by Jackie Galvin, director of development and communications | August 16, 2017
As I was talking to Mother Theresa Louisa the day of our fifth annual Night at the Ballpark where the league leading Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders faced off against the Gwinnett Braves, she told me she had a “pitching change” for the game. Originally, Mother was going to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the game. However, Mother Maureen, our previous mother superior, sent us a ringer from our home in Somerville, Mass., where she is currently assigned, to complete the task. Sister Patrice, better known as Sister Slider, was being sent to the hill.
Of course, I’m kidding about Sister Patrice traveling to Scranton just to attend the baseball game as well as her nickname. Actually, she happened to be in town to start her retreat the day after the game. However, before her retreat began, Mother Theresa Louisa thought Sister would enjoy seeing a bit of the city and experiencing the hospitality of Scranton. So, she attended the game in Mother’s place and also inherited Mother’s pitching assignment.
As we watched Sister Kathleen complete her on-field interview as the representative of the Little Sisters at the game, I noticed that Sister Patrice was gently tossing the baseball back and forth between her hands as she waited to walk onto the field. One might assume this was just her way of burning off some nervous energy, but just by observing the way she so comfortably handled the ball, I had a feeling Sister had something up her sleeve. And, boy did she ever! After Sister Patrice arrived on the pitcher’s mound, she released an incredible, straight down the center pitch that sailed right from her hand into the catcher’s mitt. The crowd erupted into a roaring celebratory cheer at this feat! As she left the field, Sister Patrice received lots of high fives and congratulatory messages on a job well done. The front office staff even presented her with a bouquet of flowers for accomplishing such a feat.
Following our on-field activities, we all headed to our seats and enjoyed all sorts of snacks and sodas as we watched the game. Unfortunately, some rain clouds rolled in during the fifth inning and play was suspended for the remainder of the game. While this was disappointing and dampened the field, it certainly didn’t dampen our spirits or our evening of family fun.
Until Next Time,
Jackie
