By Ruby Thomas, Record Staff Writer
Members of Trinity High School’s baseball team heard that a strong relationship with God, family and friends will most likely make them happiest in life.
Dr. Santiago Perez de Camino — head of the Vatican’s Office of Church and Sport, part of the Pontifical Council for the Laity — delivered that message during a father-son jersey ceremony at Trinity’s chapel March 29.
“I hope you never forget what’s important in life — friendship. Your father is your best friend,” said Perez de Camino.
He went on to tell the young men that it’s important to pray from the heart, nurture friendships with peers and teachers and to be at their father’s side when he needs them.
Perez de Camino visited Louisville March 29 before serving as the keynote speaker at SportsLeader’s first Director of Sports Ministry Conference held March 30 to April 1 at The Athenaeum of Ohio in Cincinnati. Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz also spoke at the conference.
Perez de Camino was invited to Trinity to witness a father-son jersey ceremony sponsored by SportsLeader. The Louisville-based organization is a national training program for coaches focused on teaching virtue.
The father-son jersey ceremony is “designed so a young person can receive affirmation from their parent in front of their peer group,” said Paul Passafiume, founder of SportsLeader. “It strengthens family bonds and builds team unity.”
Perez de Camino said he was moved by the ceremony, where nine fathers presented their sons with team jerseys the young men will wear during their senior year at Trinity.
The men were invited to say a few words to their sons before presenting the jerseys. Each expressed pride in watching their sons grow from boys into young men. Many reminded their son to always put God first in their lives.
Perez de Camino told the seniors that though some of them will be moving away for college soon, they should keep in mind the sacrifices their parents made.
“Your parents made a sacrifice for you to come here where they were sure you’d learn not only academics, but also how to become a man,” Perez de Camino said.
He told the young men that they are “very lucky.” It is evident at Trinity that teachers and coaches care more about students than they do test scores and team results, he said.
Part of Perez de Camino’s keynote message at the conference involved the importance of the laity in the success of evangelization. Pope Francis he said, is encouraging Catholics to work on their faith formation, so that in turn they can form others.
The Holy Father is also encouraging the faithful to strengthen their personal relationship with God through the sacraments, in particular through the sacrament of reconciliation during the Year of Mercy, he said.
Faith formation was also on the agenda at the Director of Sports Ministry Conference.
According to organizers, the goal of the conference was to consider “a more strategic systematic approach to help better form” coaches, athletes and parents.
Perez de Camino referred to sports as “a wonderful means to evangelize in the 21st century.”
“It can bring together people from different religions, ideologies and gender,” not to mention, he noted, that the broadcasting of sports “reaches an incredible number of people.”
The Holy Father, he said, believes this opportunity to evangelize through sports is one which should be seized.
For more information on the SportsLeader program, visit sportsleader.org.
