Interview with Fr. Fitzgerald Interview with Fr. Fitzgerald Show Transcript the 2024 Summer Olympics begin on July 26th but that's not the only event bringing athletes from around the world to Paris the holy games initiative Coast by by the Archdiocese of Paris and the French Bishops conference will offer a series of activities running parallel to the Olympic Games and then the paralympic games remind me that was father Joe Fitzgerald pastor of st. William the Abbot will be participating in the Holy games at this summer so thanks so much for being here are you talking about the Holy Games first Italy games is a initiative I brought forth by the Archdiocese of Paris in in The Bishop's Inn in France and it really just kind of sets up the Olympic Games and so if you can only think about like it's a little mini World youth day I still have things in the morning like a tacky Cisco be going to like soup kitchens and for the athletes and the people come the afternoon is going to set up at like soccer games or football as they say over there and then the concert and at night so the whole idea is to prep for the coming of the Olympics in the athletes families are involved and invited to participate obviously can be preparing but also just in general for the for the for the Catholics who will come to Paris for the series the Olympic Village of be set up an improper go for it for the games but there are a number of sites around Paris and I'm on like learning I've been on a couple of Zoom calls back and forth with the folks who are connected with the Archdiocese of each conversation is more oddly Paris is a lot going on it's hot over there the Olympics and then just one door was open after another for great opportunities for eventual see if that's terrific let's go back to your own Olympics is the patient I mean I know you spoke a lot about the types to apologize making you do it again but there's not a lot of priests out there for your participation was like 25 years ago with us 96 Olympic Games in Atlanta in Atlanta Georgia Tech play football team handball European handball so it's like stock with your hands or if you if you ever watch the water polo without the water a lot of contact it's it's less than football more than basket tell us some good movie the boss about the size of a a cantaloupe when you throw it into the goal and breaking I learn to play like in gym class with going up in North Babylon my brother was also on the Olympic team travel to about 50 countries for the sport that no one's ever heard of but for about 10-12 years on the national team and participate in the world championships Pan American games and of course the Olympics 1996 professional sports and religion very very different I think then this kind of stuff because I think Faith fits in better here. At least in my own experience because I think this one openness to the gifts that God has given you it's a big business yet you know yeah that's the video the amateur sport which was initially with you take some and I think that there was a place for it even for me I remember the the the Olympic Village didn't have like a chapel or your place that you can go to kind of break away from the craziness and until you were encouraged to do that like nowadays people use like launchers like meditation and quiet but I prayed and I was like Lord help me 1st Corinthians 619 glorify God with your body so it's been an important part of like the athletic wave at least for me at the time pass on to other people but it was a real a real presence in in London that was the beginnings of these conversations with your cousin in France and Paris and that deck Catholic tradition it really took over the last 4 or 5 years I think my hope and prayer is like you are participating the bishop Berry Vision first of all right to come up with this story than this idea saying hey. You know I'm going to send our own Olympian over there but then the ideas that maybe who knows he's holy games come when the Olympics hit United States again so Bishop barres is the representative CCV for this tight tree which is like a turkey term for a committee in the Vatican for education and culture and one of the area's is like the promotion of sports and so he has been involved with some of these meetings and end and basically said you want to go over there and see what's going on because in four years it's going to be here in Los Angeles how can we model that or how can we prepare things and even just like the conversations back and forth I'm staying in you know a pretty tough place I give you probably think about the hotels at five hundred bucks a night unfortunately I'm still in the rectory of Notre Dame or room for me there to think about any any priests or religious or might be coming over for Los Angeles how can we prepare a place pasta tally for them in that vision of the Holy games and of course I know you think it's an amazing opportunity right like hold of these young athletes coming together and I'm serious with their lives in their study of sport and everything that they do but also been to to highlight and also you do kind of excite the spiritual in them what if it doesn't match right there like the sacrifice you do to food to go to the highest level the same thing as his to self-sacrifice putting all this first that we have in our spiritual journey so I think it's going to be a great match going to help us out cuz you got to do some document to hear this whole trip to Rachel will be able to play some stuff for you to while he's over there are you going to stay for the guy know the games are like long it's like two weeks or so right it is can you stay for that I'm going to stay for about so the so I'll Robin the 18th and if you present The Opening Ceremonies for the I'll meet you down there holy game and I'll stay until August 1st so I am as an Olympian and just so you know you never safe former Olympian like a notice a former Marine but it has an alumni for for the Olympians like this thing set up for us out of the USA house I've been in contact usoc with the Alumni Association a bit actually focus is going to be there as well for thee to eat like evangelizing The Fellowship of Catholic University students to give me some missionaries over there so the hope is really too and I like to get the word out and then in the best sense of the word and that's a great thing I'm at love it. Is it like a big Mass to write this opening that's the 19th the Cardinals are going to be celebrating that and and then all the religious the families some of the athletes will be at all we invited but who might come so it'll be a great great event kicking off into that the holy games and then opening ceremonies of the 26th and by the time I can tell you the we will watch the opening ceremony what they can do a little bit different here I have about four hundred thousand seats on the Seine River so it's not a stadium and the athletes going to come down the river in boats like that's going to be different so you know what's your advice to these Olympians I mean you're going to be with them you're going to be preaching to them formally and informally you've been there you live it what are you bringing the storm is going on and in focus for the events but encouraging to take that time TobyMac said in the morning in French in the afternoon in English I'll be doing a lot of those matches the invitation to come to those churches to those sites there's going to be access to the Olympic Village is 40 chaplains that'll be able to present to go inside there and to pray with them and say hey if you need something this is where you go but stay focus on the one hand and then just seen an invite the Lord into it's noted that God's going to bless them at school with our look at these more of those apps and then like help help I can imagine that's what we all need a little AI in our lives and I think this good time right now but thanks so much for being here for me you'll keep in touch with us right as you go through on this is going to be good thank you