World series wager by archbishops of LA, NY raises over $20K for Catholic schools

Greater than $20,000 has been raised for Catholic colleges from a wager made by the leaders of the Catholic archdioceses the place the 2 baseball groups that competed on this yr’s World Collection are positioned.

Main as much as this yr’s World Collection, the place the Los Angeles Dodgers confronted off in opposition to the New York Yankees, Archbishop Jose Gomez of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York made a “pleasant wager” designed to profit Catholic colleges of their respective communities. 

In line with the web site “Baseball Unites,” Catholics “and all folks of goodwill” have been inspired to donate to the John Cardinal O’Connor College in New York Metropolis and the Catholic Schooling Basis of Los Angeles. Underneath an settlement between the 2 church leaders, the archdiocese within the metropolis of the crew that received the World Collection would obtain 60% of all funds raised, whereas the archdiocese of the opposite crew would get 40%. 

Gomez and Dolan addressed extra phrases of their wager in statements posted on the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ X web page two weeks in the past, forward of the primary sport of the World Collection. If the Yankees received, Dolan would get to get pleasure from baked items from the LA-based Randy’s Donuts, whereas if the Dodgers emerged victorious, he would ship some “New York bagels” to Gomez. 

Finally, the Los Angeles Dodgers received the 2024 World Collection. Due to this fact, 60% of the $20,098 raised by the #BaseballUnites marketing campaign, which quantities to $12,058.80, will go to the Catholic Schooling Basis of Los Angeles, whereas the remaining 40%, which equates to $8,039.20, will go to the John Cardinal O’Connor College. 

In an announcement launched after the Dodgers’ World Collection victory final week, Dolan prolonged congratulations to the Dodgers for his or her “nice season and World Collection” victory in addition to to his “brother,” Gomez. “I hope he enjoys his bagels!” Dolan added. “Much more, my due to all who participated in our Baseball Unites marketing campaign in help of Catholic training and our nice colleges. That makes us all winners, particularly our children.”

Gomez launched his personal assertion following the Dodgers’ World Collection victory: “What an ideal World Collection, not solely as a result of the Dodgers received. Actually, that was nice. But it surely was additionally simply enjoyable to observe, each groups performed such good baseball each night time. So, thanks to all of the gamers, and a particular thanks to everybody who supported our Baseball Unites marketing campaign to assist Catholic colleges. I’m wanting ahead to some New York bagels.”

This yr’s World Collection didn’t mark the primary time the chief of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles made a take care of one among his fellow church leaders over the end result of an athletic matchup. In 2022, because the Los Angeles Rams confronted off in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals in Tremendous Bowl XVI, he made an almost equivalent wager with Cincinnati Archbishop Dennis Schurr the place the profitable crew would obtain 60% of the funds raised for its respective Catholic Schooling Basis as a part of the “Bishops’ Massive Sport” marketing campaign. 

The Rams ended up beating the Bengals, which meant that the Catholic Schooling Basis of Los Angeles obtained 60% of the greater than $22,000 raised from the marketing campaign. Whereas Schurr despatched Gomez Graeter’s Ice Cream following the Rams’ victory, the archbishop of Los Angeles despatched his counterpart in Cincinnati treats from the LA-based Porto’s Bakery “out of gratitude and in comfort.”