Faith on the Field

The value of sport at Saint Ignatius High School surpasses what merely happens in the gym, on the mat, at the rink, in the pool, on the field, and on the stage. Thus, the Sports & Arts Chaplaincy Program guides students to look beyond the box score.

We follow St. Ignatius of Loyola's instruction of “finding God in all things,” and our sports & arts chaplains help student-athletes discover how God is speaking to them through their practice and play. Chaplains work with coaches and athletes to make connections between a team’s experiences, players’ lives outside of athletics, and their faith lives. 

Founded in 2014, the Sports & Arts Chaplaincy Program also engages athletes who were either cut from Saint Ignatius teams or injured during play in hopes of helping them understand how God is working through their current circumstances.

Saint Ignatius High School honored jersey #34 in memory of beloved Theology teacher Jim Skerl '74, who died after a battle with cancer on October 23, 2014.

Jim was an excellent student-athlete, but #34 is honored because Jim was the kind of Catholic man all Ignatians should seek to emulate.

From 1978 until 2014, Jim was a student and teacher who was the face of Christ to his classmates and colleagues. He showed us how to see Christ in others by rooting our lives in the Eucharist and prayer.

Jim co-founded the Christian Action Team in 2003 and founded the St. Joseph of Arimathea Pallbearers Ministry in 2002, the Saint Benedict Joseph Labre Ministry to the Homeless in 2003, and Friends with L'Arche in 2007.

The #34 has been retired from all freshman and junior varsity teams. Each year, a coach in every varsity sport awards #34 to a player who most emulates the character of Jim Skerl, who played, worked, taught, and served for the Greater Glory of God.