Fr. Chase Hilgenbrinck Reunites With Fans In Chile During Mass
Fr. Chase Hilgenbrinck, the inspirational soccer player-turned-priest reunited with fans in Chile.
A Mass celebrated in Santiago, Chile made fans happy after being reunited with the former soccer player star-turned-priest, who was the one celebrating the Mass in the Chapel.
Born in Illinois, the American priest was formerly known as a star player of soccer who spent 4 seasons in the country of Chile before being back to the United States.
His last game was being a player for the New England Revolution, before experiencing a powerful call to the life of celibacy, leaving and sacrificing his successful career behind.
Of course, fans were saddened upon knowing the shocking news almost ten years ago, but happy for their favorite soccer player.
Fr. Chase Hilgenbrinck was ordained as a priest in 2014, at the diocese of Peoria, Illinois, where he is a resident priest.
It’s been nine years since his last visit to Chile and Fr. Chase Hilgenbrinck made a comeback for his friends and fans alike, not as a soccer player, but as a priest who celebrated the Mass with them.
Chlian, south of Chile, is where he used to play during his first division teams for 3 years.
There were about 600 people who attended the Eucharist alst May 7, in Sta Ana chapel. He said: “especially the Chillán community that supported me before and who feel part of my soccer experience, and also now that I am a priest.”
After the celebration of the Mass, Fr. Chase interacted with his former fans and other residents of Nublense.
After the celebration of the mass, he told the daily Cronica Chillian: “Everything I learned in sports – such as the sacrifice of training hard, solidarity, working as a team – are things I also have to do in the Christian life. What I experienced in soccer helped me a lot to have all the virtues to lead a good Christian life.”
“When we make a commitment to something important in life everything is going to change. When you get married, life changes. The change isn’t bad, it’s something natural; if we’re not committed, life has no joy or sacrifice to it.”
It caused some uninvited rumors among the fans and other locals regarding his visit to Chile, but Fr. Chase hilgenbrinck made it clear, saying:
“I didn’t come to make news, but I thank the journalists who like the story of what God has created in my life.”
“Hopefully on a national level this will be a beautiful story for the history of the Church and of God.”