Angels in the Outfield...

Oakland A's recruit

hangs up jersey

to don habit

Oakland, Calif., Jan 25, 2010 / 04:18 pm (CNA).- Last Friday, 23-year-old Grant Desme, a minor league baseball player and top prospect for the Oakland A's, announced he was retiring from the sport to pursue the higher calling of the priesthood. According to the Norbertine Fathers' vocations director, Desme chose the order because of its religious life and its educational and liturgical orthodoxy.

The A's noted recruit plans to begin his seminary studies at St. Michael's Abbey in Silverado,Calif. this coming Fall.

..........

Desme announced his decision to leave minor league baseball on Friday and told reporters in a news conference that he is “doing well in baseball,” however, “I had to get down to the bottom of things, to what was good in my life, what I wanted to do with my life. Baseball was a good thing, but that felt selfish of me when I felt that God was calling me more.”

.....

Oakland A's eighth-best prospect by Baseball  America after hitting a .288 batting average with 39 home runs and 89 RBI's. He was also just named MVP of the Arizona Fall League.

.....

 

Speaking to MLB.com, Desme added, "I want to give my life completely to God out of love because of everything He's done for me. Something like this is even very little compared to what He's done for me."

 

When asked why Desme chose their monastic community, Fr. Criste said that Desme was attracted to “the religious life that we live here” as well as “the orthodoxy of both of our education and of our liturgical life.” 

For the full story see: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/utiles/myprint/print.php

Comments

[Sam]

Too bad he did not choose the Jesuits. Baseball would have been a fertile background for great homilies. Also a nice connection to young people. Hope monastic life works out OK for him. Sounds like a fine person.

[Wendy]

Congrats to Grant, and let's hope many people follow his example: I remember Pope John Paul's first words after his election: Open the door to Christ! Don't be afraid!
All the best!
Wendy

To Maximus: I tried to send this to your email, but it returned a message of "full mailbox, not accepting mail"...

Hi, Maximus,
Congratulations on your RomanCatholicBlog: It's great!
I wanted to let you know that I'm a moderator @ www.opusdeitoday.org, the English language version of www.opusdeialdia.org. The owner of this latter is also running http://catinfor.com, and is at present preparing an English language version of it, which should be up and running soon.
You might consider including these sites / blogs / information in your list of Catholic blogs.
All the best!
Wendy