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MaryM Board Moderator
Joined: Feb 11 2005 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Nov 04 2009 at 4:55pm | IP Logged
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I recently learned from a couple members here that they have personal connections to professional athletes who are devout Catholics. I'll let them share those stories, but hearing that got me thinking and searching and I discovered on my little rabbit trail the site for Catholic Athletes for Christ which I didn't know about. As far as I can tell it has never been mentioned here so wanted to share it.
We have discussed the value of sports in a past thread. I know athletics is something that many of us have as big part of our life and even if our children aren't involved in sports as players they often follow the professional teams and players. Knowing there are some fine Catholic athletes we can hold up as examples of sport and faith for our children is really exciting.
I think this is a great ministry and example for our own young athletes. The organization is only a few years old. I'm sure Champions of Faith (2007) is connected to it though I don't recall hearing about the organization when we watched the dvd. The site has a "Cathlete" of the month, numerous articles about Catholic athletes, interviews, Sports & Faith Core Values. Looks like they are starting college and high school chapters which I think is wonderful.
Anyway, I want to start a thread about Catholic atheletes and good examples of sport for our families.
Want to share?
Here are some past threads
Rebecca Dussault - Olympic cross country skier
MLB players featured in Champions of Faith
Chase Hilgenbrinck - professional soccer player turned seminarian
__________________ Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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MaryM Board Moderator
Joined: Feb 11 2005 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Nov 04 2009 at 4:56pm | IP Logged
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"Sport, properly directed, develops character, makes a man courageous, a generous loser, and a gracious victor; it refines the senses, gives intellectual penetration, and steels the will to endurance. It is not merely a physical development then. Sport, rightly understood, is an occupation of the whole man, and while perfecting the body as an instrument of the mind, it also makes the mind itself a more refined instrument for the search and communication of truth and helps man to achieve that end to which all others must be subservient, the service and praise of his Creator."
– Pope Pius XII,
Sport at the Service of the Spirit
July 29, 1945
__________________ Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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missionfamily Forum All-Star
Joined: April 10 2007 Location: Louisiana
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Posted: Nov 04 2009 at 6:04pm | IP Logged
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Troy Polamalu--NFL player, Pittsburgh Steelers
__________________ Colleen
dh Greg
mom to Quinn,Gabriel, Brendan,Evan, Kolbe, and sweet St. Bryce
Footprints on the Fridge
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MarilynW Forum All-Star
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Posted: Nov 04 2009 at 7:34pm | IP Logged
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Thank you Mary - awesome link to the CAtholic Athletes site. I had heard about it a couple of months ago and could not remember what it was. My boys are loving the site.
Of course my boys think you are "even cooler" and are on my case to write a Catholic Athletes unit study for them......
__________________ Marilyn
Blessed with 6 gifts from God
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missionfamily Forum All-Star
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Posted: Nov 04 2009 at 8:13pm | IP Logged
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I deleted my post about Mike Piazza when I saw that you had linked the Champions of Faith conversation, Mary.
__________________ Colleen
dh Greg
mom to Quinn,Gabriel, Brendan,Evan, Kolbe, and sweet St. Bryce
Footprints on the Fridge
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Mackfam Board Moderator
Non Nobis
Joined: April 24 2006 Location: Alabama
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Posted: Nov 04 2009 at 9:09pm | IP Logged
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We're good friends with the family of San Diego Chargers Quarterback, Philip Rivers. Philip is a devout Catholic - actually, both he and his wife, Tiffany, are wonderful Catholics. His motto is:
**Faith
**Family
**Football
Philip and Tiffany are expecting their 5th child - that will make 5 under the age of 8 - that's something you don't often/ever??? hear about in the NFL! Philip is very close to his family - his dad was his high school football coach! They live near us here in North Alabama. At our All Saints Party Philip's mom gave my son one of Philip's signed football cards! It made my son's day!!!!! He sleeps with that card!
__________________ Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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JodieLyn Forum Moderator
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Posted: Nov 04 2009 at 9:59pm | IP Logged
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We're friends with the family of Kellen Clemens, NY Jets
They're a wonderful Catholic family, one of Kellen's uncle's is a priest and a great-aunt a nun. His parents are god-parents to two of our children. His dad is always encouraging the alter boys toward the priesthood. Kellen has also spoken at a Catholic men's conference my dh attended last year. And he does sports clinics for the local football team. Very nice.
