A couple weeks ago this
world lost two prominent Catholics, both Italian-Americans well-known for their
involvement in broadcasting, and both with Franciscan connections. The first,
of course, is EWTN founder and Franciscan nun Mother Angelica. Few
Catholics below the rank of Pope have had quite so profound a impact in the Catholic world over the past century. Her influence has spread in ever-expanding ripples since
the founding of her Catholic television station in 1981. Thanks to Mother
Angelica there are people who have been brought into the Church or back to the practice
of the Faith through EWTN; there are Catholics formed by watching, listening
to, or working for EWTN who have gone on to people the amazing evangelization and
apologetics industry that has sprouted up over the past four decades, and has
become something of a movement; there are all the people, Catholic or not,
affected by the witness of those whose faith has been nourished by that
movement, and . . . well, it goes on and on.
Mother Angelica |
Mother’s life story is an inspiration all its own.
One can’t help but admire her determination to rise above a troubled
childhood, and after that a debilitating injury as a young religious sister, to
establish a convent in the deep south, and to create a vibrant Catholic media
empire, sustained throughout by an unfailing love for Jesus Christ. In her last
years she offered another, deeper, kind of witness when, like St. John Paul II,
she was a living reflection of Christ’s Paschal suffering (interesting that Mother died on Easter Sunday, and John Paul the Great on the
Second Sunday of the Octave of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday). She suffered
intensely after a pair of strokes fifteen years ago, with very limited powers
of speech and a host of other related ailments. She did not, however, let
her increasing pain and discomfort discourage her. Instead, according to
EWTN chaplain Joseph Wolfe:
Mother Angelica had instructed her nuns to do everything to keep her
alive, no matter how much she suffered, because every day she suffered, she
suffered for God. [full article here]
I expect that there will be a cause for her
canonization opened soon, and it will not be surprising if Saint Angelica
of Irondale finds her way onto the Liturgical Calendar in due time.
A young Joe Garaglio (r.), with childhood neighbor and life-long friend friend Yogi Berra (l.) |
We will probably never see a cause for
the canonization of long-time sports announcer Joe Garagiola, however, who died
four days before Mother Angelica, on the Wednesday of Holy Week. Joe was not a Catholic broadcaster, like Mother Angelica, but a broadcaster who happened to be Catholic. In fact,
although he was a lifelong, faithful Catholic, he would probably be intensely
embarrassed by any discussion of his personal sanctity. Despite his celebrity he was a humble man, always speaking very dismissively, for instance, about his
tenure as a catcher in major league baseball. The truth is that, although he wasn’t a
Hall of Fame player, his career wasn’t without its highlights: he batted
.257 in 676 games over eight seasons, which is quite respectable for a catcher,
and in 1946, his rookie season, outhit the great Ted Williams in the World
Series (the only Series for both of them).
It wasn’t until his playing days were over that Joe Garagiola
really made a name for himself, as a talker (which did get him into the Hall of
Fame). He was a five-tool player in the broadcast booth: he started with
an extensive knowledge of the game, experience playing at the highest level,
and a knack for telling a story; in addition to those, his personal warmth and
generous spirit kept him on the air for more than half a century, mostly in
sports, but also for stints on various talk programs and game shows.
As it turns out, that warmth and generosity welled up from a
deep source: Garagiola was a man of deep faith, as detailed [here] in a recent story at
CatholicPhilly.com. He always
carried a rosary in his pocket, had a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother and,
for the last quarter century of his life, poured a veritable flood of time,
money, and love into the St. Peter Mission
School in the Gila River Indian Community near Phoenix, Arizona. The
Franciscan nuns who run the school are among his most fervent fans:
“He was one of the best people I have ever met. There was no limit to
his generosity,” said its principal, Sister Martha Mary Carpenter, who
estimates that Garagiola was responsible for bringing hundreds of thousands of
dollars into the school.
Indeed, Garagiola was a tireless fundraiser for
St. Peter's, and was instrumental in financing and promoting a long list of
improvements and additions to the school’s facilities. He did more for St.
Peter’s than just give money, however: he gave himself. The former Major
League catcher and broadcaster was constantly promoting the school.
According to Sister Martha Mary, “Joe couldn’t talk to people for more than five
minutes without talking about the mission. … He will be with us in spirit for a
very long time.” A frequent visitor to St. Peter’s, he had often been
with them in more than spirit, taking an intense interest not just in the
institution, but in the children it serves. Sr. Martha Mary is proud to
point out that
St. Peter’s schoolchildren still recite “Joe’s Prayer” twice each day.
Garagiola himself taught them the short invocation: “Teach us O Lord, that
every day, down every street, come chances to be God’s hands and feet.”
Garagiola at St. Peter Mission School in 2005 (photo: The Republic) |
Before I go any further,
let me make it clear that I am not advocating a cause for the canonization of
Joe Garagiola, nor putting his personal sanctity on a par with Mother Angelica’s,
or anyone else’s. The spiritual
superstars who join the official canon will always be a very small and select
group. At the same time, all believing Christians hope to spend their eternity in
Heaven, in the Presence of God, which is precisely to become a saint. I suspect that, celebrity notwithstanding, most of us are more like Joe Garagiola than we are like Mother Angelica. Like most of us, Garagiola spent most of his
time and effort on things that had little explicit connection to the Catholic
Faith. As he was living out in The World,
however, he was always open, “every day, down every street”, to the possibility
of living out Christ’s love. The Great Saints show us how far we fallible
creatures can rise, the little saints (a loving grandmother, a supportive coach
or teacher, or a kind and generous old sportscaster) can teach us some of the
first steps on the way. I’m adding “Joe’s
Prayer” to my store of devotions.
It's fitting that we pray for the souls of these two Catholics who have come into our homes so often through television, along with the souls of others who have died. Who knows? Some day, maybe soon, Mother Angelica and Brother Joe may be praying for us before the Throne of God.
(See also "Feed My Sheep" at Principium Et Finis)
It's fitting that we pray for the souls of these two Catholics who have come into our homes so often through television, along with the souls of others who have died. Who knows? Some day, maybe soon, Mother Angelica and Brother Joe may be praying for us before the Throne of God.
(See also "Feed My Sheep" at Principium Et Finis)
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