The Our Lady of Perpetual Help Celestial girls team and the St. George Longhorns boys team captured the Diocese of Corpus Christi Office of Youth Ministry basketball tournament for area high school youth groups on June 7 held at Blessed John Paul II High School. The winners won a prize of $500 for their parish’s youth program.
Six parish teams, including Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Joseph and St. Paul the Apostle from Corpus Christi, St. Michael the Archangel in Banquete, St. George in George West and St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus from Premont, participated.
The tournament, named King of the Courts, focused on healthy competition in a Christian environment, and stressed the importance of glorifying God through one’s gifts and talents, Youth Ministry Director Jaime Reyna said. This was reflected in the bible verse selected as the theme of the event; “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Col. 3:17)
Reyna worked with David Mirabel, an adult youth leader at St. Joseph’s Parish, to combine sports with spirituality in order to reach the youth of the diocese on a level they can relate to and enjoy. The focus of the event was to combat the popular “win-or-die” attitude, Reyna said, allowing youth to strike a balance between competition and sportsmanship.
While the numbers were small, the athletes and spectators had a great time, Reyna said. The diocese plans to continue the tournament and open it up to middle school students next year in hopes of getting more participation from parishes in and surrounding Corpus Christi. The youth office also plans branching out to other sports in order to attract more youth.
The event began with a blessing from Father Angel Montana, JCL of St. Joseph’s Parish, and the players paused for a special moment of prayer at noon for the victims of the Oklahoma storms. As the event wrapped up and medals were presented, the group paused for prayer one final time, highlighting the importance of Christian-like attitudes during sports.