at the time.
You know, still not a saint, hewas just known as John Paul II.
Right, right.
JP2, we love you.
So I'm sitting there, uh I I'mintroduced, I start playing, uh,
(04:56):
the song finishes.
Um next thing I know, uh the theyoung people stood in standing
ovation.
I see the Pope on his feet too.
Um and I didn't hear it thatday, and if you got to really
listen closely, he literallysays, I have to kiss him.
Wow, wow.
(05:17):
So at that moment he jumps offthe stage.
That was great.
I just it's yeah, and goes intothe audience because I'm up on a
platform within the audiencefacing him, um, and he gets to
me, and I'm on a platform that'smaybe about four feet and a half
up in the air.
SPEAKER_03 (05:33):
He was in great shape then.
He was still in his athleticform at that time, right?
SPEAKER_04 (05:36):
Yeah, and it was pretty amazing.
He comes up to me and we share akiss on each other's right
cheeks.
Uh, then he turns around, startsgetting back up on the big
stage.
So I figured, well, it's over,thank God.
You know, I was already nervousand excited and honored, and and
next thing I hear my name, andhe's repeating, Tony, don't me,
(05:59):
you know, with that Polishaccent.
And I'm like, he's talking tome.
And again, I felt honored thathe even remembered my name.
And he said, My wish for you isthat you continue giving hope to
others and that I wascourageous.
Courageous, courageous.
You're courageous, young man.
So it was a big honor.
(06:20):
You know, that moment reallyopened the doors for a lot of
things.
SPEAKER_03 (06:24):
And um, God works in mysterious ways, right?
Uh uh and uh we'll talk a littlebit about that, but maybe um uh
just take us back a little bitto um first uh introduction to
music.
I think you started at a youngage, and and maybe a little bit
of what led you up to being getgetting ending up there.
SPEAKER_04 (06:43):
Um I was a normal kid, mom and dad, you know, uh
two uh a brother, one brotherand two sisters.
And dad was a guitar player, momwas the singer.
Oh, yeah.
So there was a guitar in thehouse.
Seven years old, I tried to messaround on the guitar, but it
didn't become music at all.
Um I sang, you know, in churchchoirs, but at the age of 16 um
(07:09):
the music flourished on theguitar.
Um my dad had the guitar thereat the house, and my feet got to
touch it, and I tuned it to anopen tuning, and it opened the
doors to music.
And that's kind of how theguitar playing kind of came
from.
My dad just had it there and I'mjust messing around with it.
(07:30):
God blessed me with the gift,and I've kept playing ever since
that time.
And it really opened doors.
Uh, that moment where the Popekissed me, sent me to 46
countries, um, every state inthe United States.
So the music has taken me a longway.
And have you written songs andmusic as well?
(07:51):
I write songs and I sing, youknow, From La Bamba to the
Lord's.
SPEAKER_03 (07:56):
I love La Bamba, I love La Bamba.
Tears in Heaven and EricClampus.
Oh, love that one, yes.
I think yes, yes.
SPEAKER_04 (08:01):
I sing a mixture of songs, but I do write my own,
yes.
SPEAKER_01 (08:04):
Yeah, you have a few releases that are available on
platforms like Spotify.
I was listening in my car on theway here.
Very awesome music.
And um great voice.
SPEAKER_04 (08:13):
English and Spanish?
Yep, I could do bilingualconcerts now of the songs that
I've written.
SPEAKER_03 (08:18):
That'll be, I think tonight, yeah, it would be a
bilingual evening.
Um I recently um uh getting toknow the Hispanic-Latino
community, um, uh it's just sucha different experience of
church.
Uh and and and some of themusic.
I've always been a fan, Pescalode Hombre and Juntos Comermanos.
Um I recently, um, the newArchbishop of New York, um,
(08:41):
Bishop Ronald Hicks fromChicago, um, he began his homily
at his installation mass withthe words of a song, and he
mentioned the song.
I said, Oh, I don't think I knowthat one.
Alma Misionera.
Um and uh it's such a beautifulmessage.
And um simplemente por no saberde ti.
It's a song that I had heardover the years, but I'd never uh
uh known the the the words ofthe or the or the message and um
(09:04):
um uh faith uh expressed in inin music.
Um how has that been uh is it aprayerful experience for you?
Um I'm uh I get I sure get theimpression that that it is.
Uh maybe say a word about it hasbeen.
SPEAKER_04 (09:17):
You know, when I first started playing, I would
lock myself in the my bedroomand I would just pray and sing
together.
So it wasn't really a song, itwas a musical prayer that just
kind of flourished from themoment.
And um I didn't record anythingor anything, I was just praying
(09:38):
from my heart to God, just withplaying chords and making
whatever came out out of myheart in a form of music and
prayer.
So um I do I love the musicabout stories, I love uh you
know the liturgy too.
So there's different forms ofbeing able to write.
(09:58):
You know, if you're a Catholicsinger and you're writing for
liturgy, right?
Um I would say that's never beenmy forte.
I should have made it more of amy forte because I love the
liturgy so much.
And you want to be able to helpit.
Uh but my prayers with my are mymusic been more stories and
songs and situations, whichdoesn't always fit so much in
(10:22):
the liturgical setting.
SPEAKER_03 (10:25):
Um and yet it does um connect with people and
people of faith, and um and yourfriend, uh the great Saint Pope
John Paul II, uh, started WorldYouth Day.
That's been part of yourexperience as well, right?
We just found out we weretogether in Denver in 1993.
Yeah, yeah.
Um how's that been for you, theexperience of uh sharing the
(10:47):
music uh with young people at uhsomething like World Youth Day?
SPEAKER_04 (10:50):
Yeah, it's it's been very exciting, you know, because
they have a lot of energy.
Um, they have a lot of thingsthat uh they're non-stop,
they're go, go, go, go, go.
And um, I love how they couldjust pray on their knees on the
dirt and all night vigil, andthen then the next day they're
pilgrimaging back to theirhotels and going on and
(11:12):
spreading that word, right?
Which is very beautiful.
SPEAKER_03 (11:14):
But the music helps helps to pray as well, right?
As we said.
SPEAKER_04 (11:18):
Yeah, there's one song that I uh I had written.
Um Poland called me to write asong, you know.
I became Pope's best friend allof a sudden, and they asked me
to write a song on Honor YourFather and Mother.
So I'm singing this song, HonorYour Father and Mother, which is
one of the Ten Commandments, um,to uh World Youth Day, the kids.
(11:42):
And you know, I'm figuring,well, this is a slow song,
they're not gonna enjoy it.
It's you know, talking abouthonor your father and mother.
Sometimes it's like, oh no,honor your mother and father.
They don't even want to be withtheir parents sometimes.
And here I am singing that songto them, and they listened, they
heard, and uh some even came upto me and said, you know, I love
(12:03):
my mom, I love my dad.
And you know, some come came upand said, you know, I don't
always get along with them, butI love them.
So it was just neat, neat tohear kind of kind of some of the
feedback uh that I when I sangfor that that day there at
Worldview Tate.
SPEAKER_03 (12:59):
And you said um you were also recently in uh uh in
Indianapolis for uh um theEucharistic Congress uh and uh
and your experience of the usbeing united by the Eucharist,
right?
SPEAKER_04 (13:11):
Yeah, that that was a beautiful event.
Um I I I love how we all came umbecause of the Eucharist,
really.
How we all came together forthat.
I actually wrote another songthere.
