Building Bridges with a Tow Truck, Soccer and a Story

The concluding unit for Sports and Spirituality is "Building a Culture of Encounter: Sports and Catholic Social Teaching." Given the recent passing of Pope Francis, his words on this topic are ever more poignant and meaningful. Like Pope John Paul II, not only was Pape Franceso a sport aficionado, he too embraced sport as a key pillar of the Catholic Church's social vision. I didn't need my car towed 30 miles from Walnut Creek to appreciate his teaching, but let's just say more than the Bay Bridge was crossed on a Sunday in May.

Upon safe delivery and transport of my Jeep to my mechanic,
I asked Siar if we could take a photo together

While many Catholics take heart in knowing Pope Leo is a White Sox and Villanova fan, he is far from the first pope to share his allegiance. But according to our text, On the Eighth Day, "more than his predecessors, Pope John Paul II saw sport as one of the crucial signs of the times, a 'cultural mediator' uniquely 'capable of interpreting contemporary man's hopes and needs'. In addition, sports' global popularity gave it a special potential to help build a civilization of love..." More specifically, John Paul commended sport for transcending barriers of race, religion, politics and ethnicity. Pope Francis built on JPII's "civilization of love" with his own term: the "culture of encounter."

For the purpose of this blog, I have often quoted a definition given by Holy Cross priest, Father Joe Corpora, C.S.C. He has said “The culture of encounter... simply means this: 'You have something good to give to me, and I have something good to give to you." It's so simple and so true. If we could engage with another person believing we all have something to give and receive—a smile, a tip, a handshake or hug. Maybe we can hear a story or learn a lesson. How might the world be different? 

The truth is that encounter has becoming increasingly more difficult. Many times we only see our differences, our perceived identity or interests. In light of these challenges, Francis sought to clarify the purpose of encounter. He wrote regularly about this—he spoke to specifics and modeled what it meant as it applies to sport. As written in "On the Eighth Day," 

A culture of encounter thus becomes a culture of contact rather than isolation, a culture of dialogue rather than monologue, and a culture of respecting difference and listening, even the face of firmly held commitments. In Francis‘s words, "to speak of a culture of encounter means we as people should be passionate about meeting others seeking points of contact building bridges planning a project that includes everyone."

Francis holds that sport can play a critical role in fostering a culture encounter, as well as the church's overall evangelizing mission, crossing lines of race, sex, religion and ideology, the sporting fields can be a place of “unity and encounter among people."

The Culture of Encounter was evident throughout his twelve year papacy. In that time, the Holy Father met shared with the faithful his love for soccer, he gave an address before the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he took photos with the Harlem Globetrotters and asked to meet with NBA players in November 2020 as a response to the events around the death of George Floyd. It is safe to say that the Culture of Encounter has emerged as a hallmark of Francis' papacy. 

The question his teaching raises for me, for my students and for you is not Why should I care? but What does this mean in my life? What might the Culture of Encounter look like? feel like? And how can I engage? I hope this story might offer a few insights.

With 190,000+ miles on it, my 2015 Jeep Cherokee is running on borrowed time. My goal is to have it for 225,000 miles and I'm not even convinced that I can or will give it up at that time! 

Car problems never emerge as a convenient time. And, it would be naive of me to think that at this mileage they are unlikely. Therefore, when the radiator busted and sent the engine temperature to red, I knew I had to get help. The alternative meant losing the car then and there. 

I called Triple A and one hour later Siar came to tow my Jeep Cherokee from the East Bay, across the Bay Bridge and to my mechanic in San Francisco. He told me to hop in the seat beside him and the hour long journey began.

I wasn't worried about making conversation with Siar, but I wasn't sure how it would go. I have never been to Afghanistan, and regrettably, what I know about this ancient, landlocked country is likely no more than what most Americans know. My associations aren't exactly positive. Due to Sports and Spirituality however, I remembered something else. I carry with me a remarkable story about an American who lived and stayed in its capitol city, Kabul because of soccer.

With Siar, I did exactly what I profess in my blog post entitled, Faraway Goal: Using story and soccer to talk about Afghanistan. Instead of my students, I was able to talk to Siar about Nick Pugliese, an American who found an opportunity to continue his soccer career after college in an unlikely place: Afghanistan’s pro soccer league with Ferozi FC. 

