Perry O’Keefe

Feed My Sheep

Year Signed Covenant: 1987

Passed into Glory: 2014

I was born to Ray and Marie O’Keefe. I grew up in Norfolk, Va., on the shores of Chesapeake Bay. Fishing, crabbing and scuba diving were some of my hobbies. I went to Catholic schools, where I was into theatrics, starring in high school and CYO plays.

I majored in business administration at Old Domin­ion College and was married during my junior year to Jane Scott of Richmond. Shortly thereafter came little Elizabeth Marie whom we called Libby. I went to Wash­ington, D.C., with Marriott Hotels, but the pay was poor and the hours were worse, so I moved into advertising, my college major.

While working for newspapers and an ad agency, I started fixing up an old townhouse in Alexandria, Virginia. While living there, we had a visitor from Norfolk, a certain Raymond O’Keefe, Jr. My brother dropped in at a critical period in his search for the Lord, and we happened to go to a prayer meeting at Catholic University. After a couple of meetings, Ray was ZAPPED, but I did not understand. I was happy for Ray, but my wife and I did not continue going to prayer meetings after he left.

We sold the townhouse and bought and fixed up two more old townhouses. I found that I was making more money fixing up old houses than I was in advertising. As I was moving toward a career in real estate, my marriage came apart. We separated and divorced, and I joined a single men’s household with my brother Ray, just as he was courting Rita. I got baptized in the Holy Spirit and heard the Lord tell me to rebuild my family. I started sending extra child support to my ex-wife, and soon we got back together.

Working as a new home sales manager, I had to work on Saturdays and Sundays, so, we began missing church and using the time as “family time.” Not long after that, my family was gone again. I was devastated. I hadn’t seen it coming, and I really missed my family.

During this time of desolation and mourning for my lost marriage, Ray and Rita came for a visit. I noticed that Ray looked great. He almost glowed in the dark! I took him aside and asked him what he had that I didn’t.

He responded, “Jesus.”

I said, “Ray, stop preaching.”

The next day was Thanksgiving, and the whole family went to Mass. As I was going up the aisle to communion, I heard a little voice going off in my chest saying, “O’Keefe, too bad you’re going to hell, but look who is following you!” It was my daughter, Libby. Remorse went through my heart like an arrow.

When we got home, I said, “Ray, tell me about that Jesus fellow.”

Ray said, “He’ll take you back, you know that. You just need to make a good confession, get back with the sacraments, take a daily prayer time and read a little Scripture...10 or 15 minutes.”

I said, “I could do that,” and that weekend I made a long, general confession and went to Mass. The priest said that I should try to take a daily prayer time and read some Scripture daily, 10 or 15 minutes!

By the first Sunday of Advent, December 15, 1982, I was riding down Ruby Drive in Augusta, Ga. At the first of the year, I was underway in Alleluia.

The Lord had a lot of work to do with me. It was good to be here, but my relationship with Libby was destroyed, and my self-esteem was very low. I was a divorced Catholic and a hurting dad.

I was in the McBride’s household, and Dennis coun­seled me to stop worrying, take some time off job hunt­ing and regroup. He said to go help someone. This was to calm me down and boost my self-esteem, but I didn’t see the point.

I found myself in the crawl-space under Raymond’s house working on the plumbing. I remember praying, “Dear Lord, how is this going to get me a job? Nobody can even see me down here!” Well, when I got done, tested the system for leaks and found none, Steve Alzheimer walked up and offered me a job as a carpenter’s helper.

While building houses and doing remodeling with Steve, the Lord spoke to me in my prayer time. He said, “Feed My Sheep.”

I said, “You can’t mean me!”

He said, “Feed my sheep!”

I said, “Hey, look at my collar. It’s the wrong kind.”

He said, “Feed my sheep!”

I said, “Okay,” but I did not know what He meant.

Later that week, Keith Johnson came to me saying, “They’re looking for volunteer chaplains out at the prison, and you’d do great.” I figured this was what the Lord was talking about, so I signed up.

I worked for two years as a volunteer chaplain, visit­ing the hospital wards at ACMI, a state medical prison. I would try to share with as many men as I could, spending about 10 minutes per man, but I still was not seeing every­one. I wished for a chance for a group meeting, where we could get together and share for two to three hours.

Later, I was invited to the closing of Kairos #1 at Stone Mountain, Ga. I was so amazed to hear the tes­timony of the prisoners that I signed up for the next Catholic Cursillio so I could participate in Kairos myself. I made the 1st Kairos at ACMI and have worked nearly every team since.

Amazing things happened while working with Kairos. The Lord used the love I was sharing in prisons to heal my relationship with my daughter. We became reconciled. She’s now married and expecting this August. I’m planning to spend time in October helping her with the baby while her husband is in the field with the U.S. Army.

The Lord helped me regain my status as a homeowner through John and Georgia Hazelwood. Not only did He give me my own house, but He threw in a woodworking shop and a very nice garden.

I am now a licensed builder in three states. I’ve been able to provide work for several brothers and sisters in my 11 years as a remodeling contractor.

Probably the most exciting thing the Lord has started in my life is Second Step Ministries. This is a non-profit corporation, started with funding from Alleluia and from several Kairos friends. We plan to use this as a vehicle to help ex-inmates re-enter society.

None of this would have been possible without the love and headship I received from Alleluia. I want to thank my households, the O’Keefes, the Hornsbys, and the McBrides, who have been Alleluia and Jesus for me these years.

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