Priests, deacons, and seminarians come to Rome to study and live at the heart of the Catholic Church. But some receive formation both in the chapel and in another unlikely place—the cricket pitch.
FR. EAMONN O'HIGGINS, L.C.
Manager, St. Peter's Cricket Club
The basic idea is to give an image of the priesthood that is positive. We are priests and seminarians who play cricket; not cricketers who happen to be priests and seminarians. FLASH And it's to give that witness to the Catholic priesthood. All on the team are priests, deacons, seminarians working, studying here in Rome. And really that's who we are.
Fr. O'Higgins believes cricket, the second most popular sport in the world, is a little piece of home for the many Australian, Sri Lankan, Indian, and Pakistani seminarians and priests living in Rome.
But he also sees the game as teaching other important lessons for a well-rounded priestly formation.
FR. EAMONN O'HIGGINS, L.C.
Manager, St. Peter's Cricket Club
You've got to learn a discipline; you've got to learn to play with others. And cricket, in particular, it's important. You've got two batsmen out in the field at the same time. And communication. That's been a challenge for us. We've got an international team. So the cultural differences are something as well that we've had to overcome.
This diverse team's mission is not just to win as many matches as possible, but to use the image of competitive priests and seminarians as a message of evangelization.
KG
