Ask Fr. Jerry

Fr. Jerry Herda, Pastor - St. Monica's Parish, Whitefish Bay

Embrace what your Catholic Church offers

The third installment of a three-part question and answer article previously published in the Catholic Herald.

Q: We heard that you celebrate Mass for some of Brewer players before games at Miller Park. What have you observed about their spirituality that could be lessons for the rest of us?

A: Before the season last year, Catholic Athletes for Christ set a goal to try and offer a Catholic Mass at every Major League Baseball stadium. Ray McKenna, president of Catholic Athletes for Christ, contacted Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan and asked if it was possible to have a priest celebrate Mass at Miller Park. In turn, Archbishop Dolan asked me if I would be open to doing this. Having been a life-long Brewer fan, I jumped at the chance.

The Milwaukee Brewers have been very gracious in allowing us to celebrate Mass, not only for the Brewer players and families, but also for the visiting team players as well. We also open the Mass to other Brewer employees who put in long weekend hours and would not otherwise be able to make it to Sunday Mass.

I have been very impressed that these players take their faith seriously enough to want to receive the sacraments. Their desire to live the faith becomes a strong example for the other employees at Miller Park as well as all of us. We should all take our faith seriously enough to want to receive the sacraments. On the days we have Mass, I also try to get to Miller Park early to allow any of the players who wish to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation to do so. Another great example of trying to live the Catholic faith!

The biggest lesson these players teach the rest of us is that even in the midst of our busy lives, we all need God, we all need the sacraments, we all need the church. I just hope that all these prayers pay off for a really good season!