AVALON — Mark Forrest, an acclaimed Irish tenor, whose melodic voice has filled concert halls and cathedrals from Carnegie Hall to the Vatican, will perform during a healing service at St. Brendan Parish at Maris Stella Church, 5012 Dune Drive, Avalon, Aug. 3 at 7 p.m. for a healing service, and again, Aug. 4 for a concert. Both events are at 7 p.m. Suggested ticket donation for the concert is $10. Everyone is welcome.
Mark Forrest has sung inspirational hymns for luminaries such as Pope John Paul II and Mother Theresa. His soothing Broadway melodies have entertained award-winning performers including Charlton Heston and Maureen O’Hara. From the White House to his own house, with his wife and seven children, Mark continues to inspire the world with his music. It will be a time of meditation, music, prayer and healing.
Although this international Irish tenor has performed for some of the leading orators of our time, Mark Forrest is not beckoning audiences to himself, rather he hopes his listeners will hear a deeper call and attune their ears to his heartfelt message – a message that has been shaped by what many would call the tragedies in his life. Mark is the father of eight boys. His song is the Faith and Family Foundation, an organization he and his wife, Muriel, founded in l999 to support and encourage individuals and families with special needs. His “lyrics” are the sanctity of human life, at every stage and age.
Mark and Muriel’s efforts to establish The Faith and Family Foundation were born out of the sorrowful death of their third boy, Francesco, who was diagnosed in utero with a severely compromised heart. He lived only five days, “touching more people than I ever will in a lifetime,” Mark says.
Their second son, John Patrick, was also born with special needs and is battling a rare nerve condition that has left him blind and confined to a wheelchair. Their foundation assists individuals who care for persons with disabilities, and well as awards to those who best exemplify the ethos of Faith and Family in a public setting. The foundation offers annual awards recognizing outstanding persons with disabilities.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, he was awarded full scholarships to study music. He was educated at The Royal College of Music and at the Catholic University of America’s Benjamin Rome School of Music.
Tickets are available at the door, or by calling Maris Stella Church at 967-3746.
Maris Stella Church is located at 5012 Dune Drive, Avalon, N.J.
