Religious author speaks at Bloomington church

For Catholic inspirational speaker Matthew Kelly, who visited St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Bloomington Thursday, emphasizing the way spirituality can touch everyday life is a matter of storytelling.\n"(His message) is very simple, but it's very powerful," said Sandy Biggs, a parishioner at St. Charles. "He's a great storyteller."\nBiggs said she has been a fan of Kelly since she first discovered his books on faith.\n"I checked one of his books out of the library three or four years ago just by chance," she said. Since then she has taken every opportunity to hear Kelly speak in person, including traveling to nearby states. \nAfter speaking at St. Paul's Catholic Center in October 2001, Kelly finally returned to the city, in part due to Biggs' efforts, to give his speech at St. Charles.\n"A lot of us here had heard him (at St. Paul's), and were very impressed," said Janis Dopp, director of religious education at St. Charles. "We had been looking for an opportunity to have him speak at our own parish."\nA native of Australia, Kelly permanently relocated to the U.S. in the mid-90s to continue the career he built in America as a religious motivational speaker.\n"He started speaking in Australia when he was 19-years-old, kind of as a favor to a family friend about issues facing young people," said Andrew Curran, spokesman for the Matthew Kelly Foundation. "It was something that Matthew was initially reluctant to do." \nDespite his reluctance, he soon found he had a message to convey and a talent for connecting with people, Curran said. After speaking to groups of family and friends, Kelly joined an organization that agreed to promote him as a speaker. Now 30-years-old, he lectures across the U.S., as well as in Europe and in his homeland of Australia. He has written eight books, which are currently available in seven languages.\nDopp said listening to Kelly has deepened her involvement with the Catholic religion.\n"I think in today's world as opposed to a couple of generations ago … we don't look to our religion to solve crises," Dopp said.\nOne of the ways Kelly's message has influenced religious life at St. Charles is through their confirmation program. Under Biggs' guidance, teachers of religion at St. Charles are reading Kelly's latest book, Rediscovering Catholicism.\n"It's just uplifting in the most positive sense of the word," Dopp said of the book. "It makes you hunger for more; to experience your Catholicism more deeply."\nOne of Dopp's favorite things about Kelly's message is its accessibility to young adults.\n"He's the kind of person that young people listen to," she said. "He's very down-to-earth."\nShe added that many IU students attended Kelly's 2001 lecture at St. Paul's.\nKelly frequently speaks in college towns and at universities, Curran said, adding that Kelly's sincerity and spirituality encouraged college students to consider his messages carefully.\n"It's amazing to hear his impact on people of all ages, but especially on young people," Curran said. "He encourages people to live deliberately and live intentionally … (and he) really lives out the message he promotes."\n-- Contact staff writer Elise Baker at elimbake@indiana.edu.