What's Happening in Cougar Country

Oftentimes high school students go into the unknown skeptical and passive. It didn’t take long on the morning of October 18, though, before Joe Melendrez knew he had the students at Lake Catholic.

“I try to connect with the 16-year-old me,” Melendrez said after his concert in the school’s gym. “But I knew I had them a few songs into the opening dance mix.”

Melendrez is one of America’s most exciting Catholic performers. His most recent album - Praiseship - is his fifth, and according to ChristianBeat.org “was birthed out of the pandemic, as a reminder that we are all called to praise and worship God, no matter the circumstance.”

Melendrez came to Lake Catholic out of the school’s participation in The FEST this past summer at the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe.

Father Bob Stec, the pastor at St. Ambrose Parish in Brunswick and one of the coordinators of The FEST, reached out to new principal Tom McKrill almost immediately after he accepted the job. Fr. Bob asked for the school’s participation in The FEST and, in conjunction with that, if it would be interested in hosting two speakers - one in the fall and one in the spring, McKrill said.

Enter Joe Melendrez.

With the entire student body, faculty, staff, and even three elementary schools (St. Mary, Mentor; All Saints of St. John Vianney; and St. Gabriel) in attendance, Melendrez put on a 90-minute show that kept the kids on their feet and dancing to the music for the majority of the time.

But between sets, Melelndrez didn’t let the opportunity with a captive audience pass him by. He talked to everyone about how to live their lives Fully Alive, which came with four basic guiding principles.

1. Get in the God Flow
2. Let the Past Go
3. Set a Clear Intention
4. Consume Forever Food

“When I was 13, I was introduced to Jesus by Puff Daddy (Sean Combs) with his song Best Friend,” Melendrez said. “His best friend is Jesus. That really connected with me. So when I go into middle schools or high schools, my goal is to revive those feelings in others, to awaken something within them.”

After those 90 minutes, Melendrez can consider his goal accomplished.

“Today went really well,” he said. “The kids were really receptive to it and seemed to have a great time.”

Such a great time, in fact, that McKrill said the school hopes to continue to partner with The FEST for future events.