How would you feel if you ever got the opportunity to be praised for your talent by well-known singers James Blunt, Dannii Minogue, Guy Sebastian and Chris Isaak on live television? Some of us would probably say there is only a 1 in a million chance for that to happen. However, Maltese born and bred Fr Rob Galea was lucky enough to experience this ecstatic moment after his take on the “Don’t You Worry Child” song on X-Factor Australia, which commenced on the 13th September 2015.
Apart from his career as a singer, Fr Rob Galea is actually an ordained Catholic Priest serving in Shepparton, Australia, after having moved there in 2007 from Malta. What is highly admirable about Galea is his ability to show people the importance of forming a bond with God. In fact, he always stresses that his main priority in life is not that of being a musician but a follower of Christ. Furthermore, in his X-factor audition he talked about how music was a great instrument for healing in his life considering he had experienced some dark moments in his youth. He continued that music was “a way for [him] to express the inexpressible.”
Galea’s schedule is clearly a busy one, as whenever he is not in his parish, he is either serving as a chaplain at Shepparton's Notre Dame Secondary College or visiting hospitals and retirement homes. In addition, he was also responsible for founding the “Stronger Youth Program”, together with late Bishop Joe Grech. Proof of his busy routine is the fact that he was invited to perform on the US version of “The Voice”, but he had to say no.
That is not all. Paradoxically, despite being a priest, he is still getting a glimpse of the life of a pop-star. Following the success of his albums, which have sold tens of thousands, he has toured the world and played to packed arenas. Being mobbed by fans from all around the world is not an overstatement either, and his worldwide fame is clearly shown in his 38,000 followers on Facebook. To top it off, in 2008, he was also chosen to perform during World Youth Day in Sydney in front of 500,000 people, amongst these was none other than – Pope Benedict XVI.
One last thing…if after getting to know Fr Rob Galea a little bit more, you already feel like watching him perform live, he will actually return back on the rock in 2 weeks’ time, on the 2nd and 3rd October, performing in Nadur and San Lawrenz, Gozo. Also, he will be releasing a new single this weekend, “Get Up Again”, so keep an eye out!
