Subject: "DC Padres" Make Another Vocations Pitch
To:
You are invited!
"DC Padres" Make Another Vocations Pitch
The DC Padres baseball team, comprised of priests of the Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Arlington as well as seminarians of Mount St. Mary's Seminary, will be taking the field again. The purpose of the team is to raise awareness of and interest in vocations to the priesthood.
Sunday, October, 16, 2011
3:00 p.m.
Germantown Campus of the Montgomery County Community College
20200 Observation Drive
Germantown, MD
The next game will be against the Avalon School Varsity baseball team. Tickets will not be required for this event.
Hundreds attended the inaugural matchup at the Bowie Baysox Stadium in September against the Bowie All Stars, a team comprised of high school and college players. The DC Padres won the game 5-4.
The idea for the baseball team originated with Fr. Larry Swink and Fr. Larry Young, both pastors of the Archdiocese of Washington. The game was not only a win for the team, but also for the fans who came bearing homemade signs and t-shirts in support of their priests. "That's the most fun I've had in a long time, and maybe ever," wrote Fr. Larry Young after the inaugural game. "I loved all the base stealing, too. It felt like we were in the movie 'Field of Dreams' out there and we were all apparitions of ourselves from the past."
Taking the field for the second game are the following Catholic priests: Father Larry Young, pastor of Our Lady's Church in Leonardtown; Father Larry Swink, pastor of Jesus the Divine Word in Huntingtown; Father David Wells, parochial vicar at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Lexington Park; Father Jose Raul De Leon, parochial vicar at Our Lady of Sorrows in Takoma Park; and Fr. Greg Shaffer, chaplain, George Washington University. The following six seminarians from Mount St. Mary's Seminary will also participate: Shaun Foggo, Kevin Dansereau, Noah Morey, Adam Cesarek, Matthew Hoelscher, and Stephen Jagla. Rounding out the DC Padres' lineup is Father Andrew Fisher, pastor of St. Ambrose in Annandale in the Diocese of Arlington.
"We hope it will be a fun, positive, upbeat event where we can spread the word about what a tremendous gift a vocation to the priesthood is, and invite young men to pray and consider whether the Lord might be calling them as well," said Fr. Young.
Noah Morey, a seminarian for the Diocese of Arlington, said he enjoys having the team come together "to show the unity of all in the Church." Seminarian Kevin Dansereau said he is happy "to give glory to God through the gift of baseball." Organizers are working to develop this initiative into a cycle of about three games per year.
To see a video of the inaugural game, please visit: http://youtu.be/aqJhirHjSQU
The Archdiocese of Washington is home to over 600,000 Catholics living in Washington, DC and five Maryland counties: Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George's
Brie Hall
Communications Manager
Archdiocese of Washington
301.853.4512 office
703.505.6898 cell
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