Episode 12: Fr. Rob Galea's Journey to Jesus + the Priesthood
Part One: "When We Fall, God Rises"
This episode is a must-listen for parents and anyone seeking inspiration and hope. Father Rob Galea's journey from addiction to priesthood, his encounter with Jesus, and his mission to evangelize through music and ministry offer valuable insights into the transformative power of faith. Whether you're a parent seeking guidance in supporting your child's vocation or someone looking for inspiration in your own faith journey, this episode has something for everyone.
In this week's episode, Veil + Armour host Sheila Nonato interviews Father Rob Galea, who shares his journey from a troubled teenager to becoming a Roman Catholic priest in Australia and an impactful Christian musician.
Fr. Galea is an internationally-renowned singer-songwriter and former X Factor contestant. He is the founder of ICON Ministry which reaches more than two million youth around the world. Fr. Galea talks about the difficulties he faced as a teen, including addiction and violence, and how he found hope and healing through his relationship with Jesus.
Fr. Galea emphasizes the importance of prayer and having a personal relationship with Jesus in everyday life. He also discusses the role his parents played in turning his life around and his journey towards the priesthood. Fr. Galea encourages parents to foster a culture that embraces religious vocations and to help their children discern their true calling and vocation.
Fr. Galea's autobiography is "Breathrough: A Journey from Desperation to Hope." (Ave Maria Press: 2018)
For more info on his ministry, please visit https://frrobgalea.com
@frrobgalea on social media: YouTube, X/Twitter, Facebook, Spotify
@iconministry
This interview was recorded on June 21, 2024.
To parents, if you notice signs of mental illness, mental distress or suicidal ideation, please seek immediate medical and professional help for your child.
Please seek advice and help from your doctor and local health professional in your area.
In Canada, Kids Help Phone is available: Text 686868 (free and across Canada, based upon information found online on Aug. 9, 2024)
www.kidshelpphone.ca
As of Aug. 9, 2024, YouTube recommends this link of resources:
https://findahelpline.com/
Thank you to our faithful listeners in Canada, the U.S., Guam and Mexico!
Keywords
Fr. Rob Galea, journey, troubled teenager, priest, musician, addiction, violence, hope, healing, relationship with Jesus, prayer, personal relationship, parents, mother, support, prayers, vocation, discernment, culture, religious vocations, calling
Takeaways
- Fr. Rob Galea's journey from a troubled teenager to becoming a priest and musician is a testament to the transformative power of a personal relationship with Jesus.
- Prayer is essential in maintaining a relationship with Jesus, and it can be incorporated into everyday activities such as driving, exercising, and even daily chores.
- Parents play a crucial role in fostering a culture that embraces re
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sheila Nonato (00:04):
Hello and welcome to the Veil and Armour podcast.
This is your host, SheilaNonato.
I'm a stay-at-home mom and afreelance Catholic journalist,
Seeking the guidance of the HolySpirit and the inspiration of
Our Lady, I strive to tellstories that inspire, illuminate
and enrich the lives ofCatholic women, to help them in
living out our vocation ofraising the next generation of
(00:26):
leaders and saints.
Co-Host (00:27):
Please join us every week on the Veil and Armour
podcast, where stories comealive through a journalist's
lens and mother's heart.
Welcome to this week's episodeof the Veil and Armour podcast.
I would like to introduce youto your favorite Catholic artist
, father Rob Galea.
Here's his dog, Cooper.
Father Galea is a priest fromthe Diocese of Sandhurst in
(00:51):
Victoria, australia.
He is known around the world asthe Singing Priest.
Father Galea is a RomanCatholic priest who was born in
Malta and moved to Australia.
He is an evangelist to youngpeople like me.
He is also a popular singer andsongwriter who sang before the
Pope at World Youth Day inSydney, Australia, and Lisbon,
(01:11):
Portugal, and he has tens ofthousands of followers on social
media.
Father Galea is the founder ofIcon Ministry, which spreads the
Good news to more than 2million Catholic youth around
the world.
My mom interviewed Father Galeato talk about his inspiring
story of a prodigal son cominghome to the Father.
(01:31):
I came up with the title of thisweek's episode "hen we Fall,
god Rises.
Before we introduce his story,please join me in a Hail, mary,
in the name of the Father and ofthe Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Hail Mary full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,and blessed is the fruit of thy
(01:54):
womb, jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God, prayfor us sinners, now and at the
hour of our death.
Amen, in the name of the Fatherand of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, amen.
Sheila Nonato (02:08):
Thank you to my daughter for introducing our
guest this week.
Father Galea has written hisAutobiography called
"Breakthrough A Journey fromDesperation to Hope.
In my interview with FatherGallia about his life before
knowing Jesus, he talks candidlyabout his struggles with
addiction and mental health.
This is an episode that weparents can learn from,
(02:32):
especially about how theunceasing prayers of a mother
and the devotion of a father cansave the life of their son.
Here is Father Galliaintroducing himself in under a
minute.
Father Rob Galea (02:39):
My name is Father Rob Galea, and this is me
in just a minute.
I was born and raised on thissmall Mediterranean Island
called Malta.
By the age of 13, I began torebel and lived a life of
(02:59):
addiction, violence and, at 16,was suicidal.
At 17, I had an encounter withJesus and that changed my life
forever.
I wanted to help young peopleto know and to love Jesus, just
like I did.
As a seminarian, I moved toAustralia for a year, and there
I got invited to sing for thePope and half a million people
(03:30):
people.
After that event, I began toget invitations to speak and
sing about Jesus all over theworld.
I saw people everywherereturning to Jesus and his
church and even enteringseminaries to study for the
priesthood.
In 2010, I was ordained aCatholic priest and then
returned back to Australia.
Today, I'm more determined thanever to find dynamic, engaging
and relevant ways to reach outto people, to help them know and
love and serve Jesus.
Sheila Nonato (03:56):
Wow, that was powerful.
Let's hear Father Galea in hisown words, discussing what he
went through in his journey fromhopelessness to Jesus Christ.
It's a story so powerful andmoving that it will soon be
turned into a Hollywood movie.
Let's hear Father Galea in hisown words.
I'm going to say good morning,because your time is morning
right.
Father Rob Galea (04:17):
That's right, it is.
Sheila Nonato (04:18):
Yeah, my children are here.
I'm a working mom, so you mighthear them or see them.
Father Rob Galea (04:24):
God bless you.
Sheila Nonato (04:27):
Yeah, that's fine , that's all right, so my
children are just gonna bearound, so you want to say hi,
come over here say hello, comeover here.
He can't see you.
You have to come over here.
Come over, hello.
Okay, this is Father Galeawhat's your name?
Hello what's your name?
Hello, what's your name, james?
James, this is James.
Father Rob Galea (04:49):
Hi James, Nice to see you.
Sheila Nonato (04:52):
Nice to see you.
Good morning, Father Galea.
Thank you so much for joiningus on the Veil and Armor podcast
.
It's an honor to have you.
I think I met you at Salt andLight Studio, Father Thomas
Rosica in Toronto.
I'm not sure if you were herefor World Youth Day or were you
here before.
I forget now.
Father Rob Galea (05:12):
Not for the Toronto one.
I hadn't even heard about WorldYouth Day then.
It was the one after the SydneyWorld Youth Day actually was
the first World Youth Day I hadattended.
Sheila Nonato (05:22):
Okay, but were you at Salt and Light with
Father Rosica?
Father Rob Galea (05:27):
Oh, of course yes yes, yes, I was at Salt and
Light.
Yes that was right after theWorld.
