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Father Mike Liliedahl, St. Catherine of Siena Parish, is pursued by Deacon Dino Ornido from St. Dominic Parish. (Photos by Debra Greenblat/Catholic San Francisco)
Jan. 27, 2020
Tom Burke
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone got things started with the tipoff of the annual Clericus Classic bringing priests and seminarians together in a full-court basketball game Jan. 18 at Serra High School in San Mateo. The seminarian team won the game in overtime, 54-51.
“The archbishop was present throughout the event and it looked like he was pleased by how the event went,” Father Cameron Faller, director of vocations for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, told Catholic San Francisco. “It was definitely nice to have his presence and support.”
Father Faller said many hands had a part in the evening including those in the game, those who cheered the game on and those who coordinated the event.
“We were pleased with how the evening turned out,” Father Faller said. “There was good energy among the fans and probably the best attendance we have had in five years. We appreciated the support of the priests who attended and those who played. It was also great to have the presence and support of our Catholic school students, especially from St. Gregory’s and St. Matthew’s.”
Eighth graders from St. Gregory won a halftime competition against the seminarians with a prize of a barbecue at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University. St. Matthew eighth grader JaKeenan Williams-Choa won the evening’s free-throw contest. Each of the schools had fans in the stands.
Proceeds from the evening are being tallied but the money’s use has been set, Father Faller said.
“The fundraising money will help support vocation initiatives,” he said. “I am particularly hopeful to use the proceeds for an upcoming vocation workshop we are hosting for some priests and parishioners.”
Helping swell the evening’s purse was sale of homemade chili by Derek Gaskin, director of the safe and emergency procedures office of the archdiocese. Father Faller called the dish “famous” and “a crowd-pleaser.”
Also taking part from the Pastoral Center was Rod Linhares, director of development. Linhares is a University of Notre Dame alumnus.
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone is pictured with competing priests, deacons, seminarians and laymen at the Clericus Classic priests vs. seminarians basketball game Jan. 18 at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo. The group includes Fathers Mark Reburiano, Alvin Yu, Martin Njoalu, Dominic Savio Lee, Manuel Igrobay, Larry Goode, Michael Liliedahl, Alner Nambatac, Francis Garbo, John Jimenez, Cameron Faller, Brian Shininger, George Schultze, Narcis Kabipi; laymen Derek Gaskin, Rod Linhares; Deacon Dino Ornido; seminarians John Hwang, Dominic Borchers, Rene Vargas, Paul Park, Jerrick Rea, Alvaro Santamaria, Victor Goranov, Brother Mikael Mihic, David Mees.
Father Larry Goode, pastor at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, East Palo Alto, shakes hands with the seminarian team before the game.
Father Alvin Yu, St. Matthew Parish, is pictured with St. Matthew School eighth grader JaKeenan Williams-Choa, who won the evening’s free-throw contest at the annual Clericus Classic basketball game Jan. 18 at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo.