The Saskatchewan-based singer songwriter, who has released nine albums and performed at the Vatican, almost left the Catholic Church entirely.
After being laid off from his job as a TV reporter for CTV Edmonton in 2000, Mallett had what he calls a “small crisis of faith.” He felt lost and frustrated as he watched his Catholic peers leave the Church in favour of more evangelical sectors. Until he received a new calling — from God.
“I was disgruntled with the exodus of young people from the Church, the lack of solid teaching and the poor liturgical music. I was tempted to leave the Catholic Church and start going to Baptist services,” said Mallett, 50.
“Then one night when I was getting ready for bed, the Lord put a purpose in my heart. He told me to stay and be a light to my brothers and sisters. So I used my music as a means to evangelize and I fell in love with the Church all over again.”
Mallett will be spreading his message March 24 as the keynote speaker at the Dynamic Women of Faith conference at the John Paul II Polish Cultural Centre in Mississauga, Ont.
Born and raised in small town Saskatchewan, music runs in the Mallett family. His grandfather was in a band that travelled around Alberta.
“He was a wonderful singer and songwriter. He gave me my first harmonica when I was six and that’s where it all started.”
When he was nine, he wrote his first song.
“I think it was about the rain or the sunshine,” he said laughing. “When you’re that age you don’t write about deep topics.”
Mallett and his wife Lea have been married for 26 years and have eight children. A Catholic Canadian version of the von Trapp family, Mallett has fond memories of performing across North America with his family.
“We would travel across Canada and the United States in our motorhome. We must have done hundreds of concerts with them on the road.”
Mallett’s children are ages nine to 23 and are all passionate about music. His 17-year-old son has composed music for EWTN documentaries. “I guess it runs in the family,” said Mallett.
Balancing a large family, work and faith has never felt like a chore to Mallett, who puts faith at the forefront of all he does.
“Our faith is everything. If it’s not, then we don’t fully understand what it means to be a faithful Catholic. Jesus tells us to love God with all of our heart, soul and strength. So faith can’t just be another philosophy in life. It’s at the heart of who I am and everything I do, including my music.”
Mallett’s music has taken him all the way to the Vatican, but he has also performed in many churches with sparsely populated pews.
“The Catholic Church is still trying to understand the concept of evangelization. It can be hard to perform for an audience that is smaller than you hoped for, but it has also helped me to understand the value the Lord’s plan for me. Even if the Church is nearly empty, I always believe that there is one soul there I am meant to reach and that will always be enough.”
Information about the Dynamic Women of Faith conference is at dynamicwomenfaith.com.