By
BRIAN D. WALLACE
Fairfield County Catholic,
April 12, 2008
It
will feel like Christmas in April at Yankee Stadium next weekend when
José Feliciano, internationally acclaimed signer, songwriter, and musician
(who immortalized "Feliz Navidad") performs for Pope Benedict XVI and
an audience of 57,000 Catholics from across the country.
"I feel very honored,"
says Feliciano, who attends Assumption Parish in Westport. "It's not
about me. I'll be there to glorify God. God has given me everything
I have - my music, my way of making a living, my family, and my faith.
"We're over the moon," adds his wife, Susan, who says that the telephone
in their Weston home has been ringing off the hook with media calls.
"It has been a roller coaster ride ever since!" The entire Feliciano
family, including Susan and José's three children, will be on hand to
hear Dad sing in the "House that Ruth Built."
"THE PARISH IS
OUR FAMILY," says Susan Feliciano of Assumption Parish in Westport,
where she serves as a Eucharistic Minister and catechist; her husband,
José, is a lector; and all three children - Jonathan, 16; Michael, 12;
and Melissa, 19 - are altar servers. (PHOTO BY JOHN GLOVER)
Papal Farewell
The 2:30 p.m. Mass
on Sunday, April 20, will be Pope Benedict's farewell event in the United
States, capping his historic five-day journey to Washington, DC, and
New York. One-thousand Catholics from all 87 parishes in the Diocese
of Bridgeport will travel by bus for the Mass, and many diocesan priests
will be present to help administer Communion.
While many people
may expect Feliciano to sing spiritual music, he has been asked by the
Archdiocese of New York to perform secular music as part of a pre-Mass
concert that will include performances by fellow Fairfield County Catholic
Harry Connick, Jr., tenors Marcello Giordano and Ronan Tynan, and the
Irish singer Dana.
Song List
Feliciano has chosen
"Lean on Me" by Bill Withers; "Que Será," a song he has recorded in
Spanish and Italian; and Lee Greenwood's barnburner, "God Bless the
U.S.A." The first two will be solo acoustic, and the third will be sung
with the 200- member choir assembled for the concert.
Feliciano is no
stranger to large venues, having played at both Tiger and Shea Stadiums
and performed in front of huge crowds at Danube Park, but he is thrilled
by the opportunity to sing as part of the welcome for Pope Benedict.
"I admire the Holy
Father for coming to our shores," he says. "I think he will bring a
sense of hope with him, something we all need in our lives."
Zeal for Life
The Puerto Rican-born
singer had the honor of meeting Pope John Paul II after performing a
Christmas concert at the Vatican. He remembers their conversation fondly.
"The pope didn't
present himself as important or almighty," he recalls. "He presented
himself as a simple man with a great sense of humor and a zeal for life.
He said he liked my music and told me he used to be an actor, and he
blessed me. I loved him."
Feliciano rocketed
to fame in 1968 with his recording of "Light My Fire" and a Latino jazz
version of "The Star Spangled Banner." His recording of "Feliz Navidad"
has become a Christmas standard all over the world.
"José chose "Lean
on Me" for the Yankee Stadium concert because it reflects the pope's
message of hope and brotherhood," says Susan, who notes that faith has
been the bedrock of the family in the face of Feliciano's fame and all
the stresses of modern life.
Active in Parish
Many people may
not realize that the singer is a devout Catholic who has been deeply
involved in Assumption
Parish for years. Susan is a Eucharistic Minister and catechist,
while their three children, Melissa, 19, Jonathan, 16, and Michael,
12, are altar servers, sometimes all serving at the same Mass. José
also loves to serve as a lector when he is in town.
"We have great priests,"
says Feliciano of Father Thomas Thorne, pastor, and Father Lawrence
Larson. "The parish is our family," adds Susan, who married José in
1982. She also manages his official website (www.
josefeliciano.com) and answers his fan mail.
Feliciano says that,
even though he will be performing in front of 57,000 people on April
20, his real reason for being there is to greet Pope Benedict and attend
Mass with Catholics from across the United States.
"My mother raised
me a Catholic, and I've always been a believer," Feliciano concludes.
"I don't try to preach through my music, but I try to sing with a spiritual
feeling. I hope my music brings people together. If my music speaks
to people spiritually or brings them closer to God, I am very happy
about that."
(Brian D. Wallace,
Senior Writer of Fairfield County Catholic, attends Saint Anthony of
Padua Parish in Fairfield, CT.)
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