What I took was little bits andpieces of prayers, and I put it
all into a song.
And uh the the final title ofthis song is uh Sweet Anointing.
(13:38):
Sweet Anointing.
Oh Sweet Anointing is what Ititled this beautiful prayer.
And like I said, it's it's asong of of prayers, little
little phrases uh of prayersthat I've kind of kept through
the years.
SPEAKER_01 (13:52):
So we your um a lot of the you could hear it in your
lyrics, a lot of the language umthat you use is very it's very
Catholic-centric.
Um you sing about sacraments,and you you tell if you you
know, and even some of the Ithink cover songs are some
classic Catholic hymns.
And but yet you've also um been,you know, through your travels
(14:13):
you've been kind of in themainstream Christian
contemporary scene.
And um you've can you talk aboutum and and you also were telling
me how you've performed atdifferent sorts of religious
events, right?
SPEAKER_04 (14:27):
So a Jewish gathering and yeah, maybe if
either one of those areas youwant to maybe probably been to
about different uh about 10 to12 different religions, you
know, that weren't Catholics.
Um at first, you know, after Isang for Pope John Paul II, um,
you know, of course, Mass was anOktoberfest was probably the two
(14:49):
moments where musically amusician could kind of play.
So there wasn't a lot ofopportunity in other areas as
concerts.
Uh so shortly after I sang forthe Pope, I was going a lot to
Protestant churches because youknow they had the concerts in
the microphones.
SPEAKER_03 (15:06):
Right, right, right, right.
Yes, yes, they were ahead of us.
Yeah.
Some of that, yes, yes, yes.
SPEAKER_04 (15:10):
And then it's turned into uh I would say I do 80% of
uh what my travels and singingare in some kind of Catholic
setting.
Um but it's crossed into intoeven the secular world uh where
you know I've I've done you knowmore like a conference for
corporate so and you know thethe the whole meaning and thrust
(15:34):
of Tony Melendez is hope.
And you know, even the Pope saidmy wish for you is that you
continue giving hope to others.
So if I can't go in with theJesus message, I'll come in with
the hope message.
So that's kind of what I do.
SPEAKER_03 (15:49):
As you mentioned, um uh um a song can be storytelling
as well, right?
And you're telling your storyalong the way as you go as uh as
well, I can see.
SPEAKER_04 (15:58):
Yeah, there's a song called Bed by the Window that's
on one of my albums.
It's a story about two old guysin a basically like a nursing
home.
One guy's looking out the windowand telling a story of all these
beautiful things that he'ssinging.
And the the end of the story isthat there's never all that
stuff.
SPEAKER_03 (16:16):
It's a brick wall.
Right, right, right.
And uh power of imagination andsharing a story, yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (16:21):
Right.
So it's a beautiful song of astory, and people say, Well,
that's lying.
And it's no, he's kind ofspilling his heart out.
SPEAKER_03 (16:28):
It's engaging one's heart, yeah, that's right, and
lifting one's mind.
And um God gave us that gift ofour imagination, right?
SPEAKER_04 (16:34):
Uh and you know, this other poor other guy can't
move too well, neither one ofthem.
And you know, the story of beingable to see lovers in the park,
ducks in the lake, you know,that kind of thing, uh, is a
beautiful thing.
SPEAKER_03 (16:45):
And the blessing of for both the storyteller and the
one hearing the story, right?
SPEAKER_04 (16:49):
Uh just to have a little hope, a little sunshine.
SPEAKER_03 (16:51):
Right, right.
Uh any country that sticks outthat was uh uh memorable or uh
uh 46 countries.
unknown (16:59):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (17:00):
Wow, wow.
That's where I've sang at.
I've been to a few more, but Ihaven't sang it.
SPEAKER_03 (17:04):
Right, right.
Um any performance or place thatuh stays in your mind is you
know, they all have verybeautiful memories.
SPEAKER_04 (17:11):
Um uh what I'd love to say, I'd love saying that I'd
love wherever there's water, ifthere's an ocean or a lake or
something like that.
SPEAKER_03 (17:19):
Have you been to Ireland?
SPEAKER_04 (17:20):
I have not.
SPEAKER_03 (17:21):
You gotta get to Ireland because it's surrounded
by what by water and it rainsall the time.
So it'd be like water.
Ireland's just I need to go.
I have not been.
Um, you know, uh uh again, theum the human experience created
in God's image and likeness andbody, mind, heart, and soul, and
uh what music can do um uh foruh for uh I'm thinking the
(17:44):
growing up listening to myfather listening to Irish music
and not having any interest insay we used to call it diddly
music or something like that.
That uh but then I started tolearn some of the history and
started to appreciate the beautyof the Irish people um and then
getting to know the HispanicLatino uh community, um, even to
think of the different countriesuh uh and songs and titles of
(18:05):
our Blessed Mother, right?
How they express express theirlove so often in song.
Right, right.
Um uh how about um musicalinfluences as we I'm remembering
now, uh I I'm not as much amusic fan as I as I was.
I was uh uh rock and roll anddifferent things for um a long
time, but uh my first two albumsthat I listened to on a Sony
(18:27):
Walkman when I was taking thesubway from Queens into
Manhattan, my first job afterhigh school, um I had Billy
Joel's greatest hits, and I hadU2's um uh Joshua Tree, one of
their any um when you weregrowing up, any uh particular uh
group or musician or music thatum I was really a big fan of
like Don uh Dan Fogelberg, kindof uh just thought I'd love the
(18:52):
way he put words together.
SPEAKER_04 (18:54):
Uh he did the leader of the band.
Oh yeah, right.
Right all enzymes, you know.
Right, right, yeah.
Leader of the band is right,right.
Beautiful songs.
Uh and James Taylor, you know,the acoustic thing.
I just sing a songwriter, sing asongwriter.
SPEAKER_03 (19:09):
Uh Carol King, right, was uh um great um, yeah,
they did some songwritingtogether.
SPEAKER_04 (19:16):
Um but you know, I really I really like this music
overall.
And you know, with the themusic, you know, that's kind of
just helped me to pray, it'skind of helped me dance.
Um music can be romantic, it canbe a little crazy.
I mean, so just through theyears it's been kind of a a neat
vessel to be able to kind ofbring cheer you up or bring you
to prayer.
SPEAKER_03 (19:36):
Um and has been impacted for good, I'm not sure
um uh completely, but uhtechnology, right?
I mean we have music on ourphones now and it's uh so
accessible.
Uh has has that impacted youryour career over the years in
terms of some of how music isshared through technology?
SPEAKER_04 (19:53):
Yeah, I mean it's just I think it's so accessible
now.
Right.
You don't have to walk into therecord store, right, right, come
out with the vinyl, you know,which you know is just heavy and
not heavy, but just bigger, andyou gotta have that place for it
and the and the right player.
Now you just have it on yourphone or your device or
computer.
Right, right.
Um, but you know, I I I see howit's kind of helped uh just but
(20:15):
by being able to kind of send itto a friend a little quicker.
Right, right, right.
Um, you know, if you want togive it away or you don't buy
it, you could do both.
SPEAKER_01 (20:24):
So tell us about your performance, maybe what how
how long do you perform for it?
So it's bilingual, and do youhave a band or you gonna are you
gonna be solo tonight?
SPEAKER_04 (20:33):
Yeah, this time it's just me, just me by myself, just
me and the guitar.
Um, and we'll do 45 minutes to50 minutes in a concert, and
then we'll lead straight intoadoration and end with
adoration.
