• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Father Joseph Fitzgerald, pastor of St. William the Abbot Church in Seaford, N.Y., elevates the chalice during Mass at his parish Jan. 27, 2021. The former Olympian, who served as chaplain at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, told OSV News the Catholic Church in the U.S. needs to prepare now to evangelize the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. (OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

Olympics chaplain calls on Catholics to get ready to evangelize at L.A.’s 2028 games

August 24, 2024
By Gina Christian
OSV News
Filed Under: News, Olympics, World News

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

With Los Angeles set to host the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028, the Catholic Church in the U.S. is “in the quad” — a four-year-period of training between the global competitions — to hone its evangelization game, a priest and former Olympian told OSV News.

“Let’s spiritually respond, pray and have a presence; let’s be on every corner (in Los Angeles) so that if someone is looking for a connection with God, we’re there,” said Father Joseph Fitzgerald, pastor of St. William the Abbot in Seaford, N.Y., and former vocations director for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y.

Father Joseph Fitzgerald, now-pastor of St. William the Abbot Church in Seaford, N.Y., is pictured when he was a member of the U.S. national handball team in 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. (OSV News photo/courtesy Father Joe Fitzgerald/U.S. Olympic Committee)

Father Fitzgerald spoke with OSV News shortly after serving as a chaplain at both the Paris games and the Holy Games, the Catholic Church in France’s Olympic-related initiative. During both events, he sported not only his “clerical blacks,” but his credentials as a past Olympian, having played on the U.S. handball team in 1996.

That combination “opened doors” for moments of encounter and witness, he said.

“People would come up to me and say, ‘All right, you got the (clerical) collar on and (the credential). Is that a costume?'” Father Fitzgerald recalled. “And I’m like, ‘No, I’m an Olympian from 1996 and I’m a priest.’ Those conversations were gold; it was awesome: ‘Hey, Father, how can I celebrate the sacraments? Is there a Mass? Where can we go?’ So there was a really great openness.”

Father Fitzgerald admitted he was surprised by the scope of the Catholic outreach at the Paris games, particularly the Holy Games.

“It was really incredible. The whole mission was so much bigger than I thought it would be,” he said. “They got about a thousand tickets for the games and gave them to persons with special needs, kids in wheelchairs, homeless families. I’d thought I’d maybe hear a couple of confessions and go watch a couple of games, and here I’m handing out croissants and coffee after Mass to homeless families. And then we’re playing pingpong and tug of war, and I got to interact with them (in a way that) really had nothing to do with the Olympics — although of course I was certainly attentive to the Olympic athletes and their coaches and their families. But it was more like following the Gospel under the umbrella of the Holy Games. I was blown away.”

The 2028 games promise to be “a great opportunity” to “use all of our resources” in spreading the faith, especially given the spiritual power boost offered by the recent 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, said Father Fitzgerald — but it will take hard work and preparation, he stressed.

“Many of the pastors in the Archdiocese of Paris were all in. They wanted their parishes to be Holy Games parishes where people could come and pray and participate,” he said. “And that’s what’s going to have to happen to make for a similar experience in Los Angeles. So it’s going to take a real effort, and not just on the part of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.”

Partnerships with Catholic churches and ministries, at both the local and national level, as well as “financial, volunteer and resource investments” will be critical for spiritually staffing the games, the priest said.

Having “point people on the ground,” while ensuring sufficient clergy coverage amid summer vacations, will also be key, he added.

Father Fitzgerald said he was preparing a report on his experiences at the Paris games for Rockville Center’s Bishop John O. Barres, who may share the findings with fellow bishops.

Ultimately, said Father Fitzgerald, “we’re not striving for earthly goals, but for heaven.”

Read More Olympics

In spirit of giving back to community, Maryland Olympian visits Catholic center for moms, children

Olympic bell will ring inside newly rebuilt Notre Dame Cathedral during every Mass

The world says ‘jump!’; Jesus says otherwise

As Paris wraps Olympics with pride, bishop says church’s Holy Games equally successful

Faith helps Olympic weightlifter from Indiana take an unexpected path to Paris

Olympian alumnae trio from Maryland Catholic high school makes swimming history in Paris

Copyright © 2024 OSV News

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Gina Christian

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Religious sisters played role in pope’s formation in grade school, N.J. province discovers

  • With an Augustinian in chair of St. Peter, order sees growing interest in vocations

  • Babe Ruth’s legacy continues to grace Archdiocese of Baltimore

  • The Spirit leads – and Father Romano follows – to Mount St. Mary’s 

  • Communicate hope with gentleness

| Latest Local News |

Radio Interview: Dominican sister at Mount de Sales shares faith journey from astrophysics to religious life

Mount de Sales Dominican sister shares journey after pursuing science, finding faith 

Words spell success for archdiocesan students

Maryland bishops call for ‘prophetic voice’ in  pastoral letter on AI

Babe Ruth’s legacy continues to grace Archdiocese of Baltimore

| Latest World News |

AI offers opportunities, but should be governed by ethical policy framework, bishops say

L.A. archbishop calls for prayer, restraint, immigration law reform amid ICE protests

Father Rupnik’s mosaics disappear from Vatican News

Serve the Holy See by striving for holiness, pope tells officials, staff

God’s love breaks down walls, opens borders, dispels hatred, pope says

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • AI offers opportunities, but should be governed by ethical policy framework, bishops say
  • L.A. archbishop calls for prayer, restraint, immigration law reform amid ICE protests
  • Father Rupnik’s mosaics disappear from Vatican News
  • Serve the Holy See by striving for holiness, pope tells officials, staff
  • Radio Interview: Dominican sister at Mount de Sales shares faith journey from astrophysics to religious life
  • God’s love breaks down walls, opens borders, dispels hatred, pope says
  • Asking for human life and dignity protections in the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’
  • Washington Archdiocese announces layoffs, spending cuts, restructuring
  • Washington state bishops ask court to block mandatory reporter law without Catholic confession protections

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en