Holy Family annual tradition unites faith and sport

A mile away from their regular place of worship, over 20 parishioners from Holy Family parish in Anchorage gathered around a young Dominican friar atop the snow-littered ice. 

After reading aloud a passage from 1 Corinthians about the “imperishable crown” awarded believers, Br. Anthony Martin, O.P., a visiting 26-year-old student brother more experienced on running trails than skating rinks, spoke of the connection between sport and spirituality.

“I really like that passage from Corinthians about athletics and sports, because it shows the spiritual life: it’s not easy, you know. It takes effort,” Br. Martin said.

Br. Martin was joined at the game by Fr. James Moore, O.P., and Fr. Matthew Heynen, O.P. “Any experience we have here on the ice, you can take that into your own spiritual life,” Br. Martin said.

Parishioners sit, waiting to play. (Courtesy of Nolin Ainsworth)

So began the parish’s fourth annual pond hockey game on a sunny February morning at Westchester Lagoon, which featured a round-robin tournament. Teams USA, Canada, and Russia played, along with a team called the “Vatican Knights,” who went on to defeat Team Canada in the gold medal game on an overtime goal.

The President’s Day hockey game was started in 2013 by Br. Cassian Smyth, O.P. — now Daniel Smyth, a lay member of the parish. 

“I think it’s good for our Christian fellowship, our community, for us to have good leisure time with the Lord’s gifts and with one another,” Smyth, 34, said. “This tends to coincide with the Olympic season, so we try to make it multinational, and we try to represent all the countries who are here. So we’ve got Russia, we’ve got Americans, we’ve got Canadians.” Smyth was the only Canadian on Team Canada. Team Russia comprised several Russian parishioners as well as their non-parishioner friends.

Three of the four teams’ flags wave in the breeze during the game. (Courtesy of Levi Livengood)

In a phone interview, Bishop of Fairbanks Steven Maekawa, O.P., who was pastor of Holy Family when the hockey game tradition began, said fellowship — whether gardening or playing hockey — is one of the aspects of being a parish community.

“We’re a community when we pray together; we’re a community when we serve; we’re a community when we study and learn our faith; and then we’re also a community when we have a fellowship.”

Players scramble for the puck. (Courtesy of Levi Livengood)