Photo By Michael Alexander

Conner Whelan, a senior running back at Holy Spirit Preparatory School, Atlanta, joins his teammates and football players and coaches from Blessed Trinity High School, Roswell, and St. Pius X High School, Atlanta, in praying the glorious mysteries of the rosary at St. Jude the Apostle Church, Sandy Springs. Photo By Michael Alexander

SANDY SPRINGS—Nearly 200 jersey-clad football players, coaches and parents from Blessed Trinity High School, Roswell, and Holy Spirit Preparatory School and St. Pius X High School, Atlanta, participated in an Aug. 5 rosary rally at St. Jude the Apostle Church.

Conducted by Father Tim Hepburn, vocations director for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, the evening service included praying the glorious mysteries of the rosary, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction.

Sports Leader of Louisville, Kentucky, a virtue-based mentoring and motivation program for coaches and student athletes founded in 2004, sponsored the rosary rally. The first rosary rally was held in 2014 at The Athenaeum of Ohio-Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Cincinnati, and it drew 440 football players from several different teams.

Since July 19, there have been 14 rosary rallies around the country, and five more are scheduled through Oct. 11. Sports Leader director Lou Judd, who was on hand for the Atlanta rosary rally, contacted Blessed Trinity athletic director Ricky Turner about the rosary rallies in June. Turner then reached out to the Catholic schools in the Atlanta area and all the schools agreed it was a good idea.

St. Pius X High School senior wide receiver and safety Griffin Thomas, foreground, and tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Bob Gilbert, background, pray the rosary with fellow football players and coaches. Sports Leader of Louisville, Ky., a virtue-based mentoring and motivation program for coaches and student athletes, sponsored the Aug. 5 rosary rally. Photo By Michael Alexander

“We are always looking for opportunities for our schools to come together as a Catholic community and what better way than saying the rosary,” said Turner.

Sports Leader provided each player with a rosary and a prayer card of St. Sebastian, the patron saint of athletes. Coaches were also given Matthew Kelly’s book “Rediscovering Catholicism.”

“We hope it becomes a tradition for football teams at the beginning of each season,” said Judd. “It’s an opportunity for teams to pray together for safety, sportsmanship, success, and hopefully they will grow closer to Christ and the Blessed Mother through the beauty of the rosary.”