Youth Day in Sydney, and then,a couple of weeks later, I was
there with Father Tom.
Sheila Nonato (05:37):
Okay, that is awesome, so do you come?
Father Rob Galea (05:39):
to Toronto.
Did you work?
Co-Host (05:40):
there.
Sheila Nonato (05:45):
I was working at The Catholic Register newspaper,
the newspaper for theArchdiocese of.
Toronto.
Yeah, I think that's where Imet you.
Yes, but it's been so long ago.
Father Rob Galea (05:51):
oh lovely.
Sheila Nonato (05:53):
Yeah.
Father Rob Galea (05:54):
Yes, it has been long ago.
Yeah, I do come to Canada.
I go to Vancouver about once ayear.
Sheila Nonato (06:02):
Oh, do you?
Do you have concerts there?
Father Rob Galea (06:05):
Yes, okay, do you.
Do you have concerts there?
Yes, Okay, awesome.
Yes, I do.
Usually I work with theArchdiocese to do some parish
missions every year, if notevery two years.
Sheila Nonato (06:14):
Yeah, Okay, awesome.
Yeah, so you are a priest inthe Sandhurst Diocese in
Australia, is that correct?
Father Rob Galea (06:23):
Yes, that's correct.
So I work in the SandhurstDiocese in Australia.
Is that correct?
Yes, that's correct, so I workin the Sandhurst Diocese.
I work as a priest here, whichis in regional Victoria,
australia, but also most of mywork is working through icon
ministry.
So I actually only work in theparish one or two days a week,
and the rest of the time I'm onthe road and reaching out to
(06:43):
young people in particular.
Sheila Nonato (06:45):
Awesome and I have your book amazing story
"Breakthrough.
Can you tell us in the book youwere talking about the
difficulties you had as a teen?
What were those difficultiesand how did that affect your
relationship with your parents?
Father Rob Galea (07:01):
Well, when I was a teenager, 13 years old not
to go into the entire story,actually, as you see, there is a
book that explains it morethoroughly but at 13 years old,
I ran away from home due to aseries of misunderstandings, of
fights with my parents, and mydad was always extremely strict,
(07:21):
and so I always felt that Iwasn't good enough, I wasn't
strong enough, I wasn't lovedenough, and so, at 13 years old,
I ran away, ended up living onthe streets, ended up an addict,
until I was about 17 years old,and it was at this place that I
had reached the total end ofmyself, where I didn't want to
(07:41):
live anymore.
I didn't want to face anotherday, and by this time I was
addicted to a lot of drugs.
I was addicted to stealing.
I was also hanging out with agang that used to be into a lot
of violence, and so I was quiteviolent at the age of 17, where
we would literally beat peopleup to their last breath and then
(08:06):
walk away.
Every time, I would just cometo this place and just feel so
sad because, deep down, I wantedto help people, I wanted to
love people.
I remember when I was about 12years old, I won a prize at
school for the most altruisticstudent in my entire school of
2,000 students.
And here I was just beatingpeople half to death and
(08:29):
stealing from them and dealingdrugs in this place of darkness,
and all I cared about was justbeing appreciated by my friends.
And this eventually turnedagainst me, because these
friends that were supposed tosupport me, me, because these
friends that were supposed tosupport me, all of a sudden
turned against me, and so I wasrunning for my life, where I ran
(08:54):
home, back to my parents' home,and it was at this moment that
it was the worst moment of mylife, where I attempted to end
my own life a couple of times.
But it was again at this darkestmoment where I reached the end
of myself that I discovered myrelationship with Jesus.
And it all came from a memory,a silly memory, and it was a
memory of my Mama busy washingdishes.
I was about four years old,just pestering my mom as she was
(09:17):
trying to wash the dishes.
But every time I noticedsomething in this memory she was
washing the dishes and everytime she'd throw her hands in
the air and argue to the wall.
I didn't think much of it, butI thought wait a minute, is she
crazy?
Why is she arguing with thewall?
But it was a time, a verydifficult time for my mom at
(09:41):
that time, and I realized atthat moment, in my darkest
moment, when I was harmingmyself physically, when I was
just wanting to end my own life,that memory, God brought that
memory into my heart to show mehow my mother struggled and my
mother's crying out to God.
And so I did the same.
I remember looking at the walland just arguing with the wall,
(10:02):
the same way my Mama did, andsaying God, if you are there,
please save me, please save me.
And it was a series of littlemiracles in hindsight at the
time I didn't see it.
Little miracles that eventuallyled me to a youth group and
from the youth group eventuallyto a community of young people.
that helped me get out of myaddiction but, most importantly,
(10:25):
pointed me to the mostimportant person in my life
today, and that is Jesus.
And so I live my life.
This is why I evangelize, thisis why I do what I do, because I
cannot keep quiet about whatJesus has done in my life.
And so, by the grace of God,through Icon Ministry, we now
reach about two and a half tofour million young people across
(10:47):
the world, and we do thisthrough talks, through outreach,
through even video games,because I will stop at nothing
to try and give our young peoplethe same hope that I received
when I was 17 years old.
How I wish there was someonetelling me what I am telling our
young people across the worldthat's amazing.
Sheila Nonato (11:12):
In the book you were talking about praying and
you, you had two chairs and onewas for jesus and you saw.
You saw jesus sitting there andyou were, you were talking to
him, you're praying to him andyou saw him crying.
What can you tell us?
What, what, what happened?
Father Rob Galea (11:29):
Well one, I had started going to this youth
group and, um, I don't want tomake it out to be like some
mystical experience, because itwas quite ordinary.
It was like in my imagination,but I believe that God uses
imagination.
Now I was used to hallucinatingbecause I was an addict, ok so,
(11:49):
but I had been off the drugsfor a while, so I was no longer
on any kind of drugs, but I wasgoing to this youth group and as
I was at the youth group, theyencouraged us to pray.
And one day I heard thispreacher, this medical doctor,
but he was a preacher also.
He started to talk about Jesusas though he had known him, as
though he had a coffee with himthat morning.
(12:10):
And this was so strange to melike to hear someone talk about
Jesus in this way.
So I go back to my room the sameplace where I would self-harm,
the same place where I had thosevery suicidal thoughts and I go
to my room and I sit down on achair and I put another chair in
front of me and as I sit on thechair, I tap the chair in front
(12:32):
of me.
I say Jesus, sit down, becauseI want to talk to you, I want to
know you, like that doctorknows you.
I want to have this coffee withyou, I want to have this
relationship with you.
And as I was going to the youthgroup, I saw everyone with so
much joy and so much peace and Iso desperately, so desperately
wanted this joy.
(12:52):
I wanted, I needed this peace,and it seemed to me it made
logical sense that their peacecame from this relationship,
this Jesus that this doctor wastalking about.
And so I sat down on the chair,I tapped the chair in front of
me, I said, "Jesus, sit down,and I'll be honest with you, I
didn't feel a thing, I didn'tsense a thing and I was
(13:13):
disappointed.
I was disappointed, and so I goabout my day, but throughout
that day, all of a sudden, I hadpeace.
All of a sudden I had thissense of hope and I started to
think, wow, what's going on here?
And so the next day, the addictI was, I went for the next high
.
So I sat down on the chairagain and I said I want this
(13:35):
again, I want this peace again,I want this joy again.
And so I sat down and I spoketo the chair again.
I didn't feel anything, butthroughout my day.
The peace followed me, the joyfollowed me everywhere I went
and so slowly I started tobecome familiar with this joy,
familiar with this peace andfamiliar also with spending time
with Jesus.
