As the Vatican celebrates the Jubilee of Sport, the spotlight turns not just to athleticism, but to the profound spiritual and moral values that sports can instill. Among those offering reflections during the weekend’s events is Father Chase Hilgenbrinck once a professional footballer, now a Catholic priest who spoke passionately about how sport and faith are deeply intertwined.
The Jubilee of Sport, being held with great enthusiasm in Vatican City, includes a series of spiritual and communal events culminating in a Holy Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV at St. Peter’s Basilica. The celebration aims to unite athletes, coaches, and enthusiasts under a shared mission: to explore how sports can become a vessel for spiritual growth, resilience, and fraternity.
Father Chase Hilgenbrinck, now serving as Vocation Director for the Diocese of Peoria in Illinois, brings a unique perspective to this conversation. Before answering the call to priesthood, he had a flourishing career as a professional football player both in the United States and South America.
Reflecting on his journey, Fr Chase recalled the passion that surrounded the sport, especially during his time in Latin America. "I had everything I could ask for. People loved the game, and I was living the dream,” he shared. Yet beneath the surface, he began to sense a deeper calling. “God showed me that my athletic path was not the end, but the preparation it was forming me for something greater.”
During his matches, he wore undershirts bearing both his team’s emblem and a scripture verse that became his personal motto: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) For Fr Chase, this wasn’t just a slogan it was a declaration of his reliance on divine strength both on and off the field.
Fr Chase often cites Saint John Paul II, who famously said that sport is a "school of moral values." This insight helped him understand the long-lasting impact of his athletic training. “Being an athlete means constantly practicing virtues like discipline, perseverance, sacrifice, and teamwork,” he explained. “Every day in training or competition offers the opportunity to build character not just physical strength.”
These same virtues, he says, are essential in spiritual life. “Sport didn’t just shape my body; it shaped my soul. It prepared me to live as a priest who seeks holiness and wants to lead others on the same path.”
Fr Chase has made it his mission to continue mentoring youth through faith-based sports initiatives, including Catholic football camps. At these events, he focuses not only on improving athletic skills but also on instilling the moral compass that young people need to thrive in all areas of life.
“Sport can be a bridge to God,” he emphasized. “What you learn in competition honesty, courage, commitment all of it can help you become not just a better player, but a better Catholic, a better Christian, and ultimately, a better human being.”
As the Jubilee of Sport unfolds, voices like Fr Chase’s serve as a reminder that faith and athletics need not exist in separate arenas. Instead, they can fuel each other strengthening both the body and the spirit. In a world searching for integrity and unity, sports, when guided by faith, can become a powerful tool for transformation.