In Loving Memory
Rob Mayo
September 26, 1960 - June 11, 2012
Rob Mayo, along with his wife Karen were best known for their service to the Church in the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese, most especially their tireless efforts in the restoration of St. Felix Friary. Rob was a man of great faith, and love for the Catholic Church. It was through this love that the legacy of the Ven. Solanus Casey was able to captivate his heart, he became a son of St. Francis and a great devotee of Fr. Solanus Casey. Anyone who knew him, understood his love and devotion to Fr. Solanus by the way he shared the stories he had heard. He was fascinated by the town’s people who would come up and share their personal stories of Fr. Solanus Casey, and he was eager to tell everyone what he had heard. Rob was a man of great humility, he was filled with gratitude for the great blessings in his life, especially his wife Karen, their children Alison, Robert, Michelle and his grandchildren Jacob and Luke. He spoke often of his family with great love, his parents George and Sharon, whom he loved and prayed for, his sisters Karen, Tami and brother Scott. Most recently the excitement in his voice could be heard as he spoke of welcoming grandson Luke into the world just two months ago. He was so filled with so much hope for little Luke and what a blessing he felt this little guy was to the family. He and Karen would take hundreds of pictures of their first grandson Jacob each time they spent time together. He loved being a Grandfather.
His commitment to the Historic St. Felix Friary, now known as St. Felix Catholic Center, was to make it a place of reverence, prayer, personal solitude, simplicity, a place where Catholics could come together and share their faith during group retreats without worldly distractions.
Rob also had a deep devotion to Our Blessed Mother. Which can be understood by the great care he showed in the magnificent restoration of Our Lady’s Grotto. He very much saw this Grotto as the centerpiece of the restoration of St. Felix Friary. The Grotto is a tribute to Rob’s love of Our Lady.
Rob will be greatly missed at St. Felix Friary, but for many of us, we know this gentle man who loved Christ and Holy Mother Church so deeply, through his efforts to restore the legacy of St, Felix, he has left us with his own legacy. There is no doubt that the memory of the great Ven. Solanus Casey dwells in this Most Holy place, many can attest to this. Through our Most Loving God and His Mercy, we can be confident that Rob’s memory will dwell alongside the one he was so devoted too!