I told him this story, more than many others inspires and sparks my student's interest. The words of Dan Arruda, the ESPN producer who spent ten days in Afghanistan with Pugliese resonate with me. He said, “I was just fascinated by the idea of an American all by himself living in this country and of all the things, he was playing professional soccer. It just seemed very surprising to me and I wondered what his life was like.”

Siar told me all about Kabul. I'm not sure that Siar was a fan of Nick's team. He was however aware that Ghazi stadium, Ferozi FC's home, was once used by the Taliban for public executions. Fortunately, in Pugliese's tenure, it became a locale for  Afghani "association football matches." I didn't ask him what it's like today.

Soccer was the starter, the bridge and key to encounter. I came to find out more about Siar's family, especially his two year old daughter. I asked him what family members will still in Afghanistan and if he wants to visit anytime soon. 

He shared with great pride that he is now an American citizen. I should have asked him what he thinks of the MLS.

Again, encounter has becoming increasingly more difficult. Anyone could just be on their phone or engage with social media instead of talk. However, thanks to this philosophy and to soccer, what was a slightly stressful situation was made better. 

Practically speaking, Siar gave me a ride and towed my car. I gave him business and I gave him a story. But given this philosophy, I realize, I gained a deepened appreciation for one man's commitment to supporting his family and making a go at the American dream. 

Indeed, my memories are what Pope Francis professed, "A culture of encounter thus becomes a culture of contact rather than isolation, a culture of dialogue rather than monologue, and a culture of respecting difference and listening." We have so much to give and to receive from one another....even with a broken radiator!

Photo Credits
Kabul
Nick and friends
Pope selfie

Magnanimity and More: Lessons for the New School Year from Pope Francis and Hard Knocks

Is September the other January? Do you find yourself saying "Happy New Year" to teachers and students? On her podcast "Happier" Gretchen Rubin shared that some teachers begin the school year with noisemakers and party hats for their students. While you won't find any banners, hats or confetti in my classroom, I have celebrated the new year by showing a few scenes from Hard Knocks Training Camp with the New York Jets.

In preparation for a new season and a new team, Aaron Rodgers is doing what he can to be a positive team leader, teammate and mentor. In Episode Two, he showed up at a team meeting wearing a black and white trucker hat inscribed with the same words he told his fellow QBs at the conclusion of practice (as seen here). Those words, that message resonate with one the Pope Francis. They are worth further reflection as we commence this school year.  

In 2013, the Holy Father met with Italian and Albanian students enrolled in Jesuit schools. While he prepared a formal speech (for publication) he went off script and spoke with these young people, answering their questions and engaging in dialogue (the transcription is also included). Both missives are important and inspiring.

He wrote,

In following what St Ignatius teaches us, the main element at school is to learn to be magnanimous. Magnanimity: this virtue of the great and the small (Non coerceri maximo contineri minimo, divinum est), which always makes us look at the horizon. What does being magnanimous mean? It means having a great heart, having greatness of mind; it means having great ideals, the wish to do great things to respond to what God asks of us. Hence also, for this very reason, to do well the routine things of every day and all the daily actions, tasks, meetings with people; doing the little everyday things with a great heart open to God and to others. It is therefore important to cultivate human formation with a view to magnanimity. School does not only broaden your intellectual dimension but also your human one. And I think that Jesuit schools take special care to develop human virtues: loyalty, respect, faithfulness and dedication

Magnanimity—the quality of being magnanimous. The virtue of great and small. How invitational. How practical. How relevant! We can't do the great things, the big things all the time. We want to, we work toward a great heart and mind but it's not easy. It's challenging. Therefore, we must not forget the small things. The day to day tasks and details. Little things mean a lot.

To speak of magnanimity to anyone involved in sports is no stretch. Athletes are constantly working on routine, every day things to get faster and stronger, in order to achieve personal and team wide goals. They strive to be great. None of us get their alone; formation is necessary.

But Pope Francis' message wasn't about soccer or football. He wasn't speaking to swimmers or divers. Rather, if he was—all the better—but the Holy Father's message for students who are guided by a shared tradition and a common faith. And this is where Rodgers has it right.

