Little Canada Padres

By Justine Reisman
September 18, 2026

Major League Baseball has professional ballplayers wearing uniforms that say “Padres” on the front. Catholic Softball Group has real padres playing ball. Up to this point, four different archdiocesan priests have played at least one season as part of a team in CSG, and a few others have filled in for missing players for a few games. Being part of the league has borne fruit for both the priests and their lay teammates, sometimes in unexpected ways.

As is the case for any sample of CSG players, the priests had varying levels of experience before signing up. Father Colin Jones, currently a doctoral student and St. John Vianney Seminary’s Rome formation assistant, played baseball through eighth grade. Father Andrew Zipp, pastor of St. Mary of the Lake in Plymouth, had not played much baseball or softball, but won three seminary wiffleball championships at St. John Vianney before trying his hand at slowpitch.

Father Paul Hedman, parochial administrator of Sacred Heart in Robbinsdale and Army National Guard chaplain, has played the most seasons of any priest in CSG, including men’s league this fall. Father Joah Ellis, pastor of Our Lady of Peace in Minneapolis, also played for multiple seasons. All four priests’ time in CSG overlapped in fall of 2022.

For a priest to commit to a season of CSG, many factors have to align–reasonable proximity to the fields, free time in his schedule, and ability to use some of that free time to play, to name a few. After some of Father Zipp’s CSG-playing friends from high school told him about the league, things fell into place for his first season in 2021.

“At the time it was perfect because I was the parochial vicar and Thursday was my day off each week,” Father Zipp said. “Often, I would spend my day off with other priests and then I would make my way over to the ballfields for softball in the evening. It was perfect.”

For Father Jones, it was a little more complicated.

“I kind of made it work,” he said. “I missed certain events to go to it. My rector was very nice. If I were to be back at SJV I don’t know if I would be able to do it again.”

The priests who have played CSG have found the commitment to be worthwhile. For some, CSG provided an opportunity to play with family. Two Hedman siblings, Serena and Stephen, have played. Father Zipp invited his veteran softball player parents to come watch him play, and his dad, Scott, ended up signing up to play that fall.

“For an ‘old guy’ he is still very fast and really good at softball. I really enjoyed competing against him and making sure that I didn’t let him outrun me,” Father Zipp joked.

One of Father Jones’s favorite memories from his season in the league was his team’s victory in some nasty weather to make the playoffs. He even cited an “almost” play–fielding a hard grounder, but not quite getting the speedy runner out–as a favorite moment. Sometimes it’s the striving that counts, not just the result.

“There’s something good about competing,” Father Jones said. “There’s something good about working as a team with other people. There’s a cool kind of bonding experience that happens with that. I think as priests it can really literally exercise aspects of us that we don’t get to exercise often.”

Some of the priests have celebrated season-opening Mass at the field for the league, including Father Ellis and Father Hedman concelebrating once. But most of the time at CSG, priests get to blend in with their lay teammates. They can take a break from parish duties and hang out with their fellow Catholics and ballplayers in a recreational environment. 

In turn, other CSG members get to see priests in a different setting than they may be used to. Rebekah Pierre, who was a teammate of Father Hedman one season, said seeing priests play softball is both cool and normal at the same time.

“I think it just brought home that they’re human, too,” she said. “We’re here to play ball.”

Of course, even though they’re wearing a CSG t-shirt rather than a collar or liturgical vestments, teammates are going to call them “Father” and remember what their vocation is. 

“I feel like every time before the game I would always be the one to lead the prayer,” Father Jones said. “I would never insert myself, but someone would be like, ‘Well, we have a priest here.’ It was kind of funny. But I enjoyed that. I like praying spontaneously and this is a fun place to do it.”

Pregame prayer is a situation where it might be nice to have a priest, but really anybody could lead. On the night of fall playoffs in 2024, something happened at the park where only a priest would do.

The evening’s first games were underway when one of the players collapsed on the field. For a few minutes, the other games continued. But word quickly spread that something serious was happening. Fellow players and bystanders tried to help by performing CPR, clearing the way for emergency personnel, and praying the rosary. And by calling for Father Paul.

Father Hedman had been playing in a game on one of the other fields when the emergency occurred. As soon as it became clear that someone’s life was in peril, teammates saw him run to the parking lot to get his kit for anointing from his vehicle.

Fr. Hedman was able to anoint the man before he was transported to the hospital, and he also went to the hospital to be with the family. Kevin Bunnell not only received the grace of this sacrament, but also survived the heart attack. Although the games were cancelled, that will remain one of the most memorable nights at CSG, as well as a reminder of the blessing it is to have priests involved in the league.

“That was actually such a gift, and peace, of getting to see [Father Hedman] change modes,” Pierre said. “Like, ‘Yeah, I’m here as your teammate, but now I need to be a Father, need to be a priest.’”

While several of the priests’ current assignments have not allowed them to continue playing CSG, Father Zipp said he has been able to play on some other teams and continue meeting new people. He is grateful for the seasons he spent in CSG.

“I would certainly recommend to a brother priest who is considering it to play for a season or two,” Father Zipp said. “I would tell them to get out there, be competitive, and be yourself. It is a great environment to recreate and be refreshed with a bunch of great young adults, and for many of us younger clergy, our peers in a sense.”

Father Jones would also recommend the experience to his brother priests. He said playing softball showed him that he is more competitive than he realized. He enjoyed discovering that and learning how to work with it, and said he hopes someday to play in CSG again.

“I think it’s fun to be connected with people who aren’t necessarily your parishioners but who are Catholic, and have those friendships,” Father Jones said. “It’s lowkey. They still appreciate you as a priest and love your priesthood, but you’re just there growing in faith and growing in humanity together with people.”

This story is part of a series called 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.