To the Band of Brothers: November 12, 2020

Fr. Willie ‘87
Good morning!

One of the more popular prayers in our Church is the Hail Mary. Normally, you learn it as a child right after memorizing the Our Father. While you will only hear these words issued from the mouths of Catholics, there’s another kind of Hail Mary that over the years has made its way into the secular lexicon. Like disguising medicine into the food of your dog so he ingests it without even knowing it, this Hail Mary has crept into the daily expressions of people without many of them knowing its origin. And, it’s all thanks to football.

The sport use of Hail Mary seems to have arisen in the 1930s with the Catholic Notre Dame football team. Under the direction of legendary Catholic coach Knute Rockne, along with the equally legendary Four Horsemen, the Catholic Fighting Irish were the most dominant team in college football. The Horsemen of ND, made up of Catholics Harry Stuhldreher, Don Miller, Jim Crowley, and Elmer Layden, coined the phrase for any play that had little chance for success. For many years it was a term that, for obvious reasons, made its rounds only in Catholic schools. 

Probably the most famous Hail Mary play, the one that made popular the phrase and opened it up for non-Catholics to use, happened on December 28,1975 when the non-Catholic Dallas Cowboys played the non-Catholic Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs. Catholic quarterback Roger Staubach threw an “alley-oop” pass on the last play of the game and won the game for the Cowboys. When asked about the play after the game, Staubach said, “I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary.” The rest is history.

The first time I ever saw one in person is probably also one of the more famous ones. I was 15 years old and a sophomore at Belen. A group of friends and I went to the Orange Bowl to watch the defending national champions non-Catholic Miami Hurricanes play the Catholic Boston College Eagles. The game had come down to the wire and Miami was winning. With only six seconds left on the clock, we were all excited because we were going to win the game. On the last play, from his own 37-yard line, Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie (I don’t know if he’s Catholic) heaved the ball 63 yards through the air where it landed over a mass of players and into the hands of his receiver. The Catholic Eagles had beaten the non-Catholic Hurricanes with a Hail Mary.

As of today, I can say that I have been present for two Hail Marys. The second one happened last Saturday. Your Catholic Belen Wolverines were playing the Catholic La Salle Royal Lions for their homecoming game. It was not a good night for the Wolverine squad. La Salle was playing tough and they had the 8-3 lead throughout most of the game. Our offense was struggling and it was the defense that was basically keeping us in the game. Then, on our last offensive drive, Belen quarterback Alberto Mendoza ’24 slung the ball towards the right corner of the end zone. As it made its way down, it found a La Salle player under it. It bounced off his pads, into the air, and into the hands of Belen wide receiver Carlos “Caco” Iglesias ’21. Belen won 10-8.

Phew, what a play. On the eve of non-Catholic Tropical Storm Eta, with wind swirling and rain coming down in spurts, it was a miracle the pass was caught and the touchdown scored. But, then again, that’s why it’s called a Hail Mary. It goes without saying, it has been a tough football season for the Wolverines. Between hybrid learning, COVID scares, and games rescheduled and postponed, it’s a miracle in itself the season even happened. Now, off to the playoffs we go. The first game is against Dunbar High School on Friday. Let’s pray there are still a few miracles out there to help us along.

Auspice Maria
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BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain.  The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline.  In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty.  The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow.  Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.