A (soul) food journey

During his junior year, the then-aspiring Catholic rapper Joe Melendrez ’08 won three burritos daily for a year plus four 20-burrito parties in a Chipotle contest. With them, he fueled his faith journey feeding those without homes and inviting classmates to discuss their faith, relationships, aspirations and dreams.

Sixteen years later, Melendrez’s journey as an internationally renowned Catholic rapper has led him to Uganda, Germany, Italy and World Youth Day in five countries.

“I feel like I owe so much to UD and the Marianist brothers, my ‘faith heroes.’ I learned so much in their classrooms and at dinners at their residences,” Melendrez said. “I was surrounded by people strong in faith, innovative go-getters. Being in student government and Campus Ministry was huge. I found the Bergamo Center where I became a retreat facilitator. That greatly impacted my ministry experience. I still incorporate those lessons.”

After UD, Melendrez worked 11 years at Chaminade College Preparatory in West Hills, California, in campus ministry and teaching religion. Again, food was a catalyst in his faith journey. He connected with the school’s president during a spaghetti dinner facilitated by a family friend. Once hired, Melendrez requested and received a meal budget.

“Meal ministry didn’t stop after Chipotle,” Melendrez said. “I learned about meal ministry during an exchange semester at Chaminade University and how sharing meals is eucharistic in nature.

“I share the Chipotle story in my testimony today. If God can do it for me, He can do it for you. If He did it before, He can do it again.”

After more than a decade of being a “teacher by day, rapper by night” and traveling on weekends, Melendrez went all in on his music ministry, he said, “with God as my manager and Mary as my booking agent.”

Melendrez said he receives inspiration from defining moments like the joy of Ugandan orphans with no indoor plumbing and one meal a day, and 12,000 people jumping and chanting “Come Holy Spirit!” at the top of their lungs in Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium during one of his performances.

"If God can do it for me, He can do it for you. If He did it before, He can do it again.”

He likens his performances to “a Catholic Zumba class” or “how Heaven will look … a dance party for Jesus.”

With the support of his wife, Noelle, and their three children, Melendrez hopes to continue facilitating retreats, performing at school assemblies, helping people read Scripture, and mentoring young artists and young Catholic leaders.

“As long as my legs work, I will continue jumping for Jesus,” Melendrez said. “I don’t know what the future holds. I just know I want to be present for my family, my calling and the people I’m serving. I hope my work inspires others to be amplifiers of Jesus.”