A Gift That Marries Faith and Baseball
During a recent papal audience in Vatican City, former Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski presented Pope Leo XIV with a pair of cherished items: a handcrafted rosary bearing the team’s colors and a baseball that marked the final out of the 2005 World Series. The pontiff, known for his lifelong devotion to the White Sox, reacted with unmistakable delight, his eyes lighting up as he examined the gifts.
Kevin Workman, a 65‑year‑old human resources manager from New Haven, Indiana, has spent the better part of a decade turning his hobby of rosary making into a modest online enterprise. A devout Catholic since 1981, Workman raised eight children and 19 grandchildren before being approached by the ministry Catholic Athletes for Christ, which commissioned him to design a special rosary for the pope.
The resulting piece features a series of white and black beads that echo the White Sox uniform, interspersed with small silver charms shaped like baseballs. Workman’s craftsmanship reflects both his personal faith and his love of the sport, turning a simple devotional tool into a tangible expression of cultural identity.
The baseball gifted alongside the rosary carries its own story. It was the very ball that sealed the final out of Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, a game the pope attended in person while the White Sox defeated the Houston Astros 5‑3. That historic moment, now more than two decades old, resurfaced in the Vatican’s frescoed hall, linking the pontiff’s youthful fandom with the present ceremony.
Pope Leo XIV’s enthusiasm was evident the moment the items were placed before him. His visible excitement underscored a deep‑seated connection to the team that has persisted since his native Chicago days, a connection he has previously referenced in public audiences. For many observers, the exchange illustrates how symbols of sport can serve as bridges between disparate worlds, from the baseball diamond to the altar.
The presentation was organized in collaboration with Catholic Athletes for Christ, a nonprofit that supports athletes in integrating their faith with professional careers. OSV News, the Catholic news agency that reported the audience, highlighted the symbolic weight of the gifts, emphasizing how they reflect a broader narrative of faith intersecting with everyday passions.