Beautiful.
And and more churches have beenasking for that more and more.
Wow.
Um, so it's it's beautiful.
(20:54):
So it's concert and you know,ending with adoration.
And uh just by myself, like Isaid, no, I don't have the band
with me right now.
After COVID, it just got so hardto be able to get the band back.
SPEAKER_03 (21:05):
But there was a time where you were with the band,
yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (21:07):
Yeah, we traveled for many years with the band,
and it it's you know, it's a lotof energy.
Uh people like it, but at thesame time, you know, there was
another guitar player.
Who's playing?
You know, is that really you,Tony Melendez?
Are you really playing theguitar?
So they almost didn't believethat I was playing.
So now this way, with just me,you're getting Tony Melendez
(21:27):
100%.
SPEAKER_01 (21:29):
No doubt.
The um I was reading your bioand it mentioned so you were
grew up Catholic, and it soundslike you left the faith, and
then at some point in highschool you you kind of came
back, and you even were for atime there considering the the
priesthood.
SPEAKER_04 (21:43):
Yeah, I I didn't totally leave it.
I think I just didn't payattention.
Um I would still go to Massevery weekend.
Oh, okay.
Um but you know, I wasn'tengaged, I wasn't involved.
Um but you know, the thatCatholic side of Tony Melendez,
um I wanted more life.
(22:05):
Uh you know, even with themusic, if it wasn't music that
was for Christ, that's the mainkind of like the meat of the
song, Jesus, our Lord, um, whichis so beautiful that if I was
just doing kind of just songsthat I could play in a bar, uh
(22:26):
that's fun too, but at the sametime, it's I I want a little bit
more for my music and and to bein a better place um and to be a
little more holy where you'redoing.
He wants, not what you want.
And you know, music is veryselfish and very wordy, uh, in
(22:47):
the sense of offensive, even.
So, in some cases on the secularside, I don't want that.
SPEAKER_03 (22:55):
And um I you gotta love what you're doing to spend
as much time on the road as youdo, but really you're you're
sharing the good news of thegospel, right?
SPEAKER_04 (23:03):
Yeah, from little kids to old folks, um, schools,
conferences, uh, you know, wetalk world youth days.
I was uh I don't know if youwere there, uh this was several
years ago in Florida, they had aconvocation that the bishops put
on, and I was invited to be partof that.
Um, which uh the bishop brought12 delegates and it was just
(23:28):
neat to and the bishops raneverything, it was great, and it
was it hadn't happened, I think,in like 150 years or something
like that.
So it was beautiful to see that.
Um and you know, things uh youknow, I didn't even know, you
know, I wasn't paying attentionwhen I was younger, uh, you
know, in catechism.
I didn't even know what the wordCatholic meant until I was in my
(23:52):
40s.
Wow.
And it means universal for thosethat don't know.
Right, right, right.
It means universal.
Yes, yes.
But when you see the church,like at the world youth, and you
see all these cultures, youknow, you got maybe uh Hispanics
on one side and this otherculture from another side and
right behind another culture.
SPEAKER_03 (24:12):
Not to mention languages.
SPEAKER_04 (24:13):
Yeah, and you're just seeing it.
All this, you know, right inyour area uh where you're
sitting, it's very powerful tosee the universal church come
together.
SPEAKER_03 (24:22):
And the Eucharist as the unify, as the uh source of
our unity, right?
Uh everyone's familiar with theMass.
Uh different language, differentmusic, um, but same Eucharist,
right?
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (24:33):
And you know what's beautiful is uh they don't come
by the hundreds, they don't comeby the thousands, they come by
the millions at this world youthday.
Yeah, the last one in uhPortugal?
SPEAKER_03 (24:45):
Yes, I was there, yeah.
Three million-ish.
Um Pope Francis uh todos, tolos,tolos.
Everyone should be welcome.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (24:55):
So it's beautiful to see how many come.
It's very powerful.
SPEAKER_03 (25:00):
Um uh we mentioned the Eucharistic Congress, and uh
you're seeing more and moreinvitations in churches to uh
conclude with adoration, and umuh the Eucharistic revival
continues.
Uh we mentioned, and uh I thinkthis is gonna come out towards
the end of May, and um Pentecostleads us to um um to Holy
(25:23):
Trinity and um and the Feast ofthe Sacred Heart and the Fe
Feast of Corpus Christi.
Uh um this year um uh uhthere'll be a Eucharistic
procession from St.
Augustine, Florida, where thefirst Mass was celebrated in the
United States through the 13colonies, original 13 colonies
coming through our diocese.
Um uh uh it's gonna be awonderful week.
(25:45):
June 11th, the bishops are gonnabe in Orlando and consecrate the
country to the Sacred Heart ofJesus.
Friday, June 12th, the Feast ofthe Sacred Heart here in Sacred
Heart Parish.
Uh and we have three SacredHeart Parishes in the diocese.
Um and then here in the diocesewe have um uh two priests being
ordained, God willing, two menare being ordained to the
priesthood on uh Saturday, June13th.
(26:07):
And then the NationalEucharistic procession is coming
through um uh June 14th and15th.
Um maybe uh if there's some whomight not fully appreciate what
a gathering like that uh you'vealready said um uh uh given some
witness to what it can be likewhen the church comes together,
(26:27):
right?
Uh uh it's it can be a beautifulexperience of prayer and and
faith when we come together inadoration, right?
And in procession um uh with ourwith the Lord in the Eucharist.
SPEAKER_04 (26:38):
And that's a long ways.
That's a long ways as ittravels.
I was there uh when we werethere at the Indianapolis uh for
the convo uh for the EucharisticCongress, 60,000 people process
outside.
That's right, yes, yes.
And it's like a parade.
Right, right.
People are coming out of thestores.
What's going on here?
Right, right, right.
And they see the blessedsacrament going.
SPEAKER_03 (27:00):
That centered, I think it was a war memorial
where it was way up uh where theouter uh where the Benediction
was.
And uh um and um the first nightum those processions came from
the north, south, east, andwest, right?
All come come.
SPEAKER_04 (27:13):
It was neat to see that because the people are
coming out.
What's going on?
What's going on?
Right, right.
And uh that's it.
It's like, yeah, that's theLord.
Jesus is pacified.
That's the Lord.
SPEAKER_01 (27:23):
Um powerful.
Yes, before before he let yougo.
So um any any advice or um wordsuh for an aspiring musician or
or someone who's looking tomaybe perform at a chur at
church function or or secularfunction anywhere or or aspiring
to be a professional musician.
SPEAKER_04 (27:45):
I really believe if God gives you a talent, He will
use you.
I mean, I'm a guy with no armsthat plays the guitar with his
feet.
I mean, and I was the same forPope John Paul II and travel so
much and uh be here with you,Bishop Kevin uh and and Jake was
it?
Okay, thank you.
Um I never uh imagined I wouldbe doing moments like this.
(28:10):
So if you're true to heart, umlet God use you and take you to
places and you just be thatinstrument and let him play you.
That's kind of the best way touh I'm not doing anything, I
feel he's doing it all.
SPEAKER_03 (28:26):
Mother Teresa's image was be the pencil in God's
hand, right?
SPEAKER_04 (28:29):
Uh yeah, allow allow him to um he guides the way and
uh and your heart hopefully willbe drawn to his call.
SPEAKER_03 (28:41):
And uh I'm I presume you've had uh a lot of contact
with youth, right, over theyears.
