Steve Angrisano Leaves ABLAZE! Participants "Blown Away"

On Saturday evening the ABLAZE! youth and families, priests, religious, seminarians, and some newly ordained deacons, enjoyed the abundant talents of Mr. Steve Angrisano. Steve Angrisano is known world wide as a Catholic singer/songwriter, story teller, and evangelist. He has performed internationally at events such as World Youth Day, the March for Life in Washington D.C., and the National Catholic Youth Conference. His musical styles range from calming ballads to rip-roaring dance songs all in praise and worship of his Lord. (His newest CD can be found here)

From the moment the concert began, which was enjoyed by folks all over the tri-cities courtesy of Ave Maria Radio: 1440 AM WMAX, people were captivated by this gifted performer. As he excited the young people with his many "crowd participation" songs, he also used the chance to encourage them to live their faith boldly in the face of a world which wants to ignore God and his free gift of love.

In one of these moments, Steve told the story of a girl he knew from the Columbine High School tragedy. When faced with a gun in her face and asked if she believed in God, this young woman boldly declared that she did. When the gunman asked her why she simply said that that was what her parents taught her to believe and that is what she has come to believe herself. (Later she thought that that was a bad answer but, as Steve explained, it was a perfect answer: faith was handed on to her from the Church and she had made it her own.) After giving this testimony of her real faith in God, the gunman threw back his head, laughed at her and then shot her 12 times; she miraculously lived to tell the tale. As the silent audience wiped away tears from their eyes, Steve exhorted them all to live a faith that real and that bold. It was a message few will forget very soon.

Later, after spending over an hour and a half in praise and worship of Jesus Christ, many of the young people and parents described their experience as simply being "blown away" and I am left simply to pray that God will bless the ministry of Steve Angrisano especially the priceless work he performed yesterday. I hope that you may someday have the opportunity to witness this true messenger of God.