But one day I was sitting downin my chair and I did feel
(13:59):
something.
While I was sitting down onthat chair, I felt there was
someone sitting on that chair.
I could almost see this person,I could sense this person and I
remember just looking at mydoor the door.
I went to lock my bedroom doorbecause this was too real, this
was too crazy and I was scaredmy parents would walk in and I
didn't know what was going onwith this.
(14:21):
But I looked at this person andI got angry.
I really got angry because Isaw what I imagined was Jesus
there.
But I didn't realize how angry Iwas at Jesus.
I was angry because He allowedme to go through this addiction.
He allowed me to go through allof this pain, this suffering.
My grandparents had died aswell.
I didn't know why God wouldallow all of this.
(14:44):
I stood up and I startedshouting at this chair and
really angry.
But as I looked at this chair,almost in tears, I see this
figure, jesus, with a tearcoming down his face and this
broke me.
This broke me ,and I remember Ijust fell to my knees, and I
cried for about two hours, evenmore than two hours, and I
(15:06):
started with a slow cry and thena louder cry and a louder cry,
to the point where I had to geta pillow and hold it to my face
because I was screaming, crying,and at first it was a cry of
sadnessBecause, you see, when I looked
at this person crying, Irealized that this tear that
(15:28):
they were crying was not a tearof disappointment or shame or
because I was bullying them, butbecause this person saw my mess
and still loved me and stillloved me, and it was like the
first time I experienced anunconditional love.
And for some this might seemstrange, but it was so real to
(15:49):
me, so real to me, and I startcrying and it was a cry of
sorrow, of pain, of unworthiness, and then eventually it turned
to a cry of repentance andsorrow for my sins and then
eventually turned into something, a cry of joy.
And then, at the end, this cryof love, and the love was so
(16:12):
loud, it was so powerful that Ithought, I literally thought I
was going to die, because myheart felt like it was going to
explode and to the point where Ifelt I had to.
My prayer was," God, pleasestop, because I'm going to die,
please stop, because my heart isgoing to explode.
And I remember standing upafter that experience and it
wasn't a feeling of wow, this isamazing.
(16:36):
My first thought after cryingfor two hours, two and a half
hours, I stood up and I thought, "okay, jesus, how am I going
to tell the world about this?
How am I going to tell peopleabout this?
Well, that's all I cared about.
It became from this loveexperience, this repentance
experience, this wanting tochange my life around.
And I did turn my life around.
(16:56):
I went to Confession and Iturned my life around.
But this burden to tell peopleand I did tell people and they
thought I was crazy, theythought I was mad, but I
couldn't keep it to myself.
Eventually, I learned and Iworked on the craft of
evangelization, the craft oftelling people.
So I started writing songsabout my love for God and from
(17:20):
songs I learned how to.
I used to watch preachers onYouTube and try and learn how
they preached, how theycommunicated, and eventually I
started to work on the craft ofalso media and new media, to
tell the world about this lovethat I have and God has for me,
and I haven't stopped.
This was over 20 years ago andtoday I am more passionate than
(17:46):
ever, more driven than ever totell people about the love of
Jesus.
Sheila Nonato (17:50):
That's amazing.
You know your music.
The first time I heard praiseand worship this was many years
ago.
I was 19 or 20.
My friend had brought me tothis praise and worship.
It was Protestant, but anywayI'd never seen anyone singing
for God, and actually it was notin a good part of town that we
were in.
This was in Quebec, and some ofthe women there were working in
(18:13):
prostitution.
But when I saw them singing andpraising God, crying,
rediscovering their dignity,their God-given dignity, I saw
the power that music can healand it's also a way of praising
and a way of prayer you weretalking about in one of the
(18:35):
videos.
You're talking about prayingwhile you were in the gym.
What is sort of your routine ofprayer and how does that work?
How do we pray and do otherthings while praying?
Father Rob Galea (18:49):
Yes, look.
First of all, I would say thisPrayer is communication, isn't
it?
It's a relationship we're notcalled to as Catholics.
All I would say this Prayer iscommunication, isn't it?
It's a relationship we're notcalled to as Catholics, and this
is a misconception.
We're not called to follow areligion, right, we're called to
follow a person.
That person is Jesus, and Jesusis risen from the dead.
He's alive, and so we are tohave a conversation with him, a
(19:10):
relationship with him.
We're not created to live thislife alone.
So, every day how I pray.
I wake up every morning and Iput my hands outside the quilt
and it's freezing here at themoment.
It's literally freezing and Iput my hands out in the morning
and I say, "Jesus, just give mea hug, give me a hug.
That's how I start my day.
(19:31):
I imagine Jesus Just give me ahug, give me a hug.
That's how I start my day.
I imagine Jesus giving me a hug.
Then I have my coffee and Isettle down a little bit and
then I go to my prayer roomwhere I sit down and I speak to
Jesus.
I read the Bible, I reflect, Ijournal, I do my morning prayer,
I read the Psalms, I spendmyself.
I spend between 40 minutes toan hour with the Lord every
(19:54):
moment.
But it doesn't end there.
I go about my day.
I'm driving my car.
I say, " Jesus, please help mefind a parking space.
You know.
I'm at the gym, I'm lifting myweights, I'm speaking to Jesus.
I wear headphones sometimes,but I have no music on.
I just have silence, a momentof silence where I just speak to
(20:14):
the Lord.
Some people might think I'mcrazy, because every now and
then my mouth moves as I'mtalking to the Lord, but I speak
to Jesus everywhere I go.
A relationship doesn't end whenyou're in a place.
You stay in this relationshipeverywhere you go.
Now it's different betweenhusband and wife, I guess,
because when there's noproximity, there's no necessary
(20:35):
conversation, but there'sconstant proximity between you
and God, so you can at any timespeak to him, at any time even
hear his voice, and so I want tostay in the practice of his
presence.
St Paul says, " Pray withoutceasing.
So never stop praying, alwayskeep in fellowship with the Lord
.
And so this is why I pray atthe gym.
(20:57):
I don't go to the gym to pray,but when I'm at the gym I pray.
When I'm driving, I pray.
When I'm about to go on stageand I'm about to preach, I pray.
When I'm out for a walk,walking the dog, I'm praying.
So I try to pray as much as Ican, and it's not intense prayer
, it's a simple conversation.
Jesus, thank you for thisflower, thank you so much for
(21:18):
the peace that you give me, andjust keep walking, just be aware
of his presence everywhere yougo.
Sheila Nonato (21:23):
That's awesome.
You talked earlier about yourparents, your Mother.
How was your mother?
In the book?
You described her as yourclosest spiritual companion.
What is your relationship withyour mother and how did she pray
for you to become a priest?
Father Rob Galea (21:37):
Yes, look, my Mother is the greatest example
of what it means to love theLord in imperfection, but also
to keep loving the Lord in spiteof all things.
So my mom is the one I standhere as a priest, because my Mom
never gave up on me in prayer.
Now there was a time where Iwas locked in my room.
I talked about those momentswhere I was lost and I wanted to
(22:02):
end my life, and my Mom inparticular used to hear me cry.
She used to knock at the doorand she'd say, rob, are you okay
?
And every time I just slammedthe door in her face.
I'd swear at her, I'd say, justlike, leave me alone.
And when I got to write thisbook, I gave my mom a copy.
I said, "ook, I'm going topublish this book, but I had
(22:23):
included a chapter Now I shoulddo it in the next update of the
book.
But I had included a chapterabout how angry I was at my
parents because they would knockat the door and I would slam
the door in their face, but howI wanted them not just to knock
at the door.