And uh thank God for our youthministers, right, that bring our
young people to church and umand and introduce them to the
Lord and allow them to have thatencounter with him at a young
age that can hopefully um uhstrengthen them, give them
(29:02):
courage as uh Pope John Paulencouraged and and not to be
downcast or uh to be filled withhope as as as we share the
message, right?
SPEAKER_04 (29:10):
Yeah, you know, I love the youth, they really have
kind of put me where I am today.
Um you know, just because theykeep calling.
You know, the youth leaders keepcalling and I keep going and
talking with them.
Uh just kind of a moment that'stender to my heart.
Uh lost my son, 24 years old.
(29:32):
Uh and you have a daughter.
And a daughter, and we justcelebrated his fourth year of
being gone to being in heaven.
He was young.
Uh and I just want the best forthe young people.
And you know, don't give up onChrist.
He just loves us, loves you somuch.
Uh, and just know uh us asparents, as the bishops, as uh
(29:54):
friends, uh, we love you.
Uh so if you're kind ofwallowing in depression or hurt
or by yourself, please, pleasejust let us know.
SPEAKER_03 (30:04):
You're not alone, you're not alone.
That way we can help you.
Right, right, right, right.
We're here and uh yeah, we wantto we've received it from
others, right?
And from the Lord, and we wantto share that faith, hope, and
love.
Um uh especially with our youngpeople.
SPEAKER_04 (30:18):
Yeah, we love them, and it it you know, you want to
instill Christ in them.
And you know, sometimes you as aparent, mom, or dad, it's not an
easy task, or even a bishop.
Right, right.
Uh there's a lot of people thatsay no or don't care, don't want
it.
Uh, but you know, the Lord couldreally change our lives in a
great way.
So that's where I'm hoping thatone day we could, you know,
(30:41):
place that little seed of Christin each person's hearts.
SPEAKER_03 (30:46):
Well, I'm sure you'll um do that tonight here
at at Sacred Heart, and sograteful again for your coming
to the diocese and for takingthis time as well.
Uh, and uh you'll certainly bein my prayers and in our
prayers, and uh um hopefullywe'll connect again as we
continue along along thejourney.
SPEAKER_04 (31:03):
Thank you for this gift.
SPEAKER_01 (31:05):
Thank you, Tony, and thank you for your beautiful
music.
And um before we wind up,Bishop, is anything you'd like
to share with us?
What's what's happening withyou?
What's been going on?
SPEAKER_03 (31:15):
Well, uh uh confirmation season.
I get to spend a lot of qualitytime with the Holy Spirit uh in
in this time of year.
So uh help us carry that onHallelujah.
That's right, that's right,that's right.
Uh so uh yeah, as we we'refilming on um today, St.
Joseph the Worker, May 1st,right?
(31:35):
Uh so um uh May is always awonderful month uh in parishes,
certainly for first holycommunions, and um uh and
Mother's Day will be coming up,it'll be after uh this will come
out after that.
But uh um so uh uh a lot ofthings happening uh during the
month of May will lead to uhhigh school graduations and our
other school graduations.
But um to keep in mind those umthose blessed days we're gonna
(31:59):
have um here in the diocese umuh Friday the 12th, the Feast of
the Sacred Heart.
We're gonna invite our parishesto encourage um our parishioners
uh after the bishops on Thursdayevening, um, the consecration to
the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Um we're gonna consecrate thecountry and we're gonna invite
each person, each home, eachfamily, uh, each parish to make
(32:19):
that consecration on Friday,June 12th.
Pray for um our two deacons, uhDeacon Lucas Folan and Deacon
Gender Medina, who God willingwill be ordained priests on the
uh feast of St.
Anthony um uh June 13th.
And then Sunday evening the 14thand Monday evening the 15th, uh
we'll have the Eucharist comingthrough um as part of the
(32:40):
national uh Eucharisticpilgrimage.
So um uh you're welcome to comeback if you're if you find
yourself in this part of thecountry at that time.
Uh happy to have you.
SPEAKER_01 (32:50):
So check the show notes for more information about
what the bishop mentioned andalso for some uh links to some
of Tony Melendez's work.
And uh thank you again, Tony.
SPEAKER_03 (33:01):
Uh and I guess if there are other parishes that
are looking to plant something,uh we could uh share the contact
information, right?
SPEAKER_04 (33:07):
Yeah, you could find me at Tony Melendez.com, just on
the internet there.
SPEAKER_01 (33:09):
TonyMelendez.com.
Great.
And he's also on Instagram andFacebook.
Thank you again, Tony.
And thank you all for joiningus.
Please subscribe, comment, andleave a positive rating.
Get to know us better byfollowing Bishop Kevin's
Instagram or Beyond the Beaconon social media.
Read the bishop's weekly columnon beaconnj.org and get in touch
(33:30):
if you have a question for thebishop or a podcast topic idea
and discover our other podcasts.
See you next time.
SPEAKER_03 (33:37):
Thanks everybody.
God bless you.
Welcome to Beyond the Beacon with Bishop Kevin
Sweeney, a podcast of theDiocese of Patterson, New
Jersey.
Join us for conversations aboutour Catholic faith and together
let's strive to live a life offaith, hope, and love.
I'm Jay Agnish.
With me is Bishop Kevin Sweeney.
Bishop Kevin, how are you?
Oh good, Jay.
Yourself?
SPEAKER_03 (00:25):
Doing well.
Welcome to the world-famous TonyMelendez.
Thank you so much for being withus.
Welcome to our new set here inthe rectory of Sacred Heart
Parish in Dover, where Tony willbe performing tonight, right?
Yes, tonight.
With 400 people I hear.
(00:45):
That's beautiful.
SPEAKER_01 (00:46):
450, I'm here.
SPEAKER_03 (00:47):
Father Leonardo Lopez, along with Father Edgar
and Father Cerillo, the vicarshere.
SPEAKER_04 (00:56):
Just got on.
Yeah, come into the area lastnight and this morning.
You'll see we're here to set up.
SPEAKER_03 (01:01):
A beautiful community.
I've been able to celebrate Masshere many times.
And like all of the powers ofour diocese, uh connected with a
smaller church, Holy Rosary.
So but uh I'm sorry I won't beable to be here for the concert,
but uh uh really grateful thatyou're taking this time to uh
like I said, I feel honored tobe part of this.
Thanks, thanks, thanks.
SPEAKER_01 (01:21):
And uh Jay was so good in uh uh you heard about it
maybe uh yeah my wife and I wereactually at church here.
We came, we decided to come outand do some thrift store
shopping in the area, and thepriest at the end of the mass
said, Hey, Tony Melendez, whohad this moment with Pope John
Paul II, that's coming to give aperformance, and it just got my
you know my gears going andreached out to you and Father
(01:43):
Edgar, and and uh it worked out.
So thank you to them and toyourself and your brother for
making it all happen.
SPEAKER_04 (01:50):
Oh, and your brother works with you, is that right?
He yeah, he's in the room rightnow setting up for the evening
for tonight's evening concert.
SPEAKER_03 (01:57):
So we're looking forward to hearing a little bit
about your story and um uh overthese 40 years since uh uh that
moment with uh Saint Pope JohnPaul II, but maybe we'll begin
with a prayer.
Great.
So place ourselves in God'spresence, name of the Father and
the Son of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
In these beautiful Easter days,celebrating the resurrection of
(02:17):
Jesus, looking forward toPentecost and the feasts of
Corpus Christi and the sacredheart of Jesus.
