At the center jump ball to start the annual alumni priests versus seminarians basketball game Feb. 24 at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Fr. Mark Prill uttered that plea.
Was he praying for a victory? Those have been few and far between for the clergy, although no one knows for sure. Statistics aren’t important when you’re having fun.
Fr. Jim Kean, pastor of St. Damian of Molokai Parish in Pontiac, thinks the series has gone on for 15 years. Msgr. Jeffery Monforton, who is leaving his post as rector of the seminary May 5 to become pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Rochester Hills, thinks the rivalry began in 1989, but the “annual” series hasn’t always been played annually.
Fr. Kean believes the priests have won once. Fr. Prill says, “Make it two.”
You get the drift.
It seems more likely Fr. Prill, associate pastor of St. John Neumann in Canton, where he coaches the seventh- and eighth-grade girls CYO team, was praying for a miracle — and for survival.
Across the way, Fr. John McDermott, who teaches dogmatic theology and scripture at Sacred Heart, knows his numbers: in his third year as coach of the seminarians, the squad had a 12-4 record in a pair of recent weekend tournaments.
But the priests weren’t shying away from some trash talk. Fr. Bernardo Cruz, associate pastor at St. Damian, predicted: “The seminary always wins, but not today.” He added: “I’ve never played basketball.”
Fr. Ryan Ford came all the way from Marquette, where he is associate pastor of St. Peter’s Cathedral. “We’ll be competitive. It’s youth versus wisdom,” he said.
Second-year seminarian Jim Rolph called Fr. Ford a “turncoat” along with Fr. Nick Thompson and Fr. Steve Pullis, an associate at St. Joseph, Lake Orion, who were all ordained last year and had played for the seminary team that demolished the priests’ squad by 40-plus points a year ago.
It was apparent after the first two or three times up and down the court that conditioning — or the lack of it — was going to be a concern. “Priests don’t have time to practice,” Fr. Prill said.
The priests’ bench had 12 players; the seminary had its full complement of 19. Substitutions were frequent on the clergy side. The seminarians didn’t call a timeout until three minutes left to play in the game.
Fr. Thompson he had been a wide receiver on Central Michigan University’s football team and a coach at Saginaw Valley State University for a summer until deciding to pursue the priesthood.
“I couldn’t resist the tug in my heart. It was too strong,” Fr. Thompson, now campus chaplain at Northern Michigan, said of his vocation. “Seven months a priest, and I’m out of shape.”
Sacred Heart’s new rector-designate, Msgr. Todd Lajiness, displayed enthusiasm. He said it was exciting to see the priests “keep the tradition (of the annual game)” and that it portrayed “a healthy aspect of the priesthood… a great fraternity.”
When the horn sounded to end the game and the score, 59-35, favored the seminarians, Fr. Prill found consolation: “This is the closest the score has been in a few years.”
Then he added: “I wonder if Michael Jordan wants to be a priest.”
Also playing were Fr. John Linden, director of seminarians for the Lansing Diocese; Fr. Eric Weber, a member of the Sacred Heart faculty; Fr. Robb Jurkovich, pastor of Resurrection Parish in Menominee; Fr. Tim Laboe, graduate studies in Rome; and Fr. Chris Coman, administrator of Resurrection, Standish.
