Faith, Fellowship, and Basketball

Last weekend our very own CSC basketball team, the “Sons of Thunder,” traveled to Mundelein Seminary to compete in their annual Fr. Pat O’Malley Invitational.

The Sons of Thunder struck the first blow when Friday evening found the team facing off against the “Texas Longhorns”—a combined team from St. Mary’s Seminary, Holy Trinity Seminary, and Assumption Seminary. In a nail-biter finale, our players performed at the top of their game, pulling off an exciting 37-32 overtime win.

“…SONS OF THUNDER! SONS OF THUNDER! Thunder GO BOOM!” The CSC cheer squad chanted from the sidelines when, in round two, the team went toe to toe with Kenrick–Glennon Seminary (St. Louis, MO). Though trailing late in the second half, the team answered shot after shot. In the final few minutes, Jake Lubbers of the Diocese of Wichita, KS made a few smooth back-to-back three-pointers, bringing the Sons of Thunder within four points of the opposing team. Despite the team’s honorable effort, their final rally wasn’t enough to tip the scales. In the end, the team lost their second game 31-40.

But the Sons of Thunder weren’t done yet. In a final game, the team went up against the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary (Winona, MN). With an utterly electric performance, the team left their last opponent thunderstruck. A score of 23-19 marked the scoreboards when the clock finally struck zero. Once again, the Sons of Thunder came out on top.

Ultimately, win or lose, the tournament was an opportunity for faithful fellowship and authentic sportsmanship among brother seminarians, priests, friends, and family. And not only was the weekend full of fun and games, it was also graced with prayer and the celebration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. At the end of each game the opposing teams gathered together in prayer, kneeling in unity to give thanks to God. “I’ve participated in the Mundelein basketball tournament for three years now and it has always been one of the highlights of the year,” comments Hayden Charles, a seminarian for the Diocese of Wichita, KS.

“The time spent with the Conception guys in 16 plus total hours of car rides, in games on the court, and on trips to the big city have made for incredible memories and the growth of amazing friendships,” Mr. Charles continues. “The tournament has also provided a chance to witness the strength of the Church’s future in meeting guys from seminaries all over the Midwest. The hard work we put in as a team, whether we do well at the tournament or not, is definitely worth the overall experience the tournament provides.”

On Saturday evening, the CSC seminarians took a train into Chicago for a night in the city. The evening was filled with sightseeing, conversation, and… deep-dish pizza! The team and cheer squad made their way around the city to enjoy the many attractions: from ice-cold lake Michigan, to the iconic Cloud Gate in Millennium Park, to the Hancock Center’s Tilt attraction, and back again.

In the end, faith, fellowship, and basketball marked this trip to Mundelein and Chicago. The Sons of Thunder played with heart and left it all on the court. Though perhaps physically tired, our seminarians returned home Sunday evening, grateful for safe travels and for the opportunity to play ball at Mundelein. Seminarian Ziggy Gross of the Diocese of Green Bay had this to say about his experience:

“It was awesome playing basketball at Mundelein for two reasons: taking on seminarian brothers in a competitive game of hoops, but more impressively was the atmosphere of being surrounded by seminarians from all across America!” He goes on to add, “To pray with all of them, especially in the Eucharist was a special moment in my mind.”

The CSC seminarians extend their thanks to Mundelein for hosting the event.