Holy Rivalry

When competition becomes collaboration

Jesuits often warn against the temptation to “compare and despair” — probably because we often fall into this deadly cycle of measuring ourselves against others and then feeling like we’re not good enough.

I was thus surprised when I saw how Saint Ignatius recommended that students participate in “holy rivalry.”

This phrase brought to mind a great story I read in The Pillar last year.

The priests ordained in 2022 for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati competed against those ordained in 2023 to see who could bless the most parishioners’ houses during the Easter season.

In order for the blessing to “count,” Fr. Michael Willig explained that the priests also had to have food or drink in the home “so that it wouldn’t be just a numbers game.”

This “holy rivalry” was a fun, creative way for Cincinnati pastors to get to know their flocks.

Fr. Jonathan Jergens, one of the priests involved, said, “In this kind of a competition, everybody wins.”