The annual Ladies Lenten Tea at the Drayton Reformed Church on March 22 featured guest speaker Cathy Weicker of New Hamburg.
Weicker shared her life story of overcoming bullying, depression and low self esteem through stories of faith, hope and love.
Born with a facial deformity, Weicker endured reconstructive surgery at two and a half years of age. Shortly after starting public school, her father was killed in a traffic accident on his way home from work, leaving her mother widowed with six young children.
“Even though we were poor, mother always found a way for us to have a new outfit to wear to church at Easter. I wasn’t a fan of Lent as it felt like a sombre time. The organ at church seemed to be in funeral mode,” Weicker said. “We were not allowed to eat meat on Good Friday, so I would sneak into the fridge and get some.”
Throughout her school years, Weicker was a victim of bullying. In Grade 3, she won the “Queen of the Readers” contest and received a crown as her reward. Because of her facial deformities, her fellow students told her she was not fit to be a queen, so she threw the crown away.
“Growing up, I knew God loved me but I didn’t have a personal relationship with Him and thought I was a failure. I suffered through periods of depression and low self esteem. After working in a factory for 22 years, I launched my ministry at 40 years of age. Singing and ministering to the broken hearted is my focus,” Weicker said.
She came from a family of five girls and one boy and her sister Betty, who was 14 years older, was her main supporter and encourager.
“Betty understood me, booked speaking engagements and was my biggest fan. In July 2013, she took a fall and ended up at Freeport Hospital for five months. Betty was then transferred to a long-term care facility and passed away four days before Christmas of that year,” Weicker said.
Betty’s death had a profound effect on her sister.
Weicker decided after the loss of her sister, she wasn’t going to waste any more time and wanted to serve Jesus with a newfound passion. A hockey mission trip to the Czech Republic caught her attention even though she had never been involved with the game.
“The Czech Republic felt like home to me and I made a second mission trip in October 2015. Plans are underway for me to return again,” Weicker said.
Weicker prefers her church mailbox to her Canada Post box as the church box doesn’t contain any bills. A crown appeared in her church mailbox recently, made by a child who had heard Weicker’s story about the crown she received in Grade 3. She cried tears of joy as she felt her crown had been restored through a gift from a child.
“Sharing a message of hope and joy through scripture and music are my focus. It was a big deal when Jesus died on the cross and carried every sin with him, taking away all grief, tears and fears. He did it once for all,” Weicker said.
Weicker sang a number of selections from her album, which was released in 2014.
