+JMJ+
It’s the week leading up to THE big game in the NFL, and I wanted to see if you had heard about the Catholic priest who has more Super Bowl rings than Patrick Mahomes.
I’m talking about the late Fr. Peter Armstrong.
The first time I heard about this priest, it was from a diehard NFL buddy of mine, and I figure it’s as good a time as any to pass along the details.
Fr. Armstrong’s story isn’t secret, but it’s not as well known as I guess it could be.
Here’s the meat and potatoes of it directly from Wikipedia:
“In 1977, Armstrong became the chaplain for the 49ers. Two years later, he returned to St. Pius where he served for the next 22 years until retiring in 2001. As both the chaplain for the 49ers and pastor for St. Pius, Armstrong had busy Sundays. If the 49ers were playing at home, he would officiate Mass at 8 am for the team and at 9:30 and 5:30 at his church. If the 49ers had an away game, he traveled with the team.
Armstrong met the owner of the 49ers when he was serving on San Francisco’s Commission on Parks and Recreation. The owner hired Armstrong to serve as the team’s chaplain. From 1977 to at least 2001, Armstrong led Mass before every game the 49ers played. Armstrong flew on the corporate jet and sat in the owner’s box for every game. Bill Walsh said that Armstrong served the 49ers as more than just a priest, but as an adviser and counselor for the whole team regardless of one’s religious beliefs. Walsh credits Armstrong with helping the team succeed.
As the chaplain for the 49ers, Armstrong played a key role in Walsh’s conversion to Catholicism. He baptized Jerry Rice’s children and officiated Joe Montana’s, Dwight Clark’s, and Ronnie Lott’s marriages. As the team’s official chaplain, the 49ers presented him with Super Bowl rings for each of their five championships.”
That’s a cool story, especially the Joe Montana part.
Montana was always my favourite quarterback growing up, and I’ll still rank him a little higher than Tom Brady on my Mount Rushmore…
Hey, it’s my “Mount Rushmore,” not yours, and Joe didn’t have the tuck-rule to help him out …
Plus, he was the QB at Notre Dame back in the day when the school was “less bad” than it is today.
I also think it’s cool that NFL teams give Super Bowl rings to their chaplains.
Maybe one day Patrick Mahomes will win more championship rings than Fr. Armstrong, but the jury is still out on that one …
You never know what’s going to happen, right?
In the meantime, I think it’s good for Catholic entrepreneurs to find Catholic connections in the highly secularized events that dominate our media landscape.
These faith-filled “data points” don’t solemnize these events, not by any means, but they’re good reminders about what’s really important …
You could even call them a “Catholic infiltration” into the mainstream, which we definitely need more of.
And it’s stories like this one that hammer home why it’s always better to work with Catholics when you can find the right mix.
Iron sharpens iron, right?!
Stay holy my friend and God bless.
Vic
The Marketing Trad
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