We ask the help of the HolySpirit as we pray.
Come, O Holy Spirit, fill thehearts of the faithful and
kindle in them the fire of yourlove, send forth your spirit,
and we shall be recreated, andthou shalt renew the face of the
earth.
O God, who is taught the heartsof the faithful by the light of
(02:38):
the Holy Spirit.
Grant us in that same spirit tobe truly wise and always rejoice
in your consolation throughChrist our Lord.
Amen.
Our Lady Seat of Wisdom, Motherof the Church.
Pray for us, pray for us, SaintJoseph, pray for us, pray for
us, Saint Cecilia, pray for usfor us.
All holy men and women, pray forus, name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
(02:59):
Amen.
Amen.
Um thank you, Tony.
Uh um Joe, did you want to do alittle introduction?
SPEAKER_01 (03:06):
Just uh, you know, Tony Melendez is like you said,
he's a w uh world-renownedmusician who really came into
the forefront with that in thatthat time when you had that
exchange with Saint Pope PaulJohn II uh back in 87, and uh
hopefully you can tell us alittle bit more about that.
And so you identify as amusician.
(03:28):
I asked you earlier if you ifyou call are you a Catholic
musician?
He said, Well, I'm a musicianand I'm Catholic, so I guess so.
So so there there you have it,kind of the short introduction.
But why don't you tell us whatwhat you've been up to lately?
You told me you ever since thatmoment in 1987, you've been
playing like 15 to 20performances a month?
SPEAKER_04 (03:50):
A month.
Uh COVID kind of just took alittle bit of wind out of my
travels.
Um, but as soon as that wasopened up again, I'm back up 15
to 17 days a month.
Um before that I was probably 20days a month.
Uh and I really thought, youknow, after I sang for Pope John
Paul II, um, you know, a coupledays later, it would just go
(04:14):
away.
SPEAKER_03 (04:14):
You know, 39 years later.
SPEAKER_04 (04:18):
I really thought it was fizzle away.
But that moment was such aspecial moment where I'm a gift
given from the youth of LosAngeles.
SPEAKER_03 (04:27):
Uh beautiful introduction by the young man I
just was watching on the video,and we'll put a link to the
video, right?
SPEAKER_04 (04:33):
So um and it was new technology where you could you
know hook up with uh fourdifferent states.
Oh and it was a youth gatheringcalled Spacebridge with John
Paul II at the time.
You know, still not a saint, hewas just known as John Paul II.
Right, right.
JP2, we love you.
So I'm sitting there, uh I I'mintroduced, I start playing, uh,
(04:56):
the song finishes.
Um next thing I know, uh the theyoung people stood in standing
ovation.
I see the Pope on his feet too.
Um and I didn't hear it thatday, and if you got to really
listen closely, he literallysays, I have to kiss him.
Wow, wow.
(05:17):
So at that moment he jumps offthe stage.
That was great.
I just it's yeah, and goes intothe audience because I'm up on a
platform within the audiencefacing him, um, and he gets to
me, and I'm on a platform that'smaybe about four feet and a half
up in the air.
SPEAKER_03 (05:33):
He was in great shape then.
He was still in his athleticform at that time, right?
SPEAKER_04 (05:36):
Yeah, and it was pretty amazing.
He comes up to me and we share akiss on each other's right
cheeks.
Uh, then he turns around, startsgetting back up on the big
stage.
So I figured, well, it's over,thank God.
You know, I was already nervousand excited and honored, and and
next thing I hear my name, andhe's repeating, Tony, don't me,
(05:59):
you know, with that Polishaccent.
And I'm like, he's talking tome.
And again, I felt honored thathe even remembered my name.
And he said, My wish for you isthat you continue giving hope to
others and that I wascourageous.
Courageous, courageous.
You're courageous, young man.
So it was a big honor.
(06:20):
You know, that moment reallyopened the doors for a lot of
things.
SPEAKER_03 (06:24):
And um, God works in mysterious ways, right?
Uh uh and uh we'll talk a littlebit about that, but maybe um uh
just take us back a little bitto um first uh introduction to
music.
I think you started at a youngage, and and maybe a little bit
of what led you up to being getgetting ending up there.
SPEAKER_04 (06:43):
Um I was a normal kid, mom and dad, you know, uh
two uh a brother, one brotherand two sisters.
And dad was a guitar player, momwas the singer.
Oh, yeah.
So there was a guitar in thehouse.
Seven years old, I tried to messaround on the guitar, but it
didn't become music at all.
Um I sang, you know, in churchchoirs, but at the age of 16 um
(07:09):
the music flourished on theguitar.
Um my dad had the guitar thereat the house, and my feet got to
touch it, and I tuned it to anopen tuning, and it opened the
doors to music.
And that's kind of how theguitar playing kind of came
from.
My dad just had it there and I'mjust messing around with it.
(07:30):
God blessed me with the gift,and I've kept playing ever since
that time.
And it really opened doors.
Uh, that moment where the Popekissed me, sent me to 46
countries, um, every state inthe United States.
So the music has taken me a longway.
And have you written songs andmusic as well?
(07:51):
I write songs and I sing, youknow, From La Bamba to the
Lord's.
SPEAKER_03 (07:56):
I love La Bamba, I love La Bamba.
Tears in Heaven and EricClampus.
Oh, love that one, yes.
I think yes, yes.
SPEAKER_04 (08:01):
I sing a mixture of songs, but I do write my own,
yes.
SPEAKER_01 (08:04):
Yeah, you have a few releases that are available on
platforms like Spotify.
I was listening in my car on theway here.
Very awesome music.
And um great voice.
SPEAKER_04 (08:13):
English and Spanish?
Yep, I could do bilingualconcerts now of the songs that
I've written.
SPEAKER_03 (08:18):
That'll be, I think tonight, yeah, it would be a
bilingual evening.
Um I recently um uh getting toknow the Hispanic-Latino
community, um, uh it's just sucha different experience of
church.
Uh and and and some of themusic.
I've always been a fan, Pescalode Hombre and Juntos Comermanos.
Um I recently, um, the newArchbishop of New York, um,
(08:41):
Bishop Ronald Hicks fromChicago, um, he began his homily
at his installation mass withthe words of a song, and he
mentioned the song.
I said, Oh, I don't think I knowthat one.
Alma Misionera.
Um and uh it's such a beautifulmessage.
And um simplemente por no saberde ti.
It's a song that I had heardover the years, but I'd never uh
uh known the the the words ofthe or the or the message and um
(09:04):
um uh faith uh expressed in inin music.
Um how has that been uh is it aprayerful experience for you?
Um I'm uh I get I sure get theimpression that that it is.
Uh maybe say a word about it hasbeen.
SPEAKER_04 (09:17):
You know, when I first started playing, I would
lock myself in the my bedroomand I would just pray and sing
together.
So it wasn't really a song, itwas a musical prayer that just
kind of flourished from themoment.
And um I didn't record anythingor anything, I was just praying
(09:38):
from my heart to God, just withplaying chords and making
whatever came out out of myheart in a form of music and
prayer.
So um I do I love the musicabout stories, I love uh you
know the liturgy too.
So there's different forms ofbeing able to write.
(09:58):
You know, if you're a Catholicsinger and you're writing for
liturgy, right?
Um I would say that's never beenmy forte.
I should have made it more of amy forte because I love the
liturgy so much.
