When I first stepped onto the field for our parish’s flag football league, I expected a casual pastime. Instead, I found a community where a priest, a handful of fathers, and a few single men gathered each week, not just to play, but to build something deeper.
A Team of Many Voices
The roster reads like a microcosm of parish life: two brothers, three single men, two married fathers, and a parochial vicar who all share the same sideline. Among them are Jacob Arteaga, who bonds over a love of good coffee, and Dom Mattson and Bobby Case, who volunteer to coach middle‑school players alongside me for St. Mary of Sorrows.
Our coach, who also mentored JP and Mike McLaughlin in high school, watches the game with a quiet pride, seeing in each tackle a lesson in humility and in each pass a reminder of fellowship.
Faith in Motion
Between the whistles and the touchdowns, the team becomes a laboratory for spiritual growth. Father Jordan Evans, a former Virginia Tech teammate, recalls how the sport first sparked a friendship that now stretches into prayer circles and shared retreats.
Michael Pryor, a fellow husband and father, has taken the field with the same earnestness he brings to his work, while the author’s own journey — from youth ministry to directing young adult programs at St. Mary of Sorrows — has been enriched by these weekly encounters.
The experience illustrates a broader truth: sport can be a powerful conduit for unity, especially among men seeking a deeper relationship with God. As the season progresses, the field remains a place where camaraderie, service, and faith intersect, reminding each participant that the game is only the beginning.