I really, in hindsight and Iwas a priest when I wrote this
(22:44):
how I wish that they broke downthe door, that they ran towards
me, that they hugged me and theytold me that I was going to be
okay, because I didn't know Iwas going to be okay, I didn't
know I was going to be able tosurvive.
And so what happened was I gavea copy to my Mom.
I said "isten, I just want youto see this because I'm about to
publish this in a book.
And she told me this.
(23:06):
She said, "rob, there'ssomething missing in this book.
She said because there'ssomething you don't know that we
never told you.
She said because there'ssomething you don't know that we
never told you.
And she said every time youslam the door in our face, we
would not leave.
We wouldn't leave.
We'd fall to our knees outsideyour room and we'd pray, we'd
pray, we'd pray that the God whowe knew could reach you, would
(23:28):
reach you.
We couldn't, but we knew a Godwho could reach out to you and
we'd cry outside your room.
Except you were crying indesperation, we were crying in
hope.
So she continued to pray for me.
She continued to get friendsand family, and she still does.
She has a prayer group just topray for my ministry, and so she
(23:50):
meets with other women and theypray, and they pray that for my
holiness.
And I keep telling her,.
"Mom, you're not praying hardenough.
You're not praying hard enoughbecause I have a long, long way
to go.
But also she's the one who Iturn to as well, especially when
(24:11):
I need to discern things in mylife, because she's really
helped me with discernmentthrough the priesthood, but also
discernment in where I am to goin my ministry, and so I'm
really grateful for her and formy Dad ,too.
My Dad isn't necessarily apraying man, but he's a wise man
.
He's a man who takes suffering,a man who's been through a lot
as well in his life that'samazing.
Sheila Nonato (24:32):
That's amazing.
What's your mother's name?
Father Rob Galea (24:34):
My <other's name is Anne and beautiful,
beautiful.
Sheila Nonato (24:38):
How does she feel about you, um, traveling around
the world, singing and bringingthe gospel to people, and being
a priest?
How did your parents feel aboutyou becoming a priest?
Well, as I said, Mom was greatat discernment.
She knew I was going to be apriest before I even knew it.
So she had this sense and shewould see pictures, like visions
(25:00):
, in her mind of me.
For example, one thing that shehad written down and told me
about was that she saw a pictureof me and I was still 17.
I was still going through myaddiction at that point and I
wasn't a musician.
I had never touched a guitar inmy life, I'd never written a
song in my life.
(25:20):
And she said, one day she satme down.
She said, "ell, I was prayingand I saw this picture of you in
a circle with young people andyou had a guitar in your hands,
but also you had a collar apriest's collar on.
And when she told me this, Iwas furious, I was angry.
She said I said, "om, I don'twant to be a priest, I don't
(25:42):
want to be near young people.
At that time I was terrified ofyoung people because of the
amount of times I had been hurtand I certainly didn't play
music.
And so she knew she really knew, even deep down in her heart,
that I was to be a priest.
So when I told her that I wasdiscerning the priesthood, she
already knew and she was prayingfor me.
(26:03):
My Dad, on the other hand, wasangry.
He was furious that I was to bea priest because he thought I
was wasting my life.
He thought I was throwing mylife away because he thought I
was wasting my life.
He thought I was throwing mylife away and eventually, once I
did enter the seminary, hestarted to understand my joy and
my peace and he could see thatthis was fulfilling my heart as
(26:24):
well, and today he's my biggestsupporter.
He watches all of my YouTubevideos.
He watches everything that Ibroadcast, in fact, to the point
where even my mom tells himenough, let's watch something
else, because, um, my Dad todayreally is, um, yeah, someone who
, who is honestly my biggest fanthat's amazing.
(26:45):
I um, obviously I'm married now but before I
also had been discerning aboutreligious life, becoming
becoming a religious sister, andmy parents were against it, I
actually had to write a letter Ithink it was like four pages
long for them to allow me todiscern.
But I feel like nowadays, withall the distractions for young
(27:06):
people, how do they go aboutdiscovering their vocation with
all of these distractions aboutdiscovering their vocation, with
all of these distractions andalso the culture is not so
welcoming towards the idea of areligious vocation or a priestly
vocation.
How do parents, how do weencourage that?
How do we build sort of aculture that will embrace that
(27:28):
kind of searching?
Father Rob Galea (27:29):
I think that every young man should consider
the priesthood, every youngwoman should consider religious
life, consecrated life, and Ithink parents that understand
the heart of God and the heartof the Church will always
encourage the young people justto consider it, sitting them
down even at a point have youever considered the priesthood?
Getting them into parishes.
(27:50):
Rolemodels are so important, even
on YouTube, and also even inproximity and going to parishes.
Role models are so important,even on youtube, and also, um,
even, uh, in in proximity andgoing to parishes that have
priests that are inspirationalreligious orders.
You know, if you have youngdaughters as well, take them to
places to go and visit nuns, togo and visit the and see the
ministry of religious life,because god calls.
(28:13):
But he voice is too distant ifthere are no role models.
Also, the voice of the world istoo loud, the noise of the
world is too loud.
So, teaching your children topray, to discern, but also
teaching them to understand thatthey too could be called to the
priesthood, and we think, mygoodness, I don't want to lose
(28:35):
the opportunity forgrandchildren.
It's too hard.
It is hard, of course.
It's hard being a priest.
Of course it's hard being a nun, of course, even now more than
ever.
But can I tell you this it ismore fulfilling than anything
else I could ever hope orimagine.
I find it difficult to be apriest, but I'm happy.
I'm so happy, so fulfilled, andmy parents are thrilled.
(28:57):
My dad is thrilled because hesees me so fulfilled in my
vocation.
If God calls your children to bea priest or a nun and you're
pushing them towards somethingelse, they will never be
fulfilled, as, because God knowsmore, they will be happy.
But the true fulfillment comeswith vocation, with a response
(29:18):
to vocation.
So it could very well bemarriage, absolutely, and that's
a beautiful vocation.
But I think you cannot evendiscern marriage well if you
haven't discerned priesthood orreligious life.
Having said this, also, if youare not able to be a good father
(29:42):
, a good husband, then youprobably won't be a good priest
either.
So you can see your children oh,they're really well.
They really get on well withchildren.
They get on well with people,yes, but that could also be a
sign of the priesthood, becausea priest or religious life,
because a good priest is someonewho is also capable of being a
(30:02):
good father and a good husband,and a good nun is someone who's
capable of being a good motherand a good wife as well.
So just discernment is notabout what we see, but trying to
help your children understandwhat God wants, because they
will never be truly fulfilled ifthey go for second best.
God knows first best andsometimes we settle for second,
(30:23):
for third best, because of ourfears.
And God will overcome anythingthat you'll be fearful of.
God will give you more than youcould ever hope or imagine.
So, as the Bible says 365 times, "do not be afraid.
"
Sheila Nonato (30:38):
Thank you to Father Galea for joining us
today and sharing how the loveof Christ and the love of his
family helped him get out of theabyss of addiction and
hopelessness.
To parents if you see signs ofmental illness, mental distress,
suicide ideation in your child,please seek medical help.
When Father talked about how Godcalls us into a personal
(31:00):
relationship with Jesus Christ,I recall my own reversion
experience.
I was born a cradle Catholicbut was poorly catechized and
almost left the Catholic Church.
It took a friend to ask me thesimple question: "Do you know
that God is your Father?