And you want to be able to helpit.
Uh but my prayers with my are mymusic been more stories and
songs and situations, whichdoesn't always fit so much in
(10:22):
the liturgical setting.
SPEAKER_03 (10:25):
Um and yet it does um connect with people and
people of faith, and um and yourfriend, uh the great Saint Pope
John Paul II, uh, started WorldYouth Day.
That's been part of yourexperience as well, right?
We just found out we weretogether in Denver in 1993.
Yeah, yeah.
Um how's that been for you, theexperience of uh sharing the
(10:47):
music uh with young people at uhsomething like World Youth Day?
SPEAKER_04 (10:50):
Yeah, it's it's been very exciting, you know, because
they have a lot of energy.
Um, they have a lot of thingsthat uh they're non-stop,
they're go, go, go, go, go.
And um, I love how they couldjust pray on their knees on the
dirt and all night vigil, andthen then the next day they're
pilgrimaging back to theirhotels and going on and
(11:12):
spreading that word, right?
Which is very beautiful.
SPEAKER_03 (11:14):
But the music helps helps to pray as well, right?
As we said.
SPEAKER_04 (11:18):
Yeah, there's one song that I uh I had written.
Um Poland called me to write asong, you know.
I became Pope's best friend allof a sudden, and they asked me
to write a song on Honor YourFather and Mother.
So I'm singing this song, HonorYour Father and Mother, which is
one of the Ten Commandments, um,to uh World Youth Day, the kids.
(11:42):
And you know, I'm figuring,well, this is a slow song,
they're not gonna enjoy it.
It's you know, talking abouthonor your father and mother.
Sometimes it's like, oh no,honor your mother and father.
They don't even want to be withtheir parents sometimes.
And here I am singing that songto them, and they listened, they
heard, and uh some even came upto me and said, you know, I love
(12:03):
my mom, I love my dad.
And you know, some come came upand said, you know, I don't
always get along with them, butI love them.
So it was just neat, neat tohear kind of kind of some of the
feedback uh that I when I sangfor that that day there at
Worldview Tate.
SPEAKER_03 (12:59):
And you said um you were also recently in uh uh in
Indianapolis for uh um theEucharistic Congress uh and uh
and your experience of the usbeing united by the Eucharist,
right?
SPEAKER_04 (13:11):
Yeah, that that was a beautiful event.
Um I I I love how we all came umbecause of the Eucharist,
really.
How we all came together forthat.
I actually wrote another songthere.
What I took was little bits andpieces of prayers, and I put it
all into a song.
And uh the the final title ofthis song is uh Sweet Anointing.
(13:38):
Sweet Anointing.
Oh Sweet Anointing is what Ititled this beautiful prayer.
And like I said, it's it's asong of of prayers, little
little phrases uh of prayersthat I've kind of kept through
the years.
SPEAKER_01 (13:52):
So we your um a lot of the you could hear it in your
lyrics, a lot of the language umthat you use is very it's very
Catholic-centric.
Um you sing about sacraments,and you you tell if you you
know, and even some of the Ithink cover songs are some
classic Catholic hymns.
And but yet you've also um been,you know, through your travels
(14:13):
you've been kind of in themainstream Christian
contemporary scene.
And um you've can you talk aboutum and and you also were telling
me how you've performed atdifferent sorts of religious
events, right?
SPEAKER_04 (14:27):
So a Jewish gathering and yeah, maybe if
either one of those areas youwant to maybe probably been to
about different uh about 10 to12 different religions, you
know, that weren't Catholics.
Um at first, you know, after Isang for Pope John Paul II, um,
you know, of course, Mass was anOktoberfest was probably the two
(14:49):
moments where musically amusician could kind of play.
So there wasn't a lot ofopportunity in other areas as
concerts.
Uh so shortly after I sang forthe Pope, I was going a lot to
Protestant churches because youknow they had the concerts in
the microphones.
SPEAKER_03 (15:06):
Right, right, right, right.
Yes, yes, they were ahead of us.
Yeah.
Some of that, yes, yes, yes.
SPEAKER_04 (15:10):
And then it's turned into uh I would say I do 80% of
uh what my travels and singingare in some kind of Catholic
setting.
Um but it's crossed into intoeven the secular world uh where
you know I've I've done you knowmore like a conference for
corporate so and you know thethe the whole meaning and thrust
(15:34):
of Tony Melendez is hope.
And you know, even the Pope saidmy wish for you is that you
continue giving hope to others.
So if I can't go in with theJesus message, I'll come in with
the hope message.
So that's kind of what I do.
SPEAKER_03 (15:49):
As you mentioned, um uh um a song can be storytelling
as well, right?
And you're telling your storyalong the way as you go as uh as
well, I can see.
SPEAKER_04 (15:58):
Yeah, there's a song called Bed by the Window that's
on one of my albums.
It's a story about two old guysin a basically like a nursing
home.
One guy's looking out the windowand telling a story of all these
beautiful things that he'ssinging.
And the the end of the story isthat there's never all that
stuff.
SPEAKER_03 (16:16):
It's a brick wall.
Right, right, right.
And uh power of imagination andsharing a story, yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (16:21):
Right.
So it's a beautiful song of astory, and people say, Well,
that's lying.
And it's no, he's kind ofspilling his heart out.
SPEAKER_03 (16:28):
It's engaging one's heart, yeah, that's right, and
lifting one's mind.
And um God gave us that gift ofour imagination, right?
SPEAKER_04 (16:34):
Uh and you know, this other poor other guy can't
move too well, neither one ofthem.
And you know, the story of beingable to see lovers in the park,
ducks in the lake, you know,that kind of thing, uh, is a
beautiful thing.
SPEAKER_03 (16:45):
And the blessing of for both the storyteller and the
one hearing the story, right?
SPEAKER_04 (16:49):
Uh just to have a little hope, a little sunshine.
SPEAKER_03 (16:51):
Right, right.
Uh any country that sticks outthat was uh uh memorable or uh
uh 46 countries.
unknown (16:59):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (17:00):
Wow, wow.
That's where I've sang at.
I've been to a few more, but Ihaven't sang it.
SPEAKER_03 (17:04):
Right, right.
Um any performance or place thatuh stays in your mind is you
know, they all have verybeautiful memories.
SPEAKER_04 (17:11):
Um uh what I'd love to say, I'd love saying that I'd
love wherever there's water, ifthere's an ocean or a lake or
something like that.
SPEAKER_03 (17:19):
Have you been to Ireland?
SPEAKER_04 (17:20):
I have not.
SPEAKER_03 (17:21):
You gotta get to Ireland because it's surrounded
by what by water and it rainsall the time.
So it'd be like water.
Ireland's just I need to go.
I have not been.
Um, you know, uh uh again, theum the human experience created
in God's image and likeness andbody, mind, heart, and soul, and
uh what music can do um uh foruh for uh I'm thinking the
(17:44):
growing up listening to myfather listening to Irish music
and not having any interest insay we used to call it diddly
music or something like that.
That uh but then I started tolearn some of the history and
started to appreciate the beautyof the Irish people um and then
getting to know the HispanicLatino uh community, um, even to
think of the different countriesuh uh and songs and titles of
(18:05):
our Blessed Mother, right?
How they express express theirlove so often in song.
Right, right.
Um uh how about um musicalinfluences as we I'm remembering
now, uh I I'm not as much amusic fan as I as I was.
