The gym at Holy Name High School in Parma Heights was filled nearly to capacity on Jan. 26 as Borromeo and Saint Mary seminarians faced off with priests and transitional deacons from around the eight-county Diocese of Cleveland in the annal Priests vs. Seminarians Basketball Game.
A good time was had by all – players and spectators – as the teams showed off their athletic prowess. It was a competitive game, but the seminarians managed to keep the lead the entire time despite some scoring surges by the priests. Final score was 51-43.
Top scorers for the priests team were Father Cameron Popik, parochial vicar at St. Hilary Parish in Fairlawn, and Deacon Anthony Donatelli, Saint Mary Seminary, who had 10 points and nine points, respectively. On the seminarians side, Daniel Liberatore and Chris Yankay, both from Borromeo Seminary, scored 15 and 10 points, respectively.
(See photo gallery above.)
Coaches were Father Kevin Bertleff from the Diocese of Youngstown (who did his formation in Cleveland) for the priests and Bryan Liberatore, brother of seminarian Daniel Liberatore.
In addition to Father Popik and Deacon Donatelli, the priests’ roster included Deacon Chris Cotone, Saint Mary Seminary; Father Jim Winings, St. Raphael Parish, Bay Village; Father Dave Domanski, OFM Cap, Holy Spirit Parish, Garfield Heights; Deacon Jon Hawkins, Saint Mary Seminary; Father Dominic Gideon, St. Albert the Great Parish, North Royalton; Father Matt Byrne, St, John Bosco Parish, Parma Heights; Father Ian Kelly, St. John Vianney Parish, Mentor; Father Damian Ference, vicar for evangelization; Father David Stavarz, Holy Family Parish, Parma; Father Eric Garris, vocation director; Father Mike McCandless, Holy Family Parish, Stow; Father Steve Flynn, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Gates Mills; and Father Michael Marcelli, St. Sebastian Parish, Akron.
Rounding out the seminarians’ roster were Sean Neville, Chris Villarreal, Billy Reed, Josh Stecz, Johannes Benninghoff and Chuck Cairnie from Saint Mary Seminary and Borromeo seminarians Nate Menkhaus, Matt Wasinski and Thomas Byrne.
Bishop Edward Malesic, who returned from a pilgrimage to Italy two days earlier, attended the game to offer moral and spiritual support to both teams.
“Thank you all for being here,” he told the crowd. “It’s great to support our priests, deacons and seminarians here at this game, but it’s also important to support them at their parishes and through prayer,” he added. The bishop also offered a closing prayer and blessing.
Father Garris reminded attendees that they should be open minded and receptive to God’s plan for them, no matter what it is – priesthood, religious life, married life, single life, etc. He encouraged any young man who might feel a calling to the priesthood to contact him to open a dialogue.
The game included a half-court free throw shooting contest at halftime with winners receiving seminary swag. There also was a 50/50 drawing.
Beneficiary of the event – including proceeds from the suggested $2 donation at the door – was the Cleveland Foster Care Closet, a volunteer-operated nonprofit on the Cleveland’s West Side that provides Cleveland children experiencing foster care with what they need, when they need it, for free.
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