HAMBURG, N.Y. (WKBW) — Teens from across the Diocese of Buffalo gathered at Hilbert College in Hamburg Sunday, for the third Diocesan Youth Rally, an event designed to reignite their faith.
The event, themed "No Experience Necessary," was held from 11:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for students in grades 8 through 12. Nicaraguan-American guitar player, composer, singer and songwriter, Tony Melendez served as the featured keynote speaker.
Melendez, who was born without arms, shared a message of faith, inspiration and joy. He also performed a gospel song on a guitar using only his feet.
"There's a gifted speaker here today, Tony Melendez, who as you can see, does not have any arms and he talks about his own kind of uh struggle in life. Also, finding digging deeper with God's help, to find that he really is normal, just like the rest of us," Father Sean Paul Fleming said.
Fleming serves as the Office of Worship Director for the Buffalo Diocese.
"To show our teens to have that courage that no matter who they are, no matter where they come from, our theme this weekend is no experience necessary, and that's what faith is. It's just coming to God when he calls us and opening ourselves up to whatever he has in store in whatever ways possible," Fleming said.
Organizers also brought back a panel for the teens, allowing them to submit anonymous questions ahead of time to ask anything on their minds.
