Local News: Disabled musician keynotes inaugural March for Life Day (1/30/21) | Southeast Missourian newspaper, Cape Girardeau, MO

This is a life celebration held in the Parish of St. Vincent de Paul in Perryville, Missouri, and the district high school held its first annual March Life Day event on Friday.

The VMY SEMO of Southeast Missouri and the North Perry County Youth Group created this event in cooperation with the North Perry County Youth Group. The event lasted for a full day, including a parade to Perryville City Square, with guest speakers’ lectures. Series, group discussions, etc.

VMY SEMO executive director Michael Giasi said, Valle Catholic students from São Paulo. Genevieve, St. attended a public school or a family. Vincent, students from Vincent Marion Youth and VMY Youth Group as well as volunteers and church members attended the meeting.

Anti-life activist and musician Tony Melendez spoke in the keynote, from telling his own life story to singing and playing popular Catholic songs on the guitar, although this may not be Most people imagine it.

Melendez walked into the parish Friday afternoon with his guitar between his shoulder and chin and sat down on the chair on the stage. He spins around, places the guitar on the ground in front of him, and nods to his brother Jose, who controls the video and sound during Tony's performance and starts playing the guitar with his toes-what he calls "toe pull. "

Because the mother took the drug Thalidomide during pregnancy, Melendez was born without both arms and feet. Thalidomide is usually used to relieve nausea in pregnant women.

Between the songs, Melendez shared his life story with the audience and emphasized that he was surprised by his life and experience. He said he has been trying to treat everything in his life as a "gift", including disability.

Melendez encourages students to do the same and find one thing in their life that they are "crazy", such as his feelings or beliefs about music.

Giasi said they decided to hold a "March of Life" event in Perryville, because many regional schools usually send their students to Washington, DC, to participate in a national anti-life march. However, they decided to oppose this proposal this year due to "concerns about student safety due to COVID-19 and political tensions."

Jassy said that during the "March of Life" event, the church was almost full, which meant about 220 people attended.

Jassy said that he hopes this event can help participants "open up" so that they can learn to accept all the gifts in life like Melendez.

Giasi added that he chose Melendez for the keynote speech because he had seen him speak at the event before and was confident that Melendez could help students open their eyes and be grateful for their lives, including life itself.

"We all have talents, talents, skills and abilities," said Jassy. "Sometimes we just take it for granted." "And I think if we can inspire [students] to live beautifully and preciously-this kind of gift-can really change them. "

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