A hulking offensive lineman who harmoniously sings the Divine Mercy Chaplet. A former MLB captain and all-star totally inflamed with the passion of Christ. A soccer player who gave up work in the MLS to become a priest. This is just a taste of the bevy of remarkable men that I had the privilege of sharing time and space with last week at the 9^th Annual Catholic Athletes for Christ Retreat at Serra Retreat Center in Malibu, California.

The retreat was centered on the theme of the upcoming Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis. It featured consistent prayer and reflection, as well as a constant flow of bewildering ideas and testimony from the many speakers in attendance, one of whom was a former linebacker from Kent State University, Eric Mahl.

Eric had a tremendous career for Kent State and eventually found his way into the NFL, playing for the Cleveland Browns. Speaking with him however, you would never know any of this history because he is instead fully committed to a new purpose: serving the poor. His amazing story of forgoing material things in this world to serve the poorest of the poor in places like Gallup, New Mexico or the Bronx, New York was absolutely memorable.

The outstanding men in attendance and the quality of the time shared speaks volumes of the ministry that Catholic Athletes for Christ provides for the athletic faithful. Ray McKenna and Kevin O’Malley served as the main organizers of the event and witness to the growth of the ministry through a various number of ways. Through the presence of sports chaplains that represent organizations such as the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres and Green Bay Packers, it is clear that CAC has made wonderful headway in celebrating the Catholic faith in the clubhouses and locker rooms of our nation’s top athletic organizations.

Amazingly, due to the work of CAC, all but five teams in Major League Baseball provide the opportunity for mass to be held for players and team personnel. The vibrancy of this work was seen and felt firsthand as current and former players converged on Serra Retreat to share in this fellowship.

It was an honor for the Institute for Sport, Spirituality and Character Development to share in these great moments of praise and thanksgiving. Even though many men of different ages, backgrounds and sporting careers entered the retreat, it was clear that our Catholic identity and willingness to discern the work of mercy in the world unified the group in a beautiful way.