A SENSE of community is a theme that runs strong in Father Rob Galea.
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The young priest serves at St Kilian’s Church as part of the Diocese of Sandhurst but before arriving in Australia he was a rebellious teenager who left home aged 14.
He returned home three years later and was introduced to a youth group where he found the sense of community and belonging he was longing for as well as the unconditional love and acceptance that so many people crave.
Not having to strive for attention, the youth group was something that helped start turn Rob Galea’s life around.
Fr Galea says his past experiences, that began with small addictions but evolved into bigger ones, is something her draws on when speaking to troubled youths as part of his work with the diocese.
“When I was suicidal, lost and hopeless, I had a turn around (because of a sense of community and my relationship with God,” he said.
“Since then I have been relentless in trying to give hope to other people.”
The 33-year-old said his move away from home at a young age was a rebellious call for attention and acceptance.
“I moved away when I was 14 and that’s where I messed up a bit,” he said.
“My addictions got bigger and bigger until it reached a point in my life that it was out of control.
“For a 16-year-old, that was quite big and I got to a place where I was in trouble with a few people and locked up at home and having to face myself.
“For some people that can be very dark. It was that at time that I was introduced to a youth group similar to what we run here on Sundays.”
Fr Galea’s decision to move into the priesthood came when he was 21 and playing music on tour Italy.
“I didn’t want to be a priest before that but I met a priest in Italy and he was full of life and loved the priesthood,” Fr Galea said.
“I thought ‘if I can be anything like this guy then I’ll consider it’. That’s when I thought about it and decided to enter into the seminary.”
Fr Galea was born in Malta in 1981. He arrived in Australia in 2007 while on a gap year from his seminary studies.
Searching for an overseas experience led him to Bendigo where the late Bishop Joe Grech convinced to stay on in Bendigo.
“I finished my studies in Melbourne and was ‘on loan’ to the diocese for a few years,” Fr Galea said.
“I was in Melbourne for four years, Shepparton for four-and-a-half years and have been back in Bendigo for five months.
“The sense of community in country towns makes me feel at home. It ultimately comes down to community for me.”
Fr Galea believes music is the language of the heart, a universal concept that embraces every one.
“Music seems to speak to your heart when the world doesn’t,” Fr Galea said.
“I think my responsibility is to give a message, the gospel message, that can be spoken to the hear, not the mind.
“If something is spoken to the mind it has little affect but if spoken to the heart it can change you for ever.”
Music and religion are very much connected for Fr Galea.
“Any priest is called to evangelise, or called to preach gospel. I do it through music,” he said.
“Other people do it through social justice, others through preaching. There are many ways to do it.
“I don’t see (music and religion) as contradictory, more complementary.
“Music allows me to share the gospel in a club, a pub or on television in a non threatening way.
“If I were to do the same thing, go to a club and start preaching, people would kick me out.
“But I can play a song I have written and it has the same message through a different means.”
He incorporates some songs into his Sunday sermons, providing it is connected to what he is speaking on or the gospel.
“I have noticed here at the church that attendance is increasing and if that’s because of incorporating music then great,” he said.
“I have had a few people upset that I play my music but a very small minority.
“The majority of young and old people are very accepting.
“But it comes down to authenticity. I don’t consider myself a performer I just use music as a language to communicate what I believe.
Fr Galea’s music goes far beyond the wooden St Kilian’s church in McCrae Street.
He is also a “pop-star” priest with a combined 50,000 followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Aside from his duties in the Diocese of Sandhurst, he travels about 100 days fo the year to talk and play music for young people.
He plays for between 200,000 and 500,000 people a year, which is impressive but not as impressive as the biggest crowd he has played in front of.
“(The biggest) was half a million people at Sydney’s World Youth Day,” he said.
“Playing in front of half a million people is intimidating, all you see when you walk out is people.
“Was playing with Guy Sebastian and I remember I was just shaking.
“But I play for 250,000 people down to 25,000 people each year. I have a conference next week that is for 35,000 people.”
Before leaving Shepparton, Fr Galea played an “intimate” gig to 1000 people.
He is yet to have a major show in Bendigo.
“I would love to have a concert in Bendigo,” he said.
But regardless when or where the next show, speaking engagement or youth day is, the message will stay the same for Fr Galea.
“The reason I do it is to give a message of hope.”
For more information on Fr Rob Galea or to find out where his next show is log on to www.frrobgalea.com