The best thing I saw on the internet this week came out of Chicago, where a sellout crowd of White Sox fans in papal miters turned to the people beside them, extended their hands, and exchanged the Sign of Peace.
Father Tom Hurley, who led Chicago’s famous Old St. Patrick’s Church for nearly fifteen years, and the comedian Pat McGann led the semi-liturgical rite from the stands, and the crowd (strangers included) took it up without a trace of discomfort.
Clips of the moment went viral on social media almost immediately. By this morning, a sold-out American ballpark exchanging the ancient Catholic liturgical rite had become the rare thing the whole internet agreed to love.
I immediately recognized the priest. For a short time during the 2012 campaign, when I worked in Chicago for President Obama’s re-election, I was a Sunday regular at Old St. Pat’s, but I never expected to see him on SportsCenter.
A few weeks ago, I received an invitation to the game. Professional and personal responsibilities kept me away from Chicago. At the time, declining the invitation felt like the responsible choice. In retrospect, I definitely missed out on a night that clearly meant a great deal to the ballclub and its city, and, judging by how far the clips traveled on social media, to a nation starved for exactly this moment.
Let’s travel back a bit to understand the history behind this decision to do a Sign of Peace during a baseball game.
It all starts with the first few minutes of Leo XIV’s pontificate.
