CV NEWS FEED // The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in overtime last night, but thanks to a tradition kept for decades among Catholic bishops, the Chiefs weren’t the only winners. A group of crisis pregnancy centers in the diocese of Kansas City – St.Joseph won too.
The win for the pro-life organization is the result of the time-honored tradition of Catholic bishops from competing cities. It’s a friendly bet that combines a healthy spirit of competition with a shared commitment to benefit local ministries that serve those in need.
As reported by BNN News, the deal between the Catholic shepherds was that if Kansas City lost, Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr. of Kansas City-St.Joseph would send Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco “a gift pack from the American Jazz Museum” and would “support a pregnancy care center in the winning diocese, a testament to the bishops’ shared belief in the importance of motherhood and the gift of life.”
Archbishop Cordileone promised to send Bishop Johnston a case of Rice-A-Roni and a donation to a Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese pregnancy care center of Johnston’s choice.
Also according to BNN, this year’s Super Bowl featured “several players who have been public about their Christian faith, including Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker.”
“The bishops’ wager serves as a reminder of the powerful connection between faith and sports,” BNN reported. “As the players take the field, they carry with them not only the hopes of their cities but also the unwavering support of their spiritual leaders.”
“In the end,” BNN added,
whether it’s the taste of Rice-A-Roni or the sounds of Kansas City jazz that fill the air, the true winners [are] the mothers and children supported by the pregnancy care centers in both dioceses. In the words of the bishops, this wager is a celebration of life, love, and the enduring power of faith.
Cordileone and Johnston had a previous face-off during Super Bowl LIV on February 2, 2020.
The bishops had agreed that if the 49ers lost, Cordelione would send Dungeness Crabs to Johnston and donate to Kansas City Catholic charities. If the Chiefs lost, Bishop Johnston would send Kansas City Steak Company steaks to Cordileone and donate to a Catholic charity in San Francisco serving the homeless.
The 31-to-20 victory of the Kansas City Chiefs over the 49ers in Miami deprived Cordileone of a steak dinner and won Johnston a taste of the Dungeness Crabs, a rarity in the Midwest.
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