The WordPress editor is wonky, weird and almost unusable at the moment. There are lots of complaints over at the WordPress help forum, so I know it’s not just me.
But the effect of it makes it irritating to use (basically, the margins on the writing/editing space have disappeared, and the thing goes all the way across the screen.), so I’ll make this brief – and, for once, themed!
First, you may have seen this interview with Notre Dame’s new coach. In case you haven’t:
Freeman’s recruiting success certainly has Irish eyes smiling, but so have some of his moves more related to the Xs and Os of life. For one, he has restored the long-standing, game-day tradition of players going to Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, exiting out the famed “God, Country, Notre Dame” door, before walking across campus to Notre Dame Stadium. Kelly had halted the practice early in his tenure and had instead moved the team Mass to the night before the game.
Freeman told the Register that he was motivated to bring back game-day Mass after reflecting on his own playing days and recalling how receptive a young man is in the hours leading up to a big game.
Speaking of Mass, you’re restoring the game-day tradition of Mass at the basilica and then walking over to the stadium. Interestingly, Robby Toma, a former player, commented on Twitter that “it’s pretty hard to flip the game switch on after an hour Mass” — that was his thought. So why was restoring that important to you?
Well, it was something that I remember as a recruit, seeing the players walk out of the basilica from Mass to the stadium. And I thought it was something that was always done until I got here last year, and I realized it wasn’t.
When I became head coach, it was something I wanted to go back to. And my reason is because I think back to being a player; you’re so vulnerable those three, four hours before a game. When you have a team meeting and your coach gives you a pre-game speech hours before the game, you’re on the edge of your seat, just hanging on to every word that he says.
So, to me, what better time is there to go have Mass? What better time to be able to really be on the edge of your seat to get every word that comes out of the priest’s mouth and to be as close to God as you can?
You may or may not know that former Chargers QB Philip Rivers is now the head football coach at St. Michael’s Catholic High School in Fairhope, AL. A couple of weeks ago, he brought the whole team up this way for a visit:
Two buses pulled into the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament Aug. 12. Onboard were 70 junior varsity and varsity football players from St. Michael’s Catholic High School in Fairhope. Leading the group was former NFL quarterback, Philip Rivers, who took the head coaching job at St. Michael’s after retiring from the NFL in 2021.
On their way to Athens to play their jamboree (pre-season) game against River’s high school alma mater, Athens High School, the team spent several days camping and team building at the Diocese of Birmingham’s Camp Tekawitha in Springville and visiting the Cenacolo Community and shrine.
Even on a tight schedule, the players were able to spend a little time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, attend noon Mass with Bishop Emeritus Robert Baker as the celebrant, and hear a talk about Mother Angelica and the history of the shrine.
When asked why Rivers chose to bring his team to the shrine, he answered, “We’ve been on kind of camp / retreat: Camp Tekawitha and then over to the Cenacolo Community to visit those brothers there who’s stories are so impactful. [They] are fighting to grow and get back on track in their faith and in their lives, and that was very impactful for me, our staff, and our players. Then coming here to the shrine is special for me. … Its special to my family. My wife was a convert and Mother Angelica, tapes, and EWTN were a big part of that.”
“At St. Michael’s … we talk about the whole young man, wanting to grow in our faith, in our academics, and on the football field,” Rivers continued. “The Holy Spirit was alive and working here on these young men and hopefully it will have an impact on them in their future.”
Charlotte was Both 