In George West, ‘Friday Night Lights’ begin with Friday morning Mass

Father Romeo Salinas celebrates a Friday morning Mass. The pews were filled with football players, coaches, cheerleaders, mascots, parents, and the superintendent.

Kathy Campbell | for STC

In South Texas, fall means football, and football means “Friday Night Lights.” This year in George West “Friday Night Lights” begins with Friday morning Mass at St. George Parish, which was usually held in a small chapel adjacent to the main sanctuary and attended by anywhere from six to 10 parishioners.  

On Friday, Aug. 30, the George West Longhorn football team and coaches pleasantly surprised the regular worshipers. Their unexpected arrival filled the small chapel to overflowing.  

It was standing room only during Mass at the small chapel. Father Romeo Salinas, pastor at St. George Parish, decided to move the following Friday morning Mass to the main church.

In George West, like most small towns, word spreads fast, and attendance at the Friday morning Mass grew each week. Players, coaches, cheerleaders, mascots, parents, and the superintendent began attending the Friday Mass.

Several ladies in the parish decided to serve breakfast tacos and juice in front of the church steps after Mass. The church became the starting place for “Friday Night Lights” in George West each week.

It all started a year earlier when a few Longhorn football team members had a conversation with a member of the East Bernard state champion team. They asked him how they did it, and he replied, “We decided as a team to win. We became a close-knit group and did everything together. We practiced together, we played together, we ate together, we prayed together, and we even went to church together.” 

That struck a chord with a few of the Longhorns, so they began attending morning Mass each Friday. Anywhere from two to six members of the team showed up at 7 a.m. every Friday during the 2018 football season.  

Fast forward to August 2019, when one of the Catholic coaches invited all the team to attend the Friday morning Mass before the first game of the season. He told the boys that attendance was voluntary, and anyone could attend. The team and other coaches responded to his suggestion and began showing up to Mass every Friday morning.

People often say that high school football is a religion in Texas. In George West, religion is part of high school football where Friday morning Mass kicks off “Friday Night Lights.”   
 

After winning district on Nov. 22 the George West Longhorn football team takes a celebratory photo with Father Salinas, pastor of St. George Parish. The team had 12 wins and 1 loss in the regional semifinals. Some of the players pictured with Father Salinas in the back row, from left, are Brenden Henicke, Joseph Tidwell, Coltan Orr, Caleb Vickery, Rory Campbell and Logan Carroll. In the front row, from left, are Gauge Lewis, CJ Arciba, Father Salinas, Kathy Campbell, Jared Zuniga, Hunter Freeman and Thomas Gentry. Contributed photo