The Offensive Coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett asks him to speak. Slight caught off guard he says,

Oh I got nothing for you man. I’m just happy to be out here. Excited to be with you guys. All I’m going to say is that this camp is a long camp, right? Let’s just enjoy the little things every single day. Take time to laugh a little bit. Find a conversation at lunchtime with somebody new, don’t always sit in the same little group. Get to know your teammates a little bit. That’s part of the leadership role. And just enjoy the little moments. It goes by fast, and then you get to be really old and gray, and savoring every little moment. So savor them right now, right? Qs on 3, 1-2-3 Qs!”

Number eight starts with appreciation and joy. He looks to the horizon—acknowledging that it's not quick, nor easy. His message is to take each day as a gift. He suggests that humor requires slowing down. I love his recommendation: to talk to somebody new over a meal. Get out of your routine. Move beyond your safe space. Why? Because as leaders, they ought to model that for the good of others.  

This brief message inspired me to think of a personal challenge I have for myself at the advent of this new year. I too am going to make a point of having lunch with new colleagues. In the faculty dining room, it is all too easy to sit with the same group. In fact, I've seen others and I myself have jockeyed to be sure that I am a part of "x" table group. However, this year—call it a resolution or not—I want to let that go. I have a hunch that I will be a better, more well rounded and potentially kinder colleague if I employ this practice.

Those of us involved in Jesuit education believe that "education happens at tables." In Sports and Spirituality, my seniors quite literally sit at tables. At SI, where I teach, we encourage faculty to eat with one another because we learn about other students, our coursework, we disclose our challenges and laugh a whole lot over a meal. And most importantly, we gather at the Eucharistic table for the Mass as an entire school community throughout the year. We begin the year with Mass of the Holy Spirit and conclude it with the Transition Liturgy. The Holy sacrifice of the mass commemorates one of the most important meals in Jesus' lives. So too, it plays an role in our formation, our identity and more. This year, I will pray we grow in magnanimity.

Whether your seek to cherish the little things everyday or eat lunch with someone different, I hope this new year, new season offers opportunities and ways to grow magnanimous. Magnanimity on three!

Photo Credits
Team Meeting
Hat
Little Things

We Are Easter People: Two Thoughts from Sports & Spirituality

Happy Easter. He is Risen. Alleluia! We are Easter people. I've heard it in the pews and from the pulpit. I say it to my students and serve myself the same reminder: we are Easter people. What does that mean? I have but two thoughts.

First are the words from the Holy Father. This man, whose lives up to the name of his Twitter handle @Pontifex—Bridge builder, the Jesuit who speaks and preaches about the culture of Encounter and models it, has offered an important reminder. He said:

“This is the first Easter message that I would offer you: it is always possible to begin anew,  because there is always a new life that God can awaken in us in spite of all our failures.  

Even from the rubble of our hearts -- each of us knows, knows the rubble of his own heart. From the rubble of our hearts, God can create a work of art; from the ruined remnants of our humanity, God can  prepare a new history. He never ceases to go ahead of us: in the cross of suffering, desolation and  death, and in the glory of a life that rises again, a history that changes, a hope that is reborn.” — Pope Francis, Easter Vigil 2021. 

What a timely reminder. In a year that has been rife with challenge, division and strife, let us seek to begin anew. Let us open our hearts so that this history can be born and this art can be seen. Thank you, Pope Francis.

Second is a realization and a reminder: we must spread Good News. We are hungry for it. Though we are enticed by negativity and gossip, it leaves us hollow. No, let us share our experiences of joy. Extend our stories of hope and delight. Bring light to others. To me, this is what it means to be an Easter person.

This realization on the most mysterious of Holy Days: Holy Saturday. I refer to the day after Jesus died as "no man's land." I can't  recall learning about how we are to approach this solemn day. To me, it feels like you're in a holding pattern. Do we make time for silence and more prayer? Ought we engage in some communal worship or preparation? My approach has always been to pay attention, to be mindful and intentional about my day. This isn't difficult for being an Easter person means we know how the story ends.

On Holy Saturday, I was at work, supervising a junior varsity girls' softball game. I don't know if I have ever attended a high school softball game (which is surprising to me). It's probably not most people's ideal way to spend a Saturday during Spring Break, especially when you don't know any of the girls on the team. I didn't mind.

With fans mindful of social distancing, I took advantage of one of the few open seats—directly behind home plate. I was immediately struck by the amount of clapping and cheering from both the crowd and the athletes on the field. I heard the parents next to me calling most batters by their number. "Let's go one-six! You got this!" and "way to hold off that pitch niner. Good eye niner." More clapping, more cheering, lots of girls being called "kid" by both the adults and the teens. This made me smile.

