Football Tradition In The Seminary


By: Joseph Caraway, Seminarian, Lake Charles Diocese

As a Catholic, it’s normal to hear the word “tradition” in the Catholic Church. But it’s not every day you hear the words “football” and Catholic “tradition” in the same sentence, unless you’re a seminarian at Notre Dame Seminary or St. Joseph Seminary College. These seminarians are accustomed to a Catholic football tradition called the “Bonfire Game” that goes as far back as 85 years. It is tradition for the two Louisiana seminaries, St. Joseph Seminary College, also known as St. Bens, near Covington and Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, to compete in a flag football game that includes three months of preparation.

​The Fall of 2014 was my first semester as a seminarian at Notre Dame Seminary. During orientation week, there was plenty of talk about the bonfire football game. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I joined the Notre Dame Football team, “Militia Immaculatae.” I don’t think any first year seminarian knows what they are getting themselves into when they agree to participate in this tradition as a football player. The months leading up to the bonfire game include weekly practices, team meetings, scrimmages, and occasional light-hearted but serious trash talk to the seminarians at St. Ben’s. Besides the light-hearted trash talk, both communities join together in prayer leading up to the bonfire game, so each community will be safe and grow from the experience.

As seminarians, we strive each day to be formed and grow into what it takes to be a priest, and if a competitive nature is needed in the priesthood, the bonfire game is excellent training in that virtue. Personally, I thought a flag football game was a joke until I experienced several sleepless nights leading up to the bonfire game. As a college track athlete at Louisiana State University (LSU), I competed at several SEC championships and national championships, but I never lost as much sleep prior to those competitions as I did before the bonfire game. A loss would mean a year of inferiority, and the seminarians from St. Joseph Seminary would gladly remind you of that inferiority throughout the following year.

Although the tradition between the two seminaries can bring about some friendly, but competitive trash talking among both communities, the personalities of future priests can be seen on that football field. During the game, it is evident that the future Church will be one with leaders who are determined to push forward in adversity. Even if knocked down, they will stand up and continue fighting to the very end and never abandon the man next to them. This football tradition has such a rich competitive nature because the game is full of men who will not settle for anything mediocre.

My fellow brothers and I will not settle for mediocrity in any aspect of our lives, even if it is a flag football game. This mindset can be credited to the formation at Notre Dame Seminary, which is doing a wonderful job forming men into priests who will not back down from a fight and who will stand up to protect the flock, the Church.

You can watch the whole flag football game on this page.


About the Author: Joseph Caraway, Seminarian, Lake Charles Diocese


Joseph Caraway is a second year pre-theologian working on his masters in philosophy. He is from Lacassine Louisiana and is studying for the Lake Charles Diocese.


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