I was uh uh rock and roll anddifferent things for um a long
time, but uh my first two albumsthat I listened to on a Sony
(18:27):
Walkman when I was taking thesubway from Queens into
Manhattan, my first job afterhigh school, um I had Billy
Joel's greatest hits, and I hadU2's um uh Joshua Tree, one of
their any um when you weregrowing up, any uh particular uh
group or musician or music thatum I was really a big fan of
like Don uh Dan Fogelberg, kindof uh just thought I'd love the
(18:52):
way he put words together.
SPEAKER_04 (18:54):
Uh he did the leader of the band.
Oh yeah, right.
Right all enzymes, you know.
Right, right, yeah.
Leader of the band is right,right.
Beautiful songs.
Uh and James Taylor, you know,the acoustic thing.
I just sing a songwriter, sing asongwriter.
SPEAKER_03 (19:09):
Uh Carol King, right, was uh um great um, yeah,
they did some songwritingtogether.
SPEAKER_04 (19:16):
Um but you know, I really I really like this music
overall.
And you know, with the themusic, you know, that's kind of
just helped me to pray, it'skind of helped me dance.
Um music can be romantic, it canbe a little crazy.
I mean, so just through theyears it's been kind of a a neat
vessel to be able to kind ofbring cheer you up or bring you
to prayer.
SPEAKER_03 (19:36):
Um and has been impacted for good, I'm not sure
um uh completely, but uhtechnology, right?
I mean we have music on ourphones now and it's uh so
accessible.
Uh has has that impacted youryour career over the years in
terms of some of how music isshared through technology?
SPEAKER_04 (19:53):
Yeah, I mean it's just I think it's so accessible
now.
Right.
You don't have to walk into therecord store, right, right, come
out with the vinyl, you know,which you know is just heavy and
not heavy, but just bigger, andyou gotta have that place for it
and the and the right player.
Now you just have it on yourphone or your device or
computer.
Right, right.
Um, but you know, I I I see howit's kind of helped uh just but
(20:15):
by being able to kind of send itto a friend a little quicker.
Right, right, right.
Um, you know, if you want togive it away or you don't buy
it, you could do both.
SPEAKER_01 (20:24):
So tell us about your performance, maybe what how
how long do you perform for it?
So it's bilingual, and do youhave a band or you gonna are you
gonna be solo tonight?
SPEAKER_04 (20:33):
Yeah, this time it's just me, just me by myself, just
me and the guitar.
Um, and we'll do 45 minutes to50 minutes in a concert, and
then we'll lead straight intoadoration and end with
adoration.
Beautiful.
And and more churches have beenasking for that more and more.
Wow.
Um, so it's it's beautiful.
(20:54):
So it's concert and you know,ending with adoration.
And uh just by myself, like Isaid, no, I don't have the band
with me right now.
After COVID, it just got so hardto be able to get the band back.
SPEAKER_03 (21:05):
But there was a time where you were with the band,
yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (21:07):
Yeah, we traveled for many years with the band,
and it it's you know, it's a lotof energy.
Uh people like it, but at thesame time, you know, there was
another guitar player.
Who's playing?
You know, is that really you,Tony Melendez?
Are you really playing theguitar?
So they almost didn't believethat I was playing.
So now this way, with just me,you're getting Tony Melendez
(21:27):
100%.
SPEAKER_01 (21:29):
No doubt.
The um I was reading your bioand it mentioned so you were
grew up Catholic, and it soundslike you left the faith, and
then at some point in highschool you you kind of came
back, and you even were for atime there considering the the
priesthood.
SPEAKER_04 (21:43):
Yeah, I I didn't totally leave it.
I think I just didn't payattention.
Um I would still go to Massevery weekend.
Oh, okay.
Um but you know, I wasn'tengaged, I wasn't involved.
Um but you know, the thatCatholic side of Tony Melendez,
um I wanted more life.
(22:05):
Uh you know, even with themusic, if it wasn't music that
was for Christ, that's the mainkind of like the meat of the
song, Jesus, our Lord, um, whichis so beautiful that if I was
just doing kind of just songsthat I could play in a bar, uh
(22:26):
that's fun too, but at the sametime, it's I I want a little bit
more for my music and and to bein a better place um and to be a
little more holy where you'redoing.
He wants, not what you want.
And you know, music is veryselfish and very wordy, uh, in
(22:47):
the sense of offensive, even.
So, in some cases on the secularside, I don't want that.
SPEAKER_03 (22:55):
And um I you gotta love what you're doing to spend
as much time on the road as youdo, but really you're you're
sharing the good news of thegospel, right?
SPEAKER_04 (23:03):
Yeah, from little kids to old folks, um, schools,
conferences, uh, you know, wetalk world youth days.
I was uh I don't know if youwere there, uh this was several
years ago in Florida, they had aconvocation that the bishops put
on, and I was invited to be partof that.
Um, which uh the bishop brought12 delegates and it was just
(23:28):
neat to and the bishops raneverything, it was great, and it
was it hadn't happened, I think,in like 150 years or something
like that.
So it was beautiful to see that.
Um and you know, things uh youknow, I didn't even know, you
know, I wasn't paying attentionwhen I was younger, uh, you
know, in catechism.
I didn't even know what the wordCatholic meant until I was in my
(23:52):
40s.
Wow.
And it means universal for thosethat don't know.
Right, right, right.
It means universal.
Yes, yes.
But when you see the church,like at the world youth, and you
see all these cultures, youknow, you got maybe uh Hispanics
on one side and this otherculture from another side and
right behind another culture.
SPEAKER_03 (24:12):
Not to mention languages.
SPEAKER_04 (24:13):
Yeah, and you're just seeing it.
All this, you know, right inyour area uh where you're
sitting, it's very powerful tosee the universal church come
together.
SPEAKER_03 (24:22):
And the Eucharist as the unify, as the uh source of
our unity, right?
Uh everyone's familiar with theMass.
Uh different language, differentmusic, um, but same Eucharist,
right?
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (24:33):
And you know what's beautiful is uh they don't come
by the hundreds, they don't comeby the thousands, they come by
the millions at this world youthday.
Yeah, the last one in uhPortugal?
SPEAKER_03 (24:45):
Yes, I was there, yeah.
Three million-ish.
Um Pope Francis uh todos, tolos,tolos.
Everyone should be welcome.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (24:55):
So it's beautiful to see how many come.
It's very powerful.
SPEAKER_03 (25:00):
Um uh we mentioned the Eucharistic Congress, and uh
you're seeing more and moreinvitations in churches to uh
conclude with adoration, and umuh the Eucharistic revival
continues.
Uh we mentioned, and uh I thinkthis is gonna come out towards
the end of May, and um Pentecostleads us to um um to Holy
(25:23):
Trinity and um and the Feast ofthe Sacred Heart and the Fe
Feast of Corpus Christi.
Uh um this year um uh uhthere'll be a Eucharistic
procession from St.
Augustine, Florida, where thefirst Mass was celebrated in the
United States through the 13colonies, original 13 colonies
coming through our diocese.
Um uh uh it's gonna be awonderful week.
(25:45):
June 11th, the bishops are gonnabe in Orlando and consecrate the
country to the Sacred Heart ofJesus.
Friday, June 12th, the Feast ofthe Sacred Heart here in Sacred
Heart Parish.
Uh and we have three SacredHeart Parishes in the diocese.
Um and then here in the diocesewe have um uh two priests being
ordained, God willing, two menare being ordained to the
priesthood on uh Saturday, June13th.