As a sports fan,  I love sitting next to fans who are engaged in the game. I am a glutton for good commentary or insight. To my surprise and delight, this game offered all of it. My ears were feasting on the language that was being spoken about the game unfolding on the field. 

One inning later, I found myself cheering and yelling myself. I clapped and even stood up at one point. I began to wonder: was it not attending live sports for nearly a year that prompted such enthusiasm and joy or was the culture of the game? Probably both.

But what does this have to do with being an Easter person. In the past year, things have been so divisive and challenging that I think we have all fallen into sharing our latest gripe. I am no exception. I dish them out and receive them willingly and regularly. But when asked about my Saturday at work, all I could do was the total opposite. 

I found myself sharing the story of softball. Surprised by the joy of what was happening on the field and received in the stands, I had good news to tell. 

It was interesting to see the body language of the people who received my report. They relaxed. They were armed for a complaint and met a compliment. My smile prompted their smile. It was fun to share.

Jesus came so that we might have life and have it abundantly. The chronicle of his life—the Gospels mean, "The Good News." Easter is the time to remember that even with the sacrifice, loss and tragedy of this life, faith, hope and love remain. Joy awaits. New life is possible. 

I encourage you to share the Holy Father's reminders and offer your own Good News. You might need to look for it or when it comes to you—pass it along. Happy Easter, people!

Photo Credits
Pope Francis
Thank you Jim for posting Pope Francis' message
Holy Saturday
Good News

Pope Francis' Culture of Encounter with the NBA

Pope Francis' Twitter handle— @Pontifex—is Latin for "bridge builder." As evidenced in a recent meeting with five NBA players, the Holy Father continues to exemplify what this name implies. Professional basketball captures the attention of millions of Americans—young and old, religious, spiritual and nowhere in between! His invitation is but another example of the “culture of encounter,” which I find to be a great model for spiritual leadership. That being said, I also wish the audience included five WNBA players. Here's more. 

According to The New York Times, "In June, Pope Francis said he had watched the social unrest enveloping the United States with 'great concern.' In his October encyclical, titled “Brothers All,” a reflection on fraternity and social friendship, the pope wrote that “a readiness to discard others finds expression in vicious attitudes that we thought long past, such as racism, which retreats underground only to keep re-emerging. Instances of racism continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive as we think.” And in November, he extended an invitation to the NBA players' union to learn more about their efforts toward addressing social justice and economic inequality. Pope Francis spoke to the power of sport both on and off the court. They met for a half hour in Rome on the Monday of Thanksgiving week—November 22, 2020.

Pope Francis has preached, taught and written about the “culture of encounter” time and again. In short the "culture of encounter" means that I have something good to give to another person, and the other has something good to give me. Those gifts are simple—our presence, our smile, a willingness to listen, ask questions, and affirm one's talents, efforts and ministry are but a few examples of what we can give and receive. 

The five male players — Marco Belinelli, Sterling Brown, Jonathan Isaac, Kyle Korver and Anthony Tolliver — were joined in the delegation by NBA players' union executive director Michele Roberts and two other union executives, Sherrie Deans and Matteo Zuretti. The group "presented the pope with a commemorative basketball, a union-produced book highlighting efforts players have taken and an Orlando Magic jersey." 

Listening to what they brought prompted me to consider what I might give the Holy Father. And what would I receive? I have thought about a message I might like to share with the pope. I can only imagine what he might want to say to me....about Sports and Spirituality, teaching theology, hosting a podcast or writing a blog.

I love the word "encounter." To me, it implies invitation and openness. There is an element of surprise and wonder when this type of connection occurs. And yet, I have rarely had a meaningful encounter with another person that was totally sufficient. Quite often, I wish I had shared a certain story or asked a follow up question. I can't help but revisit something I said...or didn't say. I have often hoped that one encounter will lead to another!

As meaningful as this encounter is and was, I do wish the invitation had been extended to the WNBA as well. (I also think it's fair to wonder why he didn't wear a mask, nor did the players at an indoor event—NB: all were tested on site). I would like to know why Pope Francis and/or his staff didn't think of including these female athletes as well for they have long been doing what the NBA is lauded for doing. 