__________________ Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Paula in MN Forum All-Star
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Posted: Nov 05 2009 at 6:29am | IP Logged
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I think Brett Favre is a good Catholic boy.
__________________ Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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missionfamily Forum All-Star
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Posted: Nov 05 2009 at 7:57am | IP Logged
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I remember this one last night too--Jockey Kent Desormeaux is from a wonderful Catholic family here in our small town. His mother is an amazing pro-life advocate who runs a crisis pregnancy center and home for unwed mothers.
__________________ Colleen
dh Greg
mom to Quinn,Gabriel, Brendan,Evan, Kolbe, and sweet St. Bryce
Footprints on the Fridge
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KackyK Forum All-Star
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Posted: Nov 05 2009 at 8:08am | IP Logged
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I don't have any names to add...but this is a great thread. Thanks ladies! I can't wait to share with my boys and my dd (who when she found out about Polamalu last year decided to become a Steelers fan)!
__________________ KackyK
Mom to 8 - 3 dd, 5ds & 4 babes in heaven
Beginning With the Assumption
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Tonya Forum Rookie
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Posted: Nov 05 2009 at 9:31am | IP Logged
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First of all, I love Troy Polamalu. We are huge Steeler fans and he is classy, devout, and reverent. However, he is not Catholic. He is Greek Orthodox.
__________________ Tonya
Mom to 2 daughters (24 and 21), 4 sons (19, 15, 12, 12), and 3 in heaven
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MaryM Board Moderator
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Posted: Nov 05 2009 at 10:14am | IP Logged
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Tonya wrote:
First of all, I love Troy Polamalu. We are huge Steeler fans and he is classy, devout, and reverent. However, he is not Catholic. He is Greek Orthodox. |
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Interesting - from what I could find it looks like he converted 2 years ago. His wife is Greek Orthodox. That article linked above was from before he converted to the EOC.
__________________ Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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Tami Forum All-Star
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Posted: Nov 05 2009 at 10:19am | IP Logged
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Here's an article from yesterday on Troy Polamalu at Faith and Family The Mane Man
__________________ God bless,
Tami
When we are crushed like grapes, we cannot think of the wine we will become. (Nouwen)
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MaryM Board Moderator
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Posted: Nov 05 2009 at 10:46am | IP Logged
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Paula in MN wrote:
I think Brett Favre is a good Catholic boy. |
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I read his wife's autobiography. They came back to their faith after the struggles and challenges their family faced.
__________________ Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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MaryM Board Moderator
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Posted: Nov 05 2009 at 12:11pm | IP Logged
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Had fun reading through this thread on Catholic Answers Forum sharing names of past and present athletes.
It reminded me to mention former NBA great, John Stockton. I went to college with him (not that he knew who I was ) . John was inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer. Great player, devoted family man, devout & practicing Catholic.
__________________ Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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LisaR Forum All-Star
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Posted: Nov 11 2009 at 10:23am | IP Logged
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a big shout out for Rebecca D, the skier- she is my good homeschooling friend and neighbor's SIL!!!
Also Chase Hilgenbrinck is a seminarian in our Diocese, my ds Thomas, was born playing soccer and has been able to spend time with him on many occasions!!
There has been alot of talk about Joe Girardi around here lately- he is from our town (Peoria) and stories are coming out of the woodwork about his faith-filled family and his earlier days!
__________________ Lisa
dh Tim '92
Joseph 17
Paul 14
Thomas 11
Dominic 8
Maria Gianna 5
Isaac Vincent 9/21/10! and...
many little saints in heaven!
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SuzanneG Forum Moderator
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Posted: Jan 27 2010 at 3:32pm | IP Logged
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Not quite a professional athlete....but ALMOST, so I thought it belonged here.
Top Oakland A's Prospect Enters Priesthood
Quote:
As a top prospect for the Oakland Athletics, outfielder Grant Desme might've gotten the call every minor leaguer wants this spring.
Instead, he believed he had another, higher calling.
Desme announced Friday that he was leaving baseball to enter the priesthood, walking away after a breakout season in which he became MVP of the Arizona Fall League.
......A lifelong Catholic, Desme thought about becoming a priest for about a year and a half. He kept his path quiet within the sports world, and his plan to enter a seminary this summer startled the A's when he told them Thursday night. |
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St. John Vianney, pray for him!
__________________ Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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