(26:07):
And then the NationalEucharistic procession is coming
through um uh June 14th and15th.
Um maybe uh if there's some whomight not fully appreciate what
a gathering like that uh you'vealready said um uh uh given some
witness to what it can be likewhen the church comes together,
(26:27):
right?
Uh uh it's it can be a beautifulexperience of prayer and and
faith when we come together inadoration, right?
And in procession um uh with ourwith the Lord in the Eucharist.
SPEAKER_04 (26:38):
And that's a long ways.
That's a long ways as ittravels.
I was there uh when we werethere at the Indianapolis uh for
the convo uh for the EucharisticCongress, 60,000 people process
outside.
That's right, yes, yes.
And it's like a parade.
Right, right.
People are coming out of thestores.
What's going on here?
Right, right, right.
And they see the blessedsacrament going.
SPEAKER_03 (27:00):
That centered, I think it was a war memorial
where it was way up uh where theouter uh where the Benediction
was.
And uh um and um the first nightum those processions came from
the north, south, east, andwest, right?
All come come.
SPEAKER_04 (27:13):
It was neat to see that because the people are
coming out.
What's going on?
What's going on?
Right, right.
And uh that's it.
It's like, yeah, that's theLord.
Jesus is pacified.
That's the Lord.
SPEAKER_01 (27:23):
Um powerful.
Yes, before before he let yougo.
So um any any advice or um wordsuh for an aspiring musician or
or someone who's looking tomaybe perform at a chur at
church function or or secularfunction anywhere or or aspiring
to be a professional musician.
SPEAKER_04 (27:45):
I really believe if God gives you a talent, He will
use you.
I mean, I'm a guy with no armsthat plays the guitar with his
feet.
I mean, and I was the same forPope John Paul II and travel so
much and uh be here with you,Bishop Kevin uh and and Jake was
it?
Okay, thank you.
Um I never uh imagined I wouldbe doing moments like this.
(28:10):
So if you're true to heart, umlet God use you and take you to
places and you just be thatinstrument and let him play you.
That's kind of the best way touh I'm not doing anything, I
feel he's doing it all.
SPEAKER_03 (28:26):
Mother Teresa's image was be the pencil in God's
hand, right?
SPEAKER_04 (28:29):
Uh yeah, allow allow him to um he guides the way and
uh and your heart hopefully willbe drawn to his call.
SPEAKER_03 (28:41):
And uh I'm I presume you've had uh a lot of contact
with youth, right, over theyears.
And uh thank God for our youthministers, right, that bring our
young people to church and umand and introduce them to the
Lord and allow them to have thatencounter with him at a young
age that can hopefully um uhstrengthen them, give them
(29:02):
courage as uh Pope John Paulencouraged and and not to be
downcast or uh to be filled withhope as as as we share the
message, right?
SPEAKER_04 (29:10):
Yeah, you know, I love the youth, they really have
kind of put me where I am today.
Um you know, just because theykeep calling.
You know, the youth leaders keepcalling and I keep going and
talking with them.
Uh just kind of a moment that'stender to my heart.
Uh lost my son, 24 years old.
(29:32):
Uh and you have a daughter.
And a daughter, and we justcelebrated his fourth year of
being gone to being in heaven.
He was young.
Uh and I just want the best forthe young people.
And you know, don't give up onChrist.
He just loves us, loves you somuch.
Uh, and just know uh us asparents, as the bishops, as uh
(29:54):
friends, uh, we love you.
Uh so if you're kind ofwallowing in depression or hurt
or by yourself, please, pleasejust let us know.
SPEAKER_03 (30:04):
You're not alone, you're not alone.
That way we can help you.
Right, right, right, right.
We're here and uh yeah, we wantto we've received it from
others, right?
And from the Lord, and we wantto share that faith, hope, and
love.
Um uh especially with our youngpeople.
SPEAKER_04 (30:18):
Yeah, we love them, and it it you know, you want to
instill Christ in them.
And you know, sometimes you as aparent, mom, or dad, it's not an
easy task, or even a bishop.
Right, right.
Uh there's a lot of people thatsay no or don't care, don't want
it.
Uh, but you know, the Lord couldreally change our lives in a
great way.
So that's where I'm hoping thatone day we could, you know,
(30:41):
place that little seed of Christin each person's hearts.
SPEAKER_03 (30:46):
Well, I'm sure you'll um do that tonight here
at at Sacred Heart, and sograteful again for your coming
to the diocese and for takingthis time as well.
Uh, and uh you'll certainly bein my prayers and in our
prayers, and uh um hopefullywe'll connect again as we
continue along along thejourney.
SPEAKER_04 (31:03):
Thank you for this gift.
SPEAKER_01 (31:05):
Thank you, Tony, and thank you for your beautiful
music.
And um before we wind up,Bishop, is anything you'd like
to share with us?
What's what's happening withyou?
What's been going on?
SPEAKER_03 (31:15):
Well, uh uh confirmation season.
I get to spend a lot of qualitytime with the Holy Spirit uh in
in this time of year.
So uh help us carry that onHallelujah.
That's right, that's right,that's right.
Uh so uh yeah, as we we'refilming on um today, St.
Joseph the Worker, May 1st,right?
(31:35):
Uh so um uh May is always awonderful month uh in parishes,
certainly for first holycommunions, and um uh and
Mother's Day will be coming up,it'll be after uh this will come
out after that.
But uh um so uh uh a lot ofthings happening uh during the
month of May will lead to uhhigh school graduations and our
other school graduations.
But um to keep in mind those umthose blessed days we're gonna
(31:59):
have um here in the diocese umuh Friday the 12th, the Feast of
the Sacred Heart.
We're gonna invite our parishesto encourage um our parishioners
uh after the bishops on Thursdayevening, um, the consecration to
the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Um we're gonna consecrate thecountry and we're gonna invite
each person, each home, eachfamily, uh, each parish to make
(32:19):
that consecration on Friday,June 12th.
Pray for um our two deacons, uhDeacon Lucas Folan and Deacon
Gender Medina, who God willingwill be ordained priests on the
uh feast of St.
Anthony um uh June 13th.
And then Sunday evening the 14thand Monday evening the 15th, uh
we'll have the Eucharist comingthrough um as part of the
(32:40):
national uh Eucharisticpilgrimage.
So um uh you're welcome to comeback if you're if you find
yourself in this part of thecountry at that time.
Uh happy to have you.
SPEAKER_01 (32:50):
So check the show notes for more information about
what the bishop mentioned andalso for some uh links to some
of Tony Melendez's work.
And uh thank you again, Tony.
SPEAKER_03 (33:01):
Uh and I guess if there are other parishes that
are looking to plant something,uh we could uh share the contact
information, right?
SPEAKER_04 (33:07):
Yeah, you could find me at Tony Melendez.com, just on
the internet there.
SPEAKER_01 (33:09):
TonyMelendez.com.
Great.
And he's also on Instagram andFacebook.
Thank you again, Tony.
And thank you all for joiningus.
Please subscribe, comment, andleave a positive rating.
Get to know us better byfollowing Bishop Kevin's
Instagram or Beyond the Beaconon social media.
Read the bishop's weekly columnon beaconnj.org and get in touch
(33:30):
if you have a question for thebishop or a podcast topic idea
and discover our other podcasts.
See you next time.
SPEAKER_03 (33:37):
Thanks everybody.
God bless you.
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