Chicago, IL – If you’ve ever doubted the power of prayer, consider this: the Chicago White Sox are throwing a sold-out Catholic Mass at Rate Field next month — and people are genuinely excited. Yes, in the house that once gave you Disco Demolition Night and the occasional gun smuggled in via belly fat, the Holy Spirit is now being called in to bless a franchise that hasn’t seen divine favor since George W. Bush was in office.
On June 14, the Sox will host a celebration of Pope Leo XIV — the first American-born pope, a south suburban Dolton native, and, crucially, a White Sox fan. The event will feature music, in-person testimonials, and a pre-recorded video message from His Holiness himself, who was actually in the stands during Game 1 of the 2005 World Series. The Sox swept the Astros that year and won their first title since 1917. Coincidence? Maybe. But if you’ve watched the Sox recently, you’ll understand why they’d rather not take their chances.
According to the Archdiocese of Chicago, 10,000 tickets vanished in 15 minutes when they went live. Vicar General Bishop Lawrence Sullivan said organizers priced them at $5 “to make sure everybody can come.” Naturally, the resale market now has some listed for over $1,000. Blessed are the scalpers, apparently.
There will be no kneeling (because, again, this is a baseball stadium), but communion will be served. And while the pope won’t appear in person, his image will grace the Jumbotron in what might be the most spiritually ambitious use of stadium AV since they played “Thunderstruck” during warm-ups in 2012.
Yes, the whole thing is delightfully absurd. But maybe, just maybe, it’s what the South Side needs. After setting an MLB record for losses last season and fielding a team that often looks like it’s allergic to base hits, the Sox could use any kind of miracle.
And honestly, if divinity helped in 2005, why not try again? Because if there’s one thing that’s clear — this team needs all the help it can get.
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