The Retired NBA Ref Who Is About to Become a Deacon

A great story from CatholicPhilly.com: 

If 30 years ago anyone told Steve Javie he would become a permanent deacon, he probably would have said, “no way.”

Sure, he came from a solid Catholic family with Mass every Sunday, confession every two weeks need it or not, and his uncle Msgr. Anthony Jaworowski was one of the most respected priests in the Philadelphia Archdiocese, but all of that was ancient history as far as Javie was concerned.

Sports was really in his blood — his dad Stan Javie was an NFL football referee who worked four Super Bowls, and at La Salle College High School Steve played baseball, football and basketball, and at Temple University he continued with baseball, which was his first love.

That led to a successful career as a ref — and then something else:

When he retired from the NBA in 2011, he was looking for a way to give more time serving the Lord. “It was the Holy Spirit — the word ‘deacon’ just popped into my head,” he said. He went to his pastor, Msgr. Michael Picard, who advised, “Go for it.”

Now Javie’s about to be ordained a deacon — learn about all the seven men to be ordained for the Philadelphia Archdiocese on Saturday, June 8 at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul — and he is looking forward to ministry especially to men, telling them, “it’s OK to go make money, but you also have to go to church and love Jesus.”

Read the whole thing.