In Just a Reminder: The WNBA Has Been Leading the Social-Justice Charge For Years, Maggie Ryan writes

The NBA's voice is urgently needed in this fight, but with all due respect, it's the WNBA that has been at this for a long time. As early as 2017, as President Trump was castigating NFL players for kneeling during the anthem, entire WNBA teams were taking a knee or even walking off the court while "The Star-Spangled Banner" played. The year before, three teams were fined for wearing Black Lives Matter shirts, then fought those fines until they were dropped, raising public awareness in the process.

WNBA teams have hosted town halls on race and spoke with civil rights leaders like the late Rep. John Lewis. And all of that was before this season, which the league dedicated to racial justice and the #SayHerName movement following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police. Some players even opted to sit out the season altogether to further this work. And let's not forget that, according to WNBA Players' Association (WNBAPA) President Nneka Ogwumike, WNBA players stand to lose more financially, relative their NBA counterparts, by skipping these games.

The WNBA was one of, if not the first, league to show this kind of collective, meaningful action for racial justice, and these players have paved the way for the movement we're seeing today in men's pro sports. All of these voices are needed in this fight, but credit where credit is due: WNBA players have been leaders for years. As WNBA All-Star and WNBAPA Vice President Chiney Ogwumike has said, "it's in our DNA."

The WNBA is certainly a group that is building bridges. And, I'm pleased to report they aren't going unnoticed on or off the court. In fact, their post-season ratings were up by 14%. This is an impressive stat when sports fans realize the viewing of the NBA, NHL and MLB post-season games were down, significantly. 

I don't want that point to overshadow the greater good that this encounter brought for the players, their fans and the Church.  For some people, it might. I have wondered if some would like the Holy Father to step down from his leadership position for not wearing a mask in an indoor setting. I do want to know—if we are to build bridges...if we are to promote a culture of encounter, how much must we "get right?" Thoughts? 

My Prayer: God and gracious God. Let us continue to build bridges with one another—near and far. Help us to promote and engage in a culture of encounter. There is so much good to give...and receive.

Photo Credits

How Coaches and Athletes Might Fast During Lent

Posted in the faculty workroom is the sign "Do you want to Fast this Lent" Funny question. Do I want to fast? No. Am I called to? Yes. At least during Lent, I am!

I'm not eager to renounce myself of much, but looking at the words of Pope Francis, I realize this spiritual discipline remains an important invitation for all of us who want to grow in our faith, become more like Christ and model God's love. I also believe these are words that could be furthered by every coach with his or her team. 

Pope Francis’ Words

Do you want to fast this Lent?

• Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.

• Fast from worries and trust in God.

• Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity.

• Do you want to fast this Lent? 

• Fast from pressures and be prayerful.

• Fast from bitterness sand fill your heart with joy.

• Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others.

• Fast from grudges and be reconciled.

• Fast from words and be silent so you can listen.

Take the Holy Father's eleven recommendations and let them speak to the challenges offered in your sport. Let your captains open up each one as it has resonated with their own experience. Let each student-athlete give their voice to how fasting in this way is necessary or important. Encourage them to consider how they might be different or the team might be better if it were to fast from hurting words, sadness, anger, pessimism, worries, complaints, pressures, bitterness, selfishness and grudges? Advise them to imagine a program that is filled with gratitude, patience, hope, trust, prayer, joy, compassion and reconciliation.

Coaches might use this poster as a prayerful Examen. We can speak to about each one with a narrative of our own. Examples include:

1. When we are tested, tired and pushed, it's just so easy to say hurtful words to our coaches, teammates and the referees. Sports and athletic competition is no stranger to all of it. Sometimes jealousy and resentment cloud our vision and we spread gossip, snide remarks and jeers. Instead, during Lent let us commit to finding the good in one another—and say it!
   
2. What athlete or coach hasn't felt sadness at some point during the season. Injuries get us down. Other times, things don't materialize as we had hoped—the team doesn't gel, the athlete isn't developing, the thrill is gone. Fast from sadness and count your blessings. What are you grateful for? Thank God for the very fact you can compete...you have a team...you have the chance to lead.

I coached a Spring sport for but two seasons of my coaching tenure. Undoubtedly the longest of the three sports seasons, Spring sports offer time and opportunities for prayer and reflection unlike the Fall and Winter seasons (not a value judgment; it is true for each one!). Though I do not want to return to coaching rowing, were I to coach crew again or coach track, swimming or boys golf, I know I would tap into all that Lent can offer by way of Sports and Spirituality. Pope Francis' words are but one way to do that.

