MOSAIC Spring 2017 | Page 21

Seminarians Emiljan Ukaj, left, James Bird, and Corey Baumgart- ner compete in a running event at the second annual track meet. A WINNING SEASON The Sacred Heart Lions, coached by Fr. Ryan Ford, finished with a record of 9-5, tying for fifth place at the Mundelein Seminary Tour- nament and coming in second place at the Josephinum Seminary Tournament. The Lions are grateful for all of the support that has come from the benefactors, brother seminarians, staff, faculty, and alumni of Sacred Heart. They look forward with great optimism to the beginning of a new season in the fall of 2017. S TARTI N G N EW TR ADI TI ON S B ASKETBALL IS NOT THE ONLY TEAM SPORT the seminarians engage in. In the autumn, the men field a soccer team and organize a track meet. Who are their competitors? They are members of the archdiocesan presbyterate—and some of priests are even the seminarians’ formators! First-year coach and resident priest Fr. Ryan Ford gives pointers during a break against Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Minnesota. Waiting for an in-bound pass are Colin Fricke, left, Corey Baumgartner, and Jared Holzhuter. In our humanity, we can get competitive, angry, excited . . . yet when we return to prayer after each game, we as a team bring ourselves back to the necessary reminder that the game that we play isn’t about us. As all things are, the game of basketball is yet another gift from God. We bless him whether we win or lose. To live out that ideal as a team takes humility, and it takes practice. Right before a recent game, a brother spoke up to the team. “I was praying about the game this morning, and the Lord reminded me that the only thing we should be focus- ing on is him. We have an audience of One, guys.” And so, with our audience of One in mind, we play. Matthew Wagner is a second-year theologian from the Diocese of Winona. Running for Fun Seminarians and resident priests competed against each other in a spirit of fellowship and fun at the seminary’s second annual track meet. The new Bishop Walter J. Schoenherr running track was the site of the September 24 event, with twenty seminarian runners from eight different dioceses participating in the various running competitions. “Running is just a great way to stay in shape and to get out with your brothers,” says David Kruse, a Diocese of Winona seminarian. “It’s great that we have all kinds of different avenues to help us grow in our physical fitness, such as the track, the gym, and the athletic field.” David also ran in two triathlons this past summer. Detroit seminarian John Carlin organized the track meet, and he hopes the tradition continues. “We even have some of the priests who like to run come out and participate. We had Monsignor Laji- ness out there, and Fr. Ryan Ford [Diocese of Marquette] was one of the first ones to contact me about getting involved. “It really is a lot of fun for the whole seminary community.” “Old and Tired”? On a beautiful fall afternoon, seminarians and priests came togeth- er on October 14 for the first annual Priests vs. Seminarians soccer match. Alumni, professors, and spiritual directors, as well as priests from around the Archdiocese of Detroit, surrounding dioceses, and the Chaldean Eparchy joined forces to take on the seminarians. Seminarians Deacon Jared Holzhuter (Diocese of Madison) and Fadie Gorgies (Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle) led the seminarian team to victory on and off the field. Deacon Holzhuter, who has played soccer for most of his life, played goalie for the semi- narians during the first half of the game, and he co-coached the team from the sidelines during the second half. When asked what the key to the seminarians’ success was, Deacon Holzhuter said jokingly, “The priests were old and tired.” Sacred Heart alumnus Fr. Dominic Macioce organized the match, bringing with him fifteen priests to compete against the seminarians. Despite the priests coming up short in the first annual game, 4-2, Fa- ther Macioce states, “I’m glad we could come together and compete with each other. Hopefully we can make it a yearly event.” shms.edu 19