Brothers on the Ballfield

Photo by Annie Wilcox

By Justine Reisman
May 9, 2026

Last August, Nic Persoon stood in front of a crowded event hall and delivered a toast to his friend Nipun Perera and Nipun’s new wife, Ashley. Most best man speeches include shared memories from childhood, high school, or at least college. But in this case, both men lived on opposite sides of the world through college and had only known each other for about four years. 

How is it that these two with the same initials but vastly different lives and a seemingly short friendship were now calling each other brothers? It started with shared faith, and flourished at Catholic Softball Group. In addition to their special bond, Persoon and Perera individually have unique stories and reasons to be glad they joined CSG.

Performing arts kid tries a different stage
Persoon had some experience with sports during his childhood in Mahtomedi. After receiving a diagnosis of autism, he was placed in a physical education class that taught athletic activities in a way that made sense to him. Persoon remembers softball being a sport he felt good about, but he didn’t take it much further than that at the time.

“I was a performing arts kid from like sixth grade when I started band almost all the way through college,” he said. “Band, choir, and theater–that was what I did.”

While he is still involved in music ministry at St. Jude of the Lake, and acted in a play through Missed the Boat Theatre, Persoon has also become a regular at Catholic Softball Group. He signed up with his then-girlfriend while finishing his senior year at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in 2019. Persoon only knew two other people in CSG, and no one on his own team, going into the group’s last year as part of the Roseville league. 

After a breakup, Persoon was unsure if he would return to CSG in 2020, but with no male co-workers at his teaching job and a tough roommate situation, he decided to sign up again and try to make some new friends. During the peak of COVID protocols, CSG was one of the primary social opportunities for its members, and Persoon was one of many who benefited from this environment at Pioneer Park in Little Canada. He did make several good friends in 2020, including one who later asked Persoon to be the godfather of his son.

Persoon also saw growth on the softball diamond. He credits Michelle Kruta, his manager in 2020, for helping him become a better outfielder. (The following summer, Persoon even received a weekly gold glove award with his team, Faith, Hope, & gLove.) He has continued to gain confidence and push the boundaries of his comfort zone. When Persoon started playing, he not only did not envision pitching, but was “terrified” of it. A few years later, he agreed to try it. His first pitch in a game was a strike. He realized it may not be so bad, and has continued to pitch in ensuing seasons.

“I didn’t really expect it to get where it’s at now,” Persoon said of his softball journey.

A new home
The same year Persoon started to play CSG, Perera moved to Minneapolis, sight unseen. He had gone to school in Sri Lanka all the way through college and was now leaving his home and family to pursue a doctorate in biomedical engineering at the University of Minnesota.

Perera grew up Catholic in a majority Buddhist country. He found Catholic fellowship in his new home at the St. Lawrence Newman Center’s young adult group. In 2021, a fellow group member invited Perera to watch CSG and offered to give him a ride since he didn’t have a car.

Having grown up playing cricket, Perera at first thought softball sounded like “a dumbed down version of cricket.” Still, he accepted the invitation and went. Between a couple games, a friend suggested someone pitch to Perera to give him a chance to try this new sport. His first time holding a softball bat, he already started hitting balls to the fence.

Perera enjoyed attending CSG so much that even when he couldn’t get a ride to the fields, he would spend an hour and a half on the bus after work to get there. In the spring of 2022, Perera registered to play. Having familiar faces from St. Lawrence there was helpful in his transition into the league. When he first arrived in Minnesota, Perera had expected it would be difficult to get into established social circles.

“It didn’t really feel that way,” he said. “It was open arms. …The welcoming nature of CSG was unparalleled.”

His doubts about the sport of softball soon faded, too. He adjusted his cricket swing, and picked up quickly on situational awareness of the game. Perera has now managed teams and become part of CSG’s leadership group.

“Once I started playing, now I can’t stop playing,” he said.

Beginning of a beautiful friendship
Persoon and Perera’s paths first crossed at a St. Lawrence young adult night in 2021. The two struck up a conversation in the parking lot afterwards that lasted a couple hours.

While their friendship did not originate through softball, Persoon says it “flourished” when Perera began watching and then playing in CSG. Persoon frequently gave Perera rides home after games or after socializing at the Legion or VFW. This gave them more time to have one-on-one conversations. Persoon does most of the talking and Perera does most of the listening.

“From my perspective, what I saw was someone who needed a big brother,” Perera said. “As time went on I realized that he is looking for someone who is reliable and who he can look up to. At the same time, I could also get the same thing.”

Perera’s perception was correct. Persoon had stepped away from a few friendships in the past when he realized the other person did not reciprocate or was not treating him as a friend should. He recognized when getting to know Perera that this was different.

“This is someone who’s actually treating me like a person,” Persoon said. “He’s very reliable. I very quickly got a sense that this is someone I know I can count on for basically everything. He’s someone I can talk to about everything, and in hindsight, someone that I think is going to be a really good influence on my life. Honestly he was a big step in helping me trust other men again. Right now I have a really solid group of guy friends, and I think Nipun’s been really influential in helping me realize there are guys that can be actually reliable and dependable.”