And she also invited me topraise and worship service, and
(31:20):
both of these things helped toturn the light bulb of faith on
in my heart and for me to embarkupon a search for truth.
I invite you to seek Jesus andto enter into prayer and
discernment, into what he iscalling you to in your vocation.
Perhaps he is inviting you toask the question that my friend,
who helped me to deepen myrelationship with Jesus through
(31:40):
my Catholic faith, to someoneelse"\ Do you know that God is
your Father, a Father who lovesyou with unconditional love and
wants you to return to Him?
Stay tuned for part two when wepick up the conversation with
Father Galea Gallia about how heis ministering to the Alpha
Generation, my children'sgeneration.
Let's pray for Father Galea andhis ministry to millions of
youth around the world.
(32:00):
If you'd like to support hisministry, you can find out more
about Icon Ministry on hiswebsite frrobgalea.
com and @frrobgalea on Instagram, Facebook, X formerly known as
Twitter, and YouTube.
Co-Host (32:23):
Thank you, Father Galea , for joining us.
If you like this episode,please like share and subscribe
to our podcast.
You can also send us a textmessage on our podcast page.
We would love to hear from you.
(32:44):
you for listening to the Veiland Armour podcast.
I invite you to share this withanother Catholic mom today.
Please subscribe to our podcastand YouTube channel and please
spread the word.
Co-host (32:56):
Let's be Brave, let's Be Bold and Be Blessed together.
Thank you.
Hello and welcome to the Veil and Armour podcast.
This is your host, SheilaNonato.
I'm a stay-at-home mom and afreelance Catholic journalist,
Seeking the guidance of the HolySpirit and the inspiration of
Our Lady, I strive to tellstories that inspire, illuminate
and enrich the lives ofCatholic women, to help them in
living out our vocation ofraising the next generation of
(00:26):
leaders and saints.
Co-Host (00:27):
Please join us every week on the Veil and Armour
podcast, where stories comealive through a journalist's
lens and mother's heart.
Welcome to this week's episodeof the Veil and Armour podcast.
I would like to introduce youto your favorite Catholic artist
, father Rob Galea.
Here's his dog, Cooper.
Father Galea is a priest fromthe Diocese of Sandhurst in
(00:51):
Victoria, australia.
He is known around the world asthe Singing Priest.
Father Galea is a RomanCatholic priest who was born in
Malta and moved to Australia.
He is an evangelist to youngpeople like me.
He is also a popular singer andsongwriter who sang before the
Pope at World Youth Day inSydney, Australia, and Lisbon,
(01:11):
Portugal, and he has tens ofthousands of followers on social
media.
Father Galea is the founder ofIcon Ministry, which spreads the
Good news to more than 2million Catholic youth around
the world.
My mom interviewed Father Galeato talk about his inspiring
story of a prodigal son cominghome to the Father.
(01:31):
I came up with the title of thisweek's episode "hen we Fall,
god Rises.
Before we introduce his story,please join me in a Hail, mary,
in the name of the Father and ofthe Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Hail Mary full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,and blessed is the fruit of thy
(01:54):
womb, jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God, prayfor us sinners, now and at the
hour of our death.
Amen, in the name of the Fatherand of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, amen.
Sheila Nonato (02:08):
Thank you to my daughter for introducing our
guest this week.
Father Galea has written hisAutobiography called
"Breakthrough A Journey fromDesperation to Hope.
In my interview with FatherGallia about his life before
knowing Jesus, he talks candidlyabout his struggles with
addiction and mental health.
This is an episode that weparents can learn from,
(02:32):
especially about how theunceasing prayers of a mother
and the devotion of a father cansave the life of their son.
Here is Father Galliaintroducing himself in under a
minute.
Father Rob Galea (02:39):
My name is Father Rob Galea, and this is me
in just a minute.
I was born and raised on thissmall Mediterranean Island
called Malta.
By the age of 13, I began torebel and lived a life of
(02:59):
addiction, violence and, at 16,was suicidal.
At 17, I had an encounter withJesus and that changed my life
forever.
I wanted to help young peopleto know and to love Jesus, just
like I did.
As a seminarian, I moved toAustralia for a year, and there
I got invited to sing for thePope and half a million people
(03:30):
people.
After that event, I began toget invitations to speak and
sing about Jesus all over theworld.
I saw people everywherereturning to Jesus and his
church and even enteringseminaries to study for the
priesthood.
In 2010, I was ordained aCatholic priest and then
returned back to Australia.
Today, I'm more determined thanever to find dynamic, engaging
and relevant ways to reach outto people, to help them know and
love and serve Jesus.
Sheila Nonato (03:56):
Wow, that was powerful.
Let's hear Father Galea in hisown words, discussing what he
went through in his journey fromhopelessness to Jesus Christ.
It's a story so powerful andmoving that it will soon be
turned into a Hollywood movie.
Let's hear Father Galea in hisown words.
I'm going to say good morning,because your time is morning
right.
Father Rob Galea (04:17):
That's right, it is.
Sheila Nonato (04:18):
Yeah, my children are here.
I'm a working mom, so you mighthear them or see them.
Father Rob Galea (04:24):
God bless you.
Sheila Nonato (04:27):
Yeah, that's fine , that's all right, so my
children are just gonna bearound, so you want to say hi,
come over here say hello, comeover here.
He can't see you.
You have to come over here.
Come over, hello.
Okay, this is Father Galeawhat's your name?
Hello what's your name?
Hello, what's your name, james?
James, this is James.
Father Rob Galea (04:49):
Hi James, Nice to see you.
Sheila Nonato (04:52):
Nice to see you.
Good morning, Father Galea.
Thank you so much for joiningus on the Veil and Armor podcast
.
It's an honor to have you.
I think I met you at Salt andLight Studio, Father Thomas
Rosica in Toronto.
I'm not sure if you were herefor World Youth Day or were you
here before.
I forget now.
Father Rob Galea (05:12):
Not for the Toronto one.
I hadn't even heard about WorldYouth Day then.
It was the one after the SydneyWorld Youth Day actually was
the first World Youth Day I hadattended.
Sheila Nonato (05:22):
Okay, but were you at Salt and Light with
Father Rosica?
Father Rob Galea (05:27):
Oh, of course yes yes, yes, I was at Salt and
Light.
Yes that was right after theWorld.
Youth Day in Sydney, and then,a couple of weeks later, I was
there with Father Tom.
Sheila Nonato (05:37):
Okay, that is awesome, so do you come?
Father Rob Galea (05:39):
to Toronto.
Did you work?
Co-Host (05:40):
there.
Sheila Nonato (05:45):
I was working at The Catholic Register newspaper,
the newspaper for theArchdiocese of.
Toronto.
Yeah, I think that's where Imet you.
Yes, but it's been so long ago.
Father Rob Galea (05:51):
oh lovely.
Sheila Nonato (05:53):
Yeah.
Father Rob Galea (05:54):
Yes, it has been long ago.
Yeah, I do come to Canada.
I go to Vancouver about once ayear.
Sheila Nonato (06:02):
Oh, do you?
Do you have concerts there?
Father Rob Galea (06:05):
Yes, okay, do you.
Do you have concerts there?
Yes, Okay, awesome.
Yes, I do.
Usually I work with theArchdiocese to do some parish
missions every year, if notevery two years.
Sheila Nonato (06:14):
Yeah, Okay, awesome.
Yeah, so you are a priest inthe Sandhurst Diocese in
Australia, is that correct?
Father Rob Galea (06:23):
Yes, that's correct.
So I work in the SandhurstDiocese in Australia.
Is that correct?