He really is something, that Pope Francis...In our Lenten Lunch reflection, I also read these words: Life is a journey. When we stop, things don't go right. Let us walk together during these 40 days of Lent...asking questions and fasting in the way he invites us to do.

Photo Credits
Do you want to fast this Lent?

The Chicken Runs at Midnight...Alleluia

Pope Francis wakes up every morning at 4:30 a.m. to pray for an hour and half. 90 minutes! He then presides over the holy sacrifice of the Mass, another way of prayer. No wonder the Holy Father is able to do what he does—walk along the peripheries, touch those in need, and extend mercy; he is rooted in a relationship with God. That anchor is prayer.

Throughout my adult life, I have read the daily readings everyday...and then strayed from them. Reading the Gospel is a powerful way to start my day. Why I commit to reading them is obvious to me. Your words Oh Lord as spirit and life. And why I let things go and break that habit? I'm not so sure.

My advice to anyone who wants to be more like Francis in his spiritual discipline, is to pick a form and way of prayer that "works." Maybe it's reading the daily devotionals like Living with Christ or This Day. For me, it has been reading and praying with Faith ND. Reading the Good News lives up to its name; it's a good, better and best experience—if there is such a thing. Yesterday's reading and reflection was one of them.

First, I love the 50 days of the Easter season, Eastertide. Christ dwells in these liminal places, between heaven and earth. He has yet to return to the Father (still not sure what that means) and yet we know he has been crucified, he died, was buried and rose from the dead. Alleluia! He appears and reappears. He continues to teach and sets hearts on fire. He is with his disciples but is seeking to relate to them in a new way.

When Joe Reis connected this Gospel reading to what he studied in psychology, I was hooked. AP Psychology is a very popular course for seniors at St. Ignatius where I teach. Anytime I have a chance to connect theology and psychology, I can and I will. Call me Ms Cross Curriculum, I believe these two subjects can compliment each other for a new level of understanding. But the connections didn't stop there; it prompted me to think of the Communion of Saints.

I believe in the Communion of Saints. I say it with conviction. I have written about it many times and love teaching what it means to my students. This was a new and welcome way to teach about this rich Catholic tradition.

So, yesterday was a good day. I prayed this Gospel reading  with my seniors, shared Joe's reflection. I gave the psych experts in my class a chance to speak about object permanence and then share with them my favorite example of the Communion of Saints. I can't believe I haven't written about it before. No time like the present.

As seen in the video "Champions of Faith" long time MLB baseball coach Rich Donnelly had strayed from his Catholic faith. He was embarrassed to go to Mass. His priorities were far from the Church. That is, until his 18 year old daughter Amy got a brain tumor.

Amy, his only daughter had a zest for life and a creative perspective on it. She once asked her father: What do you yell at your players when you are standing in the third base coach's box: The chicken runs at midnight, or what? Where she came up with that thought and why— the Donnellys did not know. But, it caught on. In fact, Amy once called her dad on the road and told the traveling secretary to write the following on a written phone message "The Chicken Runs at Midnight. Love, Amy."

Amy underwent chemo and radiation, but died of cancer. Her two brothers decided they would inprint one message on her tombstone. It said:

Donnelly stayed in MLB and away from his faith. When Amy died, I wonder if anyone had told him about the Communion of Saints. I hope they did. Here's why:

Jim Heft has written, "Catholics believe in the "communion of saints." Even though people die, we stay in touch with them and they with us. How is this possible? It is possible through Baptism by which we enter into the death and resurrection of Jesus. Even though Jesus died, he rose from the dead, remaining even more present than when he was on earth to all who believed in him. We live in Christ. Those who have died believing in Christ remain alive in him." 

In 1997, five years after Amy's death, Rich Donnelly had the good fortune of being in the World Series, coaching the Florida Marlins. In Game 7 against the Cleveland Indians, Craig Counsell led off the eleventh inning with a single. Counsell was known as "the Chicken" because he would flap his arms like one in his batting stance. He moved to third and when one of his teammates hit a single up the middle, he scored from third base to win the championship. Donnelly's two sons, were sitting in the stands. They hugged and greeted their father and one of them said with tears in his eyes, "Dad! Look at the clock!!!" Donnelly looked up to see the time, not knowing what he was talking about. Brian said "Dad the chicken ran at midnight."