Persoon grew up with two sisters, and describes himself as the “token male” in his college friend group, and Perera has one sister. The two have come to consider each other brothers. In fact, Perera basically became part of Persoon’s family. He spent Thanksgiving with Persoon at his apartment one year when Persoon had to miss his family Thanksgiving due to work. 

Another time, Perera mentioned that he would like to experience a family Easter, and he rode down to Iowa with Persoon to spend the holiday with extended family. Persoon’s mom, Julie, remembers one relative commenting, “You can bring him back anytime.” She said the family loved Perera, and her dad in particular formed a bond with him. Perera did return to immediate and extended family events, and was even in the wedding party at Nic’s sister’s wedding.

“Nipun brings a quality of genuineness to us and to Nic,” Julie said. “He really listens to Nic and gives him honest, loving, kind feedback. It helps Nic, and I think it does something for Nipun, too. …He’s just kind and gentle, and his faith is so apparent. I think that’s what makes him a great person to be around.”

Strength in community
Perera’s membership in the Persoon family and the wider CSG community took on a new level of importance in the spring of 2023. Perera was in Europe for a conference when his mom called to tell him his dad, Maxwell, was having chest pains. An angiogram showed he needed triple bypass surgery, but the logistics of healthcare in Sri Lanka meant that the family would need to pay the equivalent of about $7,500 out of pocket.

Perera knew he did not have the funds to cover his dad’s surgery on his own. He hated to ask for help, but prayed about it and started reaching out to a few people, including the Persoons. They gave some money, but $7,500 was a big target to reach, and Perera knew his family needed more help. He texted a CSG friend, who called him right away to ask if the leadership team could share the fundraiser on the league’s social media channels. Perera was hesitant to ask more people, but agreed. Within a few hours of CSG’s Facebook post, the goal was met.

“I think God taught me a lesson, that you have to rely on your community for help when you need it,” Perera said. “That’s the way God works sometimes. He might provide you things directly, but for a stubborn person like me who refuses to ask for help, that’s the way God wanted to show himself, through a community that’s based on faith. That definitely strengthened my bond with CSG.”

This overwhelming experience of generosity helped solidify Perera’s intention to stay in Minnesota. He could have–and was encouraged to have–traveled elsewhere for a postdoctoral research position, but decided his Catholic community in the Twin Cities was something he did not want to give up.

Family
Not long after deciding to stay in Minnesota, Perera met Ashley at CSG’s end-of-season St. Paul Saints game. She was attending with a mutual friend, Megan Dierberger, and they talked in a group setting at the game. Perera didn’t think much into it at the time, but a month or two later Dierberger asked Perera what he had thought of her friend, and facilitated an exchange of phone numbers. The pair started talking and spending time together, and realized they were a good match. Ashley also became more involved in CSG, using her photography skills to capture both action and social images.

When it came time for Perera to propose, a CSG friend drove him to the jewelry store to pick up the ring. When Ashley accepted, Persoon was the third call–after the couple’s parents–Perera made to share the news. Not long after, Perera made a different kind of proposal to Persoon.

“It was a no-brainer to ask him to be my best man,” Perera said.

Not only was Persoon a close friend, but he also had a deeper understanding of Perera’s Catholic faith that many of his good friends from home did not share. This was important to Perera while preparing to be married in the Church.

Persoon was honored to be asked and excited to plan the bachelor party, a fun-filled day which included outings like Top Golf and dinner. He was also excited to write a toast that was both heartfelt and humorous.

Of course, Nic was not the only Persoon who was going to be involved in the wedding–not when Perera was an adopted member of the family. Nic’s parents offered to host Perera’s parents while they were in town for the wedding, and also did a lot of the planning for a wedding shower and the rehearsal dinner. The Persoons showed the Pereras some of the sights in the Twin Cities, and the moms even got pedicures together. Using Maxwell’s limited English and help from Google Translate, the sets of parents were able to communicate, and have still kept in touch through WhatsApp after the wedding.

Nipun and Ashley Perera were married in August 2025. All of the groomsmen and ushers were from CSG and/or St. Lawrence. Now expecting their first child, the Pereras still head over to Pioneer Park to be with the community that has meant so much to them.

“(CSG) has given peace to me, life to my family,” Perera said.

The Persoons, too, can often be seen at the ballfields. Julie said she goes to watch Nic but also is drawn by the whole community, the core belief in Christ, and the “love that people give every person.” Nic calls CSG “one of the best things about being in my 20s.” He said he has always been interested in found family stories, and now with Perera and CSG, feels like he is part of one.

“You have your mom’s side,” Persoon said. “You have your dad’s side. CSG to me is like a third branch.”

This story is the first in a new series called “CSG Mustard Seeds.” This occasional series will highlight some of the fruits that have come from the small mustard seed of participation in Catholic Softball Group. If you have an idea for a future story, please contact Justine Reisman at justine.reisman@gmail.com.