Welcome to The Twelve!
When I moved back to hometown Syracuse, NY in summer 2003, I meant it to be my semi-retirement. Watch the Yanks on TV, play some golf, keep Ceili Rain going strong, but get off the big-music-city treadmill. While I’ve missed few Yankee games, I have certainly not been coasting. Blame Justin Fatica. The instant I met him, it was clear he was the antidote to sleepy youth ministry, and I wanted my son Liam to have a fighting chance at getting interested in God. While the jury is out yet on Liam and “The Boss,” Fatica has conspired with me and marvelous others to reach the hearts of many of Central New York’s youth with the the love of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Mega Youth Ministry. Going about four years now, Fatica conned me into running the music. I cherry-picked the good praise & worship songs out there, but then got excited to write my own as a soundtrack to our Wednesday night events. Loved the bandmates & crew, great peeps who love God and the ministry-path Justin has been on. Would try the songs in sound check, always sniffing the air for the next hit; old habits die hard. “Lord It’s Me Again” inspired a conga-line and became our first homegrown anthem. Next was “Make Me Cool,” stolen from a message the Lord delivered to a then-teenage Fatica sitting frustrated in church. Third up was “Another Name For Love” in the search for something more mellow, trance-inducing. When attendance flagged, “Pack This Place” was pressed into service. Fatica’s talk “Turn Your Mess Into a Message” became a terrific R&B rallying cry. About the many angelic Mega-comrades available of a Wednesday night, the tune “I See a Halo” cried out for (and got) hand-motions. Some of the other tunes have only been tried out in my basement so far, but I’m hoping they’ll each have the chance to stretch their legs and help us all get a little closer to our wunnerful God. This has been a real gas. Not a money-maker, but some “lumber” maybe.
OUR KIDS: Cutters, criers, laughers, whiners, whiteblackbrownredyellow, all solid-gold.
OUR ADULTS: The ones you'll call at 3am when your car breaks down. I see a LOT of halos.
OUR FOUNDERS: Henry Pedzich, Pete Reddick, Joe Phillips, Lou Aiello and Mike Donovan.