That was a turning point for Rich Donnelly and his Catholic faith. He said that moment, which I believe is sacramental, reminded him to return to another way of being.

Any relationship rooted in love seeks to do good for another, even long after death. As object permanence suggests, "presence can continue even if something or someone is no longer observable through the senses." Rich Donnelly came to realize that returning to his faith not only brought him closer to God but to his daughter Amy, albeit in a new way. That is the Communion of saints. I have come understand it in my own life. I've also realized that prayer, the Gospel, daily readings and more help me pay attention to what the Saints and everyday saints want me to hear. I wouldn't mind it if "the chicken runs at midnight" was it...blessed be.

The full story of the Chicken Runs at Midnight can be found here

Photo Credits
Pope Francis prayer
Faith ND
Saints
Amy's tombstone

A Different Kind of Soul Cycle: Women in Prison on the Road to Rehabilitation

Many people are aware that Pope Francis visited a prison on his historic visit to the United States. But what if his itinerary included at stop at the Riverside Correctional facility—a prison less than one mile down the road?  What would he find? One: women, two: a unique path toward rehabilitation and three: an opportunity for all of society to contribute to that process. Consider it a different kind of "soul cycle." Here's how.

As written in "Pope Francis Visits Prisoners in Philadelphia" the Holy Father said:

“This time in your life can only have one purpose: to give you a hand in getting back on the right road, to give you a hand to help you rejoin society,” the pope said in the gymnasium of the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility. “All of us are part of that effort, all of us are invited to encourage, help and enable your rehabilitation.” 

Pope Francis also rebuked society for not doing enough to rehabilitate prisoners. “It is painful when we see prison systems which are not concerned to care for wounds, to soothe pain, to offer new possibilities,” the pope said, speaking in Spanish through an interpreter. “It is painful when we see people who think that only others need to be cleansed, purified, and do not recognize that their weariness, pain and wounds are also the weariness, pain and wounds of society.”

It should go without saying two and a half years into his papacy that Pope Francis' actions speak louder than his words. Catholics are called to perform the corporal works of mercy, one of which is to visit the imprisoned. And the Holy Father has done so on several occasions. Yet, I think his words are equally striking. He reminds us that those in prison are called to work toward rehabilitation. 

Serving time ought to be a call toward rehabilitation—that may be found through prayer, meditation, education, counseling and well, even exercise. A recent story I heard on NPR, "Biking Behind Bars: Female Inmates Battle Weight Gain" reminded me how important breaking a sweat might be in that process.

I encourage you to listen to the five minute 'Weekend Edition" story. The corresponding article captures why exercise and proper nutrition are not to be underestimated in the rehabilitation of those behind bars.  Tauyuna English writes, "In a 2010 survey, women at Riverside gained about 36 pounds in a year, on average. But after some changes at the facility, that weight gain dropped to 26 pounds when the medical team checked again in 2015." 36 pounds! Although that number has dropped, dramatic weight gain has adverse effects on physical as well as mental health. As one of my students pointed out, many women in prison are mothers as well. Weight management, nutrition and diet are important to model to children.

And so is exercise. Fortunately for women at Riverside, a spin class is an option that many have taken to. NPR reports,

In 2011, biking advocates from the nonprofit group Gearing Up persuaded prison administrators to let them bring in bikes to teach indoor cycling. Founder Kristin Gavin says before that she had mentored ex-offenders out in the community.

Hearing this story reminded me that the opportunity to exercise is a gift that should not be taken for granted; it is linked to not only my physical ability but my freedom. Many people in the world are not free to exercise, run and play for a variety of reasons. (The fact that women must wear pants to their spin class is the simplest reminder of what I never think about. Pants would not be my first choice). Some may feel that these women renounced those freedoms when they wronged society, but again Pope Francis' words speak to what we as a society could do...and should do.

Setting an intention to leave behind depression

At the start of their spin class, women are asked to set an intention for the workout. Some exercise to leave behind prison, others to let out their frustration. Whether they know it or not, their commitment to exercise is an important step to getting on that right road. I hope to implement what I've learned from these women and set an intention at the beginning of my workout too. One of those will be a prayer of intention—for the Holy Father and for those we ought to visit. 

Photo Credits
Riverside Prison Spin Class
Pope Francis