Yes, that's correct, so I workin the Sandhurst Diocese.
I work as a priest here, whichis in regional Victoria,
australia, but also most of mywork is working through icon
ministry.
So I actually only work in theparish one or two days a week,
and the rest of the time I'm onthe road and reaching out to
(06:43):
young people in particular.
Sheila Nonato (06:45):
Awesome and I have your book amazing story
"Breakthrough.
Can you tell us in the book youwere talking about the
difficulties you had as a teen?
What were those difficultiesand how did that affect your
relationship with your parents?
Father Rob Galea (07:01):
Well, when I was a teenager, 13 years old not
to go into the entire story,actually, as you see, there is a
book that explains it morethoroughly but at 13 years old,
I ran away from home due to aseries of misunderstandings, of
fights with my parents, and mydad was always extremely strict,
(07:21):
and so I always felt that Iwasn't good enough, I wasn't
strong enough, I wasn't lovedenough, and so, at 13 years old,
I ran away, ended up living onthe streets, ended up an addict,
until I was about 17 years old,and it was at this place that I
had reached the total end ofmyself, where I didn't want to
(07:41):
live anymore.
I didn't want to face anotherday, and by this time I was
addicted to a lot of drugs.
I was addicted to stealing.
I was also hanging out with agang that used to be into a lot
of violence, and so I was quiteviolent at the age of 17, where
we would literally beat peopleup to their last breath and then
(08:06):
walk away.
Every time, I would just cometo this place and just feel so
sad because, deep down, I wantedto help people, I wanted to
love people.
I remember when I was about 12years old, I won a prize at
school for the most altruisticstudent in my entire school of
2,000 students.
And here I was just beatingpeople half to death and
(08:29):
stealing from them and dealingdrugs in this place of darkness,
and all I cared about was justbeing appreciated by my friends.
And this eventually turnedagainst me, because these
friends that were supposed tosupport me, me, because these
friends that were supposed tosupport me, all of a sudden
turned against me, and so I wasrunning for my life, where I ran
(08:54):
home, back to my parents' home,and it was at this moment that
it was the worst moment of mylife, where I attempted to end
my own life a couple of times.
But it was again at this darkestmoment where I reached the end
of myself that I discovered myrelationship with Jesus.
And it all came from a memory,a silly memory, and it was a
memory of my Mama busy washingdishes.
I was about four years old,just pestering my mom as she was
(09:17):
trying to wash the dishes.
But every time I noticedsomething in this memory she was
washing the dishes and everytime she'd throw her hands in
the air and argue to the wall.
I didn't think much of it, butI thought wait a minute, is she
crazy?
Why is she arguing with thewall?
But it was a time, a verydifficult time for my mom at
(09:41):
that time, and I realized atthat moment, in my darkest
moment, when I was harmingmyself physically, when I was
just wanting to end my own life,that memory, God brought that
memory into my heart to show mehow my mother struggled and my
mother's crying out to God.
And so I did the same.
I remember looking at the walland just arguing with the wall,
(10:02):
the same way my Mama did, andsaying God, if you are there,
please save me, please save me.
And it was a series of littlemiracles in hindsight at the
time I didn't see it.
Little miracles that eventuallyled me to a youth group and
from the youth group eventuallyto a community of young people.
that helped me get out of myaddiction but, most importantly,
(10:25):
pointed me to the mostimportant person in my life
today, and that is Jesus.
And so I live my life.
This is why I evangelize, thisis why I do what I do, because I
cannot keep quiet about whatJesus has done in my life.
And so, by the grace of God,through Icon Ministry, we now
reach about two and a half tofour million young people across
(10:47):
the world, and we do thisthrough talks, through outreach,
through even video games,because I will stop at nothing
to try and give our young peoplethe same hope that I received
when I was 17 years old.
How I wish there was someonetelling me what I am telling our
young people across the worldthat's amazing.
Sheila Nonato (11:12):
In the book you were talking about praying and
you, you had two chairs and onewas for jesus and you saw.
You saw jesus sitting there andyou were, you were talking to
him, you're praying to him andyou saw him crying.
What can you tell us?
What, what, what happened?
Father Rob Galea (11:29):
Well one, I had started going to this youth
group and, um, I don't want tomake it out to be like some
mystical experience, because itwas quite ordinary.
It was like in my imagination,but I believe that God uses
imagination.
Now I was used to hallucinatingbecause I was an addict, ok so,
(11:49):
but I had been off the drugsfor a while, so I was no longer
on any kind of drugs, but I wasgoing to this youth group and as
I was at the youth group, theyencouraged us to pray.
And one day I heard thispreacher, this medical doctor,
but he was a preacher also.
He started to talk about Jesusas though he had known him, as
though he had a coffee with himthat morning.
(12:10):
And this was so strange to melike to hear someone talk about
Jesus in this way.
So I go back to my room the sameplace where I would self-harm,
the same place where I had thosevery suicidal thoughts and I go
to my room and I sit down on achair and I put another chair in
front of me and as I sit on thechair, I tap the chair in front
(12:32):
of me.
I say Jesus, sit down, becauseI want to talk to you, I want to
know you, like that doctorknows you.
I want to have this coffee withyou, I want to have this
relationship with you.
And as I was going to the youthgroup, I saw everyone with so
much joy and so much peace and Iso desperately, so desperately
wanted this joy.
(12:52):
I wanted, I needed this peace,and it seemed to me it made
logical sense that their peacecame from this relationship,
this Jesus that this doctor wastalking about.
And so I sat down on the chair,I tapped the chair in front of
me, I said, "Jesus, sit down,and I'll be honest with you, I
didn't feel a thing, I didn'tsense a thing and I was
(13:13):
disappointed.
I was disappointed, and so I goabout my day, but throughout
that day, all of a sudden, I hadpeace.
All of a sudden I had thissense of hope and I started to
think, wow, what's going on here?
And so the next day, the addictI was, I went for the next high
.
So I sat down on the chairagain and I said I want this
(13:35):
again, I want this peace again,I want this joy again.
And so I sat down and I spoketo the chair again.
I didn't feel anything, butthroughout my day.
The peace followed me, the joyfollowed me everywhere I went
and so slowly I started tobecome familiar with this joy,
familiar with this peace andfamiliar also with spending time
with Jesus.
But one day I was sitting downin my chair and I did feel
(13:59):
something.
While I was sitting down onthat chair, I felt there was
someone sitting on that chair.
I could almost see this person,I could sense this person and I
remember just looking at mydoor the door.
I went to lock my bedroom doorbecause this was too real, this
was too crazy and I was scaredmy parents would walk in and I
didn't know what was going onwith this.
(14:21):
But I looked at this person andI got angry.
I really got angry because Isaw what I imagined was Jesus
there.
But I didn't realize how angry Iwas at Jesus.
I was angry because He allowedme to go through this addiction.
He allowed me to go through allof this pain, this suffering.
My grandparents had died aswell.
I didn't know why God wouldallow all of this.
(14:44):
I stood up and I startedshouting at this chair and
really angry.
But as I looked at this chair,almost in tears, I see this
figure, jesus, with a tearcoming down his face and this
broke me.
This broke me ,and I remember Ijust fell to my knees, and I
cried for about two hours, evenmore than two hours, and I
(15:06):
started with a slow cry and thena louder cry and a louder cry,
to the point where I had to geta pillow and hold it to my face
because I was screaming, crying,and at first it was a cry of
sadnessBecause, you see, when I looked
at this person crying, Irealized that this tear that
(15:28):
they were crying was not a tearof disappointment or shame or
because I was bullying them, butbecause this person saw my mess
and still loved me and stillloved me, and it was like the
first time I experienced anunconditional love.
