The “baseball priest” who uses sports to talk about Jesus and the Church

Father Burke Masters’ first dream was to be a Major League baseball player, but after feeling God’s call to the priesthood, he now uses sports “to talk about Jesus and the Church.”

“I played college baseball at Mississippi State University and then played briefly in the minor leagues. That was my dream, to be a major league player, but it didn’t work out,” Masters said.

“God finally called me to be a priest. It wasn’t really what I wanted, but it was a persistent and gentle calling from the Lord,” Masters said in an Oct. 24 interview with EWTN News Nightly.

“I went to the seminary fully thinking that I would go… that I wouldn’t like it and then I would return to my plans. However, when I arrived at the seminary I felt an overwhelming peace, and that is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit,” he said.

Masters was ordained in 2002 and served in Illinois. However, baseball became a part of his life again when he was named chaplain of the Chicago Cubs in 2013.

“God brought baseball back into my life in a way I never imagined. Since then, people have called me the ‘baseball priest,’ because I love connecting faith with sports,” he said.

Although his “full-time job” was being a parish priest in the Diocese of Joliet, he attended every Cubs home game. As a “priest of baseball,” he was chaplain when the team won the World Series in 2016.

“One of my main messages to players then and now would be, ‘Remember your identity, you are God’s beloved children. Your identity is not in baseball.’ And I think that helps players relax and say, ‘Yes, this is a great game, millions of people are watching, but in the end, it’s still just a game. And life goes on,'” he explained.

Connecting faith and sport

In 2023, Masters published the book A Grand Slam for God: A Journey from Baseball Star to Catholic Priest (“A grand slam for God: from baseball star to Catholic priest”). In it he wrote about his childhood near Chicago, his success in baseball, his conversion to Catholicism, and his acceptance of a priestly vocation.

His story addresses his personal doubts and losses, and how he learned to embrace his identity not as an athlete, but as a child of God and spiritual leader.

“Baseball taught me many things, including discipline, hard work and how to live with people from different backgrounds. I find that helps me a lot in my life as a priest, as a vocation director, as a parish priest, and I try to invest a lot of time in my spiritual life,” he said.

“In addition, baseball has given me a way to reach people who are not close to God at this time, sharing stories about baseball and my sports experience. That gives me an opportunity to talk about Jesus and the Church. It has been a great gift,” he added.

In his homilies, Masters said he often “mentions the sport of baseball.” And he added: “I can see how some people who love sports become more interested, and thus I can bring the message of the Gospel to them more easily.”

Looking ahead to the 2025 World Series, on October 24, Masters shared his predictions on the outcome with EWTN. He said: “If I think with my head, the Dodgers will win, but I love rooting for the underdog. So my heart goes out to the Toronto Blue Jays.”

Translated and adapted by ACI Prensa. Originally published in CNA.