Eucharistic minister Charlie Leinart distributes the Precious Blood during Mass in St. Ambrose University-Davenport’s Christ the King Chapel Oct. 19. Leinart is a member of the university’s soccer team.
(Editor’s note: This is the third in a series about the intersection of faith and sports.)
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
Charlie Leinart, a soccer standout at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, enjoys the thrill of competition. “If nothing else, soccer is something that keeps me in shape and has brought me some of my best friends,” he said.
Faith, however, comes first, and that means making Sunday Mass a priority. “Soccer brings me a lot of fulfillment, but it is nothing compared to the joy and purpose my faith brings me,” said Leinart, who serves as a Eucharistic minister at the university’s Christ the King Chapel.
Canon 1247 in the Code of Canon Law states that on Sunday and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass. One who attends Mass satisfies the precept of participating at Mass wherever it is celebrated in a Catholic rite, either on the feast day itself or on the evening of the preceding day (can. 1248 §1).
The 2018 Vatican document, “Giving the Best of Yourself,” supports sports on Sundays as a means of bringing families and communities together in joy and celebration, but such events must not excuse families from attending Mass. Intentionally missing Mass is a mortal sin, which requires confession before you can receive Communion again (CCC 2181).
The Diocese of Davenport’s Board of Education restricts the use of schools, buildings and grounds on Sundays for any activity other than the celebration of the worshiping community in sacraments, liturgies, spiritual formation programs and educational activities of the Church. Requests to use these facilities for other purposes on Sundays must be received and reviewed by the local governing body.
While private and public high school teams generally don’t play or practice on Sundays, weekend club team tournaments can impact a family’s ability to attend Mass at their home parish, several athletes and coaches in the Davenport Diocese told The Catholic Messenger.
Families and individuals can usually find a Mass time and location if they plan ahead, said Marianne Agnoli, diocesan marriage and family life coordinator. Resources such as masstimes.org, operated by the Mass Times Trust with assistance from the Diocese of Lansing in Michigan, lists Mass and reconciliation times worldwide free of charge.
Nicholas Gorsich, a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes track and field team, runs across a hurdle during a meet earlier this year.
“Dealing with scheduling challenges can be very difficult at times,” said Leinart, who played on a traveling club soccer team as a child. His parents were intentional about prioritizing Mass, and he is grateful for the example they set. “There was never a time during tournaments or busy weekends where we missed Mass. My parents always found a time.”
Athletes and families may find themselves in situations where fulfilling the Sunday Mass obligation seems impossible. In such situations, athletes and families can talk to their pastor to discern a dispensation request, Agnoli said.
Nicholas Gorsich, a hurdler and occasional short- and mid-distance runner on the University of Iowa’s track and field team in Iowa City, has yet to get to that point, despite scheduling challenges. Distant Saturday meets in warm, southern states like California, Arizona, Florida and Texas pose the biggest obstacle to Mass attendance. “Race days are typically Friday and Saturday, making Sunday the day we fly back home. Travelling with a big squad of athletes is not easy, so it typically involves layovers and absorbs much of the day,” he said. “This forces me to find an abnormal time to get to Mass, but I have not missed one yet.”
Since he does not have his own car while traveling, Gorsich typically takes an “Uber” (rideshare service) to a nearby church with a Sunday Mass time that works with his schedule. “This has called for some early morning Masses before flights, leaving meets early to get to a Saturday night Mass, and even hitting the Newman Center’s 6 p.m. Mass if I get back in time, which is never easy after a long day of travel and a track meet.”
Gorsich said the process of finding Mass times on his own, in unfamiliar places, has been fruitful. “My most prominent memories of past track meets are not those of racing, but those of seeking out the nearest Catholic church, and participating in the beautiful Catholic liturgy in a new church with new people, and a new priest. It’s truly a blessing to be part of such a universal Church.”
For Leinart, his parents’ efforts to balance sports and church helped him gain valuable time management skills. He currently juggles school, work, soccer, social engagements, campus ministry, Mass involvement and an active prayer life at St. Ambrose. “It’s obviously a daunting task,” he admits, but the lessons from childhood empower him to place faith at the top of the roster. “Carving out time for prayer in a busy schedule gives me the rest and peace that I need to get done what needs to get done.”
Resources for parents and athletes:
https://pastoral.center/guc-parent-conversations-series
https://www.masstimes.org