And for some this might seemstrange, but it was so real to
(15:49):
me, so real to me, and I startcrying and it was a cry of
sorrow, of pain, of unworthiness, and then eventually it turned
to a cry of repentance andsorrow for my sins and then
eventually turned into something, a cry of joy.
And then, at the end, this cryof love, and the love was so
(16:12):
loud, it was so powerful that Ithought, I literally thought I
was going to die, because myheart felt like it was going to
explode and to the point where Ifelt I had to.
My prayer was," God, pleasestop, because I'm going to die,
please stop, because my heart isgoing to explode.
And I remember standing upafter that experience and it
wasn't a feeling of wow, this isamazing.
(16:36):
My first thought after cryingfor two hours, two and a half
hours, I stood up and I thought, "okay, jesus, how am I going
to tell the world about this?
How am I going to tell peopleabout this?
Well, that's all I cared about.
It became from this loveexperience, this repentance
experience, this wanting tochange my life around.
And I did turn my life around.
(16:56):
I went to Confession and Iturned my life around.
But this burden to tell peopleand I did tell people and they
thought I was crazy, theythought I was mad, but I
couldn't keep it to myself.
Eventually, I learned and Iworked on the craft of
evangelization, the craft oftelling people.
So I started writing songsabout my love for God and from
(17:20):
songs I learned how to.
I used to watch preachers onYouTube and try and learn how
they preached, how theycommunicated, and eventually I
started to work on the craft ofalso media and new media, to
tell the world about this lovethat I have and God has for me,
and I haven't stopped.
This was over 20 years ago andtoday I am more passionate than
(17:46):
ever, more driven than ever totell people about the love of
Jesus.
Sheila Nonato (17:50):
That's amazing.
You know your music.
The first time I heard praiseand worship this was many years
ago.
I was 19 or 20.
My friend had brought me tothis praise and worship.
It was Protestant, but anywayI'd never seen anyone singing
for God, and actually it was notin a good part of town that we
were in.
This was in Quebec, and some ofthe women there were working in
(18:13):
prostitution.
But when I saw them singing andpraising God, crying,
rediscovering their dignity,their God-given dignity, I saw
the power that music can healand it's also a way of praising
and a way of prayer you weretalking about in one of the
(18:35):
videos.
You're talking about prayingwhile you were in the gym.
What is sort of your routine ofprayer and how does that work?
How do we pray and do otherthings while praying?
Father Rob Galea (18:49):
Yes, look.
First of all, I would say thisPrayer is communication, isn't
it?
It's a relationship we're notcalled to as Catholics.
All I would say this Prayer iscommunication, isn't it?
It's a relationship we're notcalled to as Catholics, and this
is a misconception.
We're not called to follow areligion, right, we're called to
follow a person.
That person is Jesus, and Jesusis risen from the dead.
He's alive, and so we are tohave a conversation with him, a
(19:10):
relationship with him.
We're not created to live thislife alone.
So, every day how I pray.
I wake up every morning and Iput my hands outside the quilt
and it's freezing here at themoment.
It's literally freezing and Iput my hands out in the morning
and I say, "Jesus, just give mea hug, give me a hug.
That's how I start my day.
(19:31):
I imagine Jesus Just give me ahug, give me a hug.
That's how I start my day.
I imagine Jesus giving me a hug.
Then I have my coffee and Isettle down a little bit and
then I go to my prayer roomwhere I sit down and I speak to
Jesus.
I read the Bible, I reflect, Ijournal, I do my morning prayer,
I read the Psalms, I spendmyself.
I spend between 40 minutes toan hour with the Lord every
(19:54):
moment.
But it doesn't end there.
I go about my day.
I'm driving my car.
I say, " Jesus, please help mefind a parking space.
You know.
I'm at the gym, I'm lifting myweights, I'm speaking to Jesus.
I wear headphones sometimes,but I have no music on.
I just have silence, a momentof silence where I just speak to
(20:14):
the Lord.
Some people might think I'mcrazy, because every now and
then my mouth moves as I'mtalking to the Lord, but I speak
to Jesus everywhere I go.
A relationship doesn't end whenyou're in a place.
You stay in this relationshipeverywhere you go.
Now it's different betweenhusband and wife, I guess,
because when there's noproximity, there's no necessary
(20:35):
conversation, but there'sconstant proximity between you
and God, so you can at any timespeak to him, at any time even
hear his voice, and so I want tostay in the practice of his
presence.
St Paul says, " Pray withoutceasing.
So never stop praying, alwayskeep in fellowship with the Lord
.
And so this is why I pray atthe gym.
(20:57):
I don't go to the gym to pray,but when I'm at the gym I pray.
When I'm driving, I pray.
When I'm about to go on stageand I'm about to preach, I pray.
When I'm out for a walk,walking the dog, I'm praying.
So I try to pray as much as Ican, and it's not intense prayer
, it's a simple conversation.
Jesus, thank you for thisflower, thank you so much for
(21:18):
the peace that you give me, andjust keep walking, just be aware
of his presence everywhere yougo.
Sheila Nonato (21:23):
That's awesome.
You talked earlier about yourparents, your Mother.
How was your mother?
In the book?
You described her as yourclosest spiritual companion.
What is your relationship withyour mother and how did she pray
for you to become a priest?
Father Rob Galea (21:37):
Yes, look, my Mother is the greatest example
of what it means to love theLord in imperfection, but also
to keep loving the Lord in spiteof all things.
So my mom is the one I standhere as a priest, because my Mom
never gave up on me in prayer.
Now there was a time where Iwas locked in my room.
I talked about those momentswhere I was lost and I wanted to
(22:02):
end my life, and my Mom inparticular used to hear me cry.
She used to knock at the doorand she'd say, rob, are you okay
?
And every time I just slammedthe door in her face.
I'd swear at her, I'd say, justlike, leave me alone.
And when I got to write thisbook, I gave my mom a copy.
I said, "ook, I'm going topublish this book, but I had
(22:23):
included a chapter Now I shoulddo it in the next update of the
book.
But I had included a chapterabout how angry I was at my
parents because they would knockat the door and I would slam
the door in their face, but howI wanted them not just to knock
at the door.
I really, in hindsight and Iwas a priest when I wrote this
(22:44):
how I wish that they broke downthe door, that they ran towards
me, that they hugged me and theytold me that I was going to be
okay, because I didn't know Iwas going to be okay, I didn't
know I was going to be able tosurvive.
And so what happened was I gavea copy to my Mom.
I said "isten, I just want youto see this because I'm about to
publish this in a book.
And she told me this.
(23:06):
She said, "rob, there'ssomething missing in this book.
She said because there'ssomething you don't know that we
never told you.
She said because there'ssomething you don't know that we
never told you.
And she said every time youslam the door in our face, we
would not leave.
We wouldn't leave.
We'd fall to our knees outsideyour room and we'd pray, we'd
pray, we'd pray that the God whowe knew could reach you, would
(23:28):
reach you.
We couldn't, but we knew a Godwho could reach out to you and
we'd cry outside your room.
Except you were crying indesperation, we were crying in
hope.
So she continued to pray for me.
She continued to get friendsand family, and she still does.
She has a prayer group just topray for my ministry, and so she
(23:50):
meets with other women and theypray, and they pray that for my
holiness.
And I keep telling her,.
"Mom, you're not praying hardenough.
You're not praying hard enoughbecause I have a long, long way
to go.
