Growing up Catholic, we were taught which saint to pray to for various needs and petitions we had to deal with in our lives. We learned certain unofficial rituals to practice in the name of certain saints too, which were all a part of our profession and belief in the faith we practiced.

All of us had a patron saint or two when we were named at birth. I was doubly blessed with two patron saints, one being St. Joseph, the other being St. Paul, whereas brothers Tom and Lou didn’t have middle names, so they only had one each. I think my folks knew I’d need two saints watching over me, as I wasn’t always the model child my parents deserved. (I was surprised I wasn’t named Jude, as in St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes/souls, as sometimes I acted like a lost soul/cause, and I always knew my folks were constantly praying for me, so maybe St. Jude might have kept me on the straight and narrow, if I had been his namesake.) I did okay, though, seeing I had two saints for whom to pray to, and ask to, watch over and intercede for me.

Other saints, causes, and needs, we prayed to for protection and assistance were, St. Anthony if we lost something tangible and couldn’t find it, St. Blaise, patron saint of anyone with throat afflictions, St. Anne, patron saint of Christian Mothers, St. Andrew, patron saint of fishermen, St. Christopher, patron saint of travelers, and if you wanted to sell your house or property, you might bury a small figurine of St. Joseph upside down in the front lawn of the property you are trying to sell, and also pray to the same St. Joseph, who doubles as the patron saint of carpenters, to intercede on your behalf. These are but a few of many, many saints we could pray to help us with almost anything in our lives.

In my life, at different times, I was a member of St. James, Saints Peter and Paul, and St. John Parishes. We have also, in our travels, encountered many beautiful cathedrals, large churches, smaller quaint churches, churches in more affluent areas, and some in poorer communities. The one commonality of all of them has been a welcoming feeling from all parishioners we’ve talked to and worshiped with in the many churches we have found in our travels. One in particular is the parish of St. Michael in Independence, OH.

In our 16 plus year tenure as Partial Season Cleveland Indians/Guardians Baseball Ticket Holders (ten years as a 20-game season ticket holder, and the past six years as a 40 game season ticket holder), most games we’ve attended have been on weekends, and since we have stayed in Independence for about half those years, we wanted to find a church we could call, our Baseball Church, and that church happened to be St. Michael Church about a two minute drive from where we stay when in the 216 for baseball games. We enjoy being part of St. Michael’s, and have met some wonderful priests, active and retired (who are really never retired from offering Mass and assisting people through their prayers and lessons from the pulpit.)

We’ve also been welcomed and “adopted” by some very warm and friendly parishioners at 6912 Chestnut Road in Independence. We’ve been invited to join the monthly coffee and doughnut social if we’re in town that particular week. We’re always greeted by great ushers and we almost always talk baseball with them before Mass begins. As we leave, they ask us to bring home a game win on that particular day, as they know we’re there for baseball. (Some even refer to us as the Baseball Couple or the Baseball People.) Each new season, as we go to Mass at St. Michael the first time we head to the CLE, we’re welcomed a little more excitedly by those we haven’t seen for nearly half a year.

With all this in mind, there is another connection that makes our visits to St. Michael Church a bit more special. St. Michael is the patron saint of Law Enforcement, and our son is a Law Enforcer, who was, on the day he received his shield, gifted two St. Michael the Protector medals, one by his Godparents, and one by Sally and me which was blessed by our friend, and late pastor, Father Dennis Mende. No matter what church I am in on any given week, I say a prayer to St. Michael, asking for his help in protecting Jon and all who have pledged to Serve and Protect in every community in every state, in every country. Praying to St. Michael at St. Michael Church, where I can see the statue of the protector of those who do policework, just makes me feel that much more at peace. Though we will never fully be at ease with the work Jon and his fellow sisters and brothers in blue do, how we have been welcomed to St. Michael in Independence, OH, makes it ease our minds and hearts just a bit more, for which we are so very grateful. Thank you to all the churches that welcome us whenever/wherever we travel, and especially, the Church of St. Michael in Independence, OH, for being our church family away from home. God Bless!