First two things to celebrate today: 1. The Packers are in the Super Bowl. 2. It’s the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of the Catholic press.
No reports of anyone making a liturgical link to yesterday’s game, but look for Catholic institutions to get into the spirit of Super Bowl XLV by the weekend of Feb. 5-6. And I’m not talking about only those in Wisconsin. During the Steelers’ Super Bowl years in the ’70s, we regularly saw photos of clergy wearing Steeler stoles at liturgical celebrations. Yeah, I know, it was the ’70s. They don’t do that stuff anymore. Then again…
Speaking of yesterday’s game, one would think Jay Cutler’s number was 666 instead of 6 given the skewering he is taking from “fans” on sports radio and other media. His performance, of course, paled in comparison to that of Caleb Hanie. I don’t recall there ever being an NFL QB named Caleb. Nice Old Testament name that means, among other things, “whole hearted.” An appropriate description for the manner in which he played.
Church-wise, there are a couple of Pittsburgh-Green Bay connections for the Super Bowl. Cardinal Adam J. Maida, a priest of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, served as bishop of Green Bay for six years before becoming archbishop of Detroit. He has Steelers’ season tickets. Current Pittsburgh Bishop David A. Zubik, also a priest of that diocese, served as bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay for four years.
Oh, one more reason to celebrate today: It’s Neil Diamond’s 70th birthday. Time for a little sing-along http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLPiYZrwAzU.
Stay warm!