But also she's the one who Iturn to as well, especially when
(24:11):
I need to discern things in mylife, because she's really
helped me with discernmentthrough the priesthood, but also
discernment in where I am to goin my ministry, and so I'm
really grateful for her and formy Dad ,too.
My Dad isn't necessarily apraying man, but he's a wise man
.
He's a man who takes suffering,a man who's been through a lot
as well in his life that'samazing.
Sheila Nonato (24:32):
That's amazing.
What's your mother's name?
Father Rob Galea (24:34):
My <other's name is Anne and beautiful,
beautiful.
Sheila Nonato (24:38):
How does she feel about you, um, traveling around
the world, singing and bringingthe gospel to people, and being
a priest?
How did your parents feel aboutyou becoming a priest?
Well, as I said, Mom was greatat discernment.
She knew I was going to be apriest before I even knew it.
So she had this sense and shewould see pictures, like visions
(25:00):
, in her mind of me.
For example, one thing that shehad written down and told me
about was that she saw a pictureof me and I was still 17.
I was still going through myaddiction at that point and I
wasn't a musician.
I had never touched a guitar inmy life, I'd never written a
song in my life.
(25:20):
And she said, one day she satme down.
She said, "ell, I was prayingand I saw this picture of you in
a circle with young people andyou had a guitar in your hands,
but also you had a collar apriest's collar on.
And when she told me this, Iwas furious, I was angry.
She said I said, "om, I don'twant to be a priest, I don't
(25:42):
want to be near young people.
At that time I was terrified ofyoung people because of the
amount of times I had been hurtand I certainly didn't play
music.
And so she knew she really knew, even deep down in her heart,
that I was to be a priest.
So when I told her that I wasdiscerning the priesthood, she
already knew and she was prayingfor me.
(26:03):
My Dad, on the other hand, wasangry.
He was furious that I was to bea priest because he thought I
was wasting my life.
He thought I was throwing mylife away because he thought I
was wasting my life.
He thought I was throwing mylife away and eventually, once I
did enter the seminary, hestarted to understand my joy and
my peace and he could see thatthis was fulfilling my heart as
(26:24):
well, and today he's my biggestsupporter.
He watches all of my YouTubevideos.
He watches everything that Ibroadcast, in fact, to the point
where even my mom tells himenough, let's watch something
else, because, um, my Dad todayreally is, um, yeah, someone who
, who is honestly my biggest fanthat's amazing.
(26:45):
I um, obviously I'm married now but before I
also had been discerning aboutreligious life, becoming
becoming a religious sister, andmy parents were against it, I
actually had to write a letter Ithink it was like four pages
long for them to allow me todiscern.
But I feel like nowadays, withall the distractions for young
(27:06):
people, how do they go aboutdiscovering their vocation with
all of these distractions aboutdiscovering their vocation, with
all of these distractions andalso the culture is not so
welcoming towards the idea of areligious vocation or a priestly
vocation.
How do parents, how do weencourage that?
How do we build sort of aculture that will embrace that
(27:28):
kind of searching?
Father Rob Galea (27:29):
I think that every young man should consider
the priesthood, every youngwoman should consider religious
life, consecrated life, and Ithink parents that understand
the heart of God and the heartof the Church will always
encourage the young people justto consider it, sitting them
down even at a point have youever considered the priesthood?
Getting them into parishes.
(27:50):
Rolemodels are so important, even
on YouTube, and also even inproximity and going to parishes.
Role models are so important,even on youtube, and also, um,
even, uh, in in proximity andgoing to parishes that have
priests that are inspirationalreligious orders.
You know, if you have youngdaughters as well, take them to
places to go and visit nuns, togo and visit the and see the
ministry of religious life,because god calls.
(28:13):
But he voice is too distant ifthere are no role models.
Also, the voice of the world istoo loud, the noise of the
world is too loud.
So, teaching your children topray, to discern, but also
teaching them to understand thatthey too could be called to the
priesthood, and we think, mygoodness, I don't want to lose
(28:35):
the opportunity forgrandchildren.
It's too hard.
It is hard, of course.
It's hard being a priest.
Of course it's hard being a nun, of course, even now more than
ever.
But can I tell you this it ismore fulfilling than anything
else I could ever hope orimagine.
I find it difficult to be apriest, but I'm happy.
I'm so happy, so fulfilled, andmy parents are thrilled.
(28:57):
My dad is thrilled because hesees me so fulfilled in my
vocation.
If God calls your children to bea priest or a nun and you're
pushing them towards somethingelse, they will never be
fulfilled, as, because God knowsmore, they will be happy.
But the true fulfillment comeswith vocation, with a response
(29:18):
to vocation.
So it could very well bemarriage, absolutely, and that's
a beautiful vocation.
But I think you cannot evendiscern marriage well if you
haven't discerned priesthood orreligious life.
Having said this, also, if youare not able to be a good father
(29:42):
, a good husband, then youprobably won't be a good priest
either.
So you can see your children oh,they're really well.
They really get on well withchildren.
They get on well with people,yes, but that could also be a
sign of the priesthood, becausea priest or religious life,
because a good priest is someonewho is also capable of being a
(30:02):
good father and a good husband,and a good nun is someone who's
capable of being a good motherand a good wife as well.
So just discernment is notabout what we see, but trying to
help your children understandwhat God wants, because they
will never be truly fulfilled ifthey go for second best.
God knows first best andsometimes we settle for second,
(30:23):
for third best, because of ourfears.
And God will overcome anythingthat you'll be fearful of.
God will give you more than youcould ever hope or imagine.
So, as the Bible says 365 times, "do not be afraid.
"
Sheila Nonato (30:38):
Thank you to Father Galea for joining us
today and sharing how the loveof Christ and the love of his
family helped him get out of theabyss of addiction and
hopelessness.
To parents if you see signs ofmental illness, mental distress,
suicide ideation in your child,please seek medical help.
When Father talked about how Godcalls us into a personal
(31:00):
relationship with Jesus Christ,I recall my own reversion
experience.
I was born a cradle Catholicbut was poorly catechized and
almost left the Catholic Church.
It took a friend to ask me thesimple question: "Do you know
that God is your Father?
And she also invited me topraise and worship service, and
(31:20):
both of these things helped toturn the light bulb of faith on
in my heart and for me to embarkupon a search for truth.
I invite you to seek Jesus andto enter into prayer and
discernment, into what he iscalling you to in your vocation.
Perhaps he is inviting you toask the question that my friend,
who helped me to deepen myrelationship with Jesus through
(31:40):
my Catholic faith, to someoneelse"\ Do you know that God is
your Father, a Father who lovesyou with unconditional love and
wants you to return to Him?
Stay tuned for part two when wepick up the conversation with
Father Galea Gallia about how heis ministering to the Alpha
Generation, my children'sgeneration.
Let's pray for Father Galea andhis ministry to millions of
youth around the world.
(32:00):
If you'd like to support hisministry, you can find out more
about Icon Ministry on hiswebsite frrobgalea.
com and @frrobgalea on Instagram, Facebook, X formerly known as
Twitter, and YouTube.
Co-Host (32:23):
Thank you, Father Galea , for joining us.
If you like this episode,please like share and subscribe
to our podcast.
You can also send us a textmessage on our podcast page.
We would love to hear from you.
(32:44):
you for listening to the Veiland Armour podcast.
I invite you to share this withanother Catholic mom today.
Please subscribe to our podcastand YouTube channel and please
spread the word.
Co-host (32:56):
Let's be Brave, let's Be Bold and Be Blessed together.
Thank you.
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