Archbishop Jeffrey S. Grob of Milwaukee and Bishop Gregory Parkes of St. Petersburg, Florida, have placed a friendly wager on the 2026 World Series, with local food, cigars and charitable donations on the line.
If the Milwaukee Brewers win, Bishop Parkes will make a donation to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and send Archbishop Grob a box of his hand-rolled episcopal cigars.
If the Tampa Bay Rays prevail, Archbishop Grob will send brats from Milwaukee’s Bunzel’s Meat Market to Florida, along with a donation to Catholic Charities of St. Petersburg.
“It’s not uncommon for bishops and archbishops to make friendly wagers when their cities’ teams face off in a Super Bowl, World Series or NHL final,” Bishop Parkes said. “We wanted to make the wager not only fun, but meaningful, by including a donation to Catholic Charities.”
Archbishop Grob emphasized that the friendly competition will benefit people in need regardless of the outcome.
“While we’re each cheering for our team to win, the real victory will be helping those in need through our Catholic Charities,” he said. “May this friendly wager remind us that, win or lose, we can all make a difference when we come together in service to others.”
