Rosary Rally starts season off right for Catholic football teams
10 The Catholic Telegraph September 2014
News
TheCatholicTelegraph.com
Rosary Rally starts season off right for Catholic football teams
By John Stegeman A day before Ohio high school football teams were set to begin two-a-day practices, Catholic high schools from around the region gathered to pray the rosary in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West at the Athenaeum of Ohio hosted nearly 500 student athletes, parents and coaches July 31 for a first-of-its-kind Rosary Rally, organized by SportsLeader. The 11 schools represented were treated to a talk by former Moeller and Notre Dame University head coach Gerry Faust, and a bit of catechesis from Father Anthony Brausch, the seminary’s director of formation who is himself a former high school football player. Before the rosary began, Faust told the students that it would be a night to remember. The former Notre Dame and University of Akron coach spoke enthusiastically about the faith and the sport of football. The rally took place behind the seminary’s main building in the outdoor Marian amphitheater. Attendees were provided with a heavy-duty rosary and a prayer card to the patron saint of sports, St. Sebastian. The event was the first of its kind in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and possibly the first nationwide. SportsLeader, a Catholic Louisville, Ky.based non-profit, exists to assist coaches at the grade school, high school and college level to instill virtue in their players. “This is the first time we’ve done it,” said Dwight Stephenson, president of SportsLeader. “Our understanding is that it is the first time this has happened nationally and we’re just excited to be a part of it. “We couldn’t think of a better place, if you’re a Catholic high school getting ready for the football season,” he added. “What better way than to bring all the boys to the seminary to pray the rosary? … Hopefully some seeds were planted, whether seeds for a deeper faith or seeds for the priesthood as well.” During the rosary, most players appeared reverent and engaged. One student in attendance, Catholic Central offensive lineman Austin Lemmons, thought the event was a good way to work Catholic identity into the life of football programs. “I have several rosaries. I like praying the rosary,” Lemmons said. “The fact that we get the Catholic faith involved in all these sports, I just think its astonishing that so many people are willing to get involved in it. The Catholic faith has a big part in all of our lives. I’m glad we’re getting it involved in every small part that we can.” Badin High School is one of several in the area that utilize SportsLeader’s mentoring program. The Rams’ head coach Bill Tenore
CT Photo/John Stegeman
Nearly 500 students, coaches and parents gathered July 31 at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West for a Rosary Rally. The rally was organized by SportsLeader to bring Catholic football players together to pray a day before beginning preseason practice. also spoke highly of the Rosary Rally. “This is wonderful,” Tenore said. “To be honest with you I believe it is long overdue. This is really what Catholic education and Catholic high school football is all about. This needs to grow and continue. Everybody needs to jump on the bandwagon and support it. This is the nuts and bolts of what we’re trying to do as coaches with our programs.” The schools represented with players at the rally were Archbishop Moeller, Springfield Catholic Central, Bishop Fenwick, Elder, Stephen T. Badin, Archbishop McNicholas, Roger Bacon, Cincinnati St. Xavier, Louisville St. Xavier and Summit Country Day. La Salle high school was represented by members of the coaching staff. Fifteen of the 24 Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati sponsor football, but the archdiocese is geographically large. While most Catholic football teams compete in the GCL South and GCL CoEd, not all the schools play each other. Lehman Catholic, the northern-most school in the archdiocese is 94 miles away from southern-most Elder. “It is an opportunity for us to pray together and for them to see the other teams and to interact, but also just to reflect that the sport serves to form the person,” Father Brausch said. “They have to engage sports that way to get the full benefit of playing. It was a good event, great event. I’m happy to have been able to host it and to see that level of participation. Hopefully we’ll be able to do it again.”
CT Photo/John Stegeman
Father David Endres leads the praying of the rosary before the Blessed Sacrament.
News
TheCatholicTelegraph.com
Rosary Rally starts season off right for Catholic football teams
By John Stegeman A day before Ohio high school football teams were set to begin two-a-day practices, Catholic high schools from around the region gathered to pray the rosary in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West at the Athenaeum of Ohio hosted nearly 500 student athletes, parents and coaches July 31 for a first-of-its-kind Rosary Rally, organized by SportsLeader. The 11 schools represented were treated to a talk by former Moeller and Notre Dame University head coach Gerry Faust, and a bit of catechesis from Father Anthony Brausch, the seminary’s director of formation who is himself a former high school football player. Before the rosary began, Faust told the students that it would be a night to remember. The former Notre Dame and University of Akron coach spoke enthusiastically about the faith and the sport of football. The rally took place behind the seminary’s main building in the outdoor Marian amphitheater. Attendees were provided with a heavy-duty rosary and a prayer card to the patron saint of sports, St. Sebastian. The event was the first of its kind in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and possibly the first nationwide. SportsLeader, a Catholic Louisville, Ky.based non-profit, exists to assist coaches at the grade school, high school and college level to instill virtue in their players. “This is the first time we’ve done it,” said Dwight Stephenson, president of SportsLeader. “Our understanding is that it is the first time this has happened nationally and we’re just excited to be a part of it. “We couldn’t think of a better place, if you’re a Catholic high school getting ready for the football season,” he added. “What better way than to bring all the boys to the seminary to pray the rosary? … Hopefully some seeds were planted, whether seeds for a deeper faith or seeds for the priesthood as well.” During the rosary, most players appeared reverent and engaged. One student in attendance, Catholic Central offensive lineman Austin Lemmons, thought the event was a good way to work Catholic identity into the life of football programs. “I have several rosaries. I like praying the rosary,” Lemmons said. “The fact that we get the Catholic faith involved in all these sports, I just think its astonishing that so many people are willing to get involved in it. The Catholic faith has a big part in all of our lives. I’m glad we’re getting it involved in every small part that we can.” Badin High School is one of several in the area that utilize SportsLeader’s mentoring program. The Rams’ head coach Bill Tenore
CT Photo/John Stegeman
Nearly 500 students, coaches and parents gathered July 31 at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West for a Rosary Rally. The rally was organized by SportsLeader to bring Catholic football players together to pray a day before beginning preseason practice. also spoke highly of the Rosary Rally. “This is wonderful,” Tenore said. “To be honest with you I believe it is long overdue. This is really what Catholic education and Catholic high school football is all about. This needs to grow and continue. Everybody needs to jump on the bandwagon and support it. This is the nuts and bolts of what we’re trying to do as coaches with our programs.” The schools represented with players at the rally were Archbishop Moeller, Springfield Catholic Central, Bishop Fenwick, Elder, Stephen T. Badin, Archbishop McNicholas, Roger Bacon, Cincinnati St. Xavier, Louisville St. Xavier and Summit Country Day. La Salle high school was represented by members of the coaching staff. Fifteen of the 24 Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati sponsor football, but the archdiocese is geographically large. While most Catholic football teams compete in the GCL South and GCL CoEd, not all the schools play each other. Lehman Catholic, the northern-most school in the archdiocese is 94 miles away from southern-most Elder. “It is an opportunity for us to pray together and for them to see the other teams and to interact, but also just to reflect that the sport serves to form the person,” Father Brausch said. “They have to engage sports that way to get the full benefit of playing. It was a good event, great event. I’m happy to have been able to host it and to see that level of participation. Hopefully we’ll be able to do it again.”
CT Photo/John Stegeman
Father David Endres leads the praying of the rosary before the Blessed Sacrament.
