It’s game on! Once again, it will be priests vs. seminarians dribbling and dunking it out on the basketball court on April 21, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Strake Jesuit Competition Gym at 8900 Bellaire Blvd.  

Last year’s game saw the seminarians triumph, scoring 37 to 22. Poor priests. The priest athletes get older each year, while the seminarians are forever young. Perhaps Fr. Christopher will be able to help the priests’ cause. He played on the seminarians’ team for the last six years, and this will be his first time on the other side as a priest. 

Fr. Richard McNeillie is the director of this crowd-pleasing rematch, which he will cheer on from the sidelines. The Office of Vocational Discernment runs the event through the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

Will This be a Game of Redemption for the Priests Team?

“The priests probably need redemption after losing two years in a row,” Fr. Richard observed with a smile. “Priests need redemption too!”

Adding intrigue and excitement to the event, he teased, “Could one of the coaches lose their job if they lose? Could the seminarians get a taco party if they win?”

How the Annual Competition Began

The annual event began six years ago as a way to further humanize the priesthood and make these holy men more relatable to young people who “hear the calling.”

Multiple religious orders are represented on the priests’ team, known as the Martyrs, but all of the seminarians are from St. Mary’s Seminary.  

Excited spectators typically fill the stands for this annual athletic event.

Tickets are:                                                                             

·      $20 per adult

·      $7 per child (8 and under) 

All proceeds from this annual favorite for the whole family go to St. Mary’s Seminary. Register here for tickets. Come and cheer for your favorites.