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Choosing church over baseball
Tigers' Good Friday opener ends 20-year attendance streak
by Marylynn G. Hewitt, SFO, of The Michigan Catholic
Published March 20, 2009
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Marylynn G. Hewitt | The Michigan Catholic
Michael Ochab, in some of his Tigers gear, stands on the steps of St. Florian Church where he will be for Good Friday, which this year is also opening day for the Detroit Tigers' season. |
Hamtramck — Michael Ochab's 20-year streak of rooting for the Detroit Tigers as part of the opening day crowd is coming to an end. Opening day this year falls on Good Friday.
"It's a no-brainer for me," says the 47-year-old lifetime Hamtramck resident. "He died for us on that cross." As the first pitch crosses the mound at Comerica Park, just after the 1:05 p.m. start of his beloved Tigers facing off against the Texas Rangers, Ochab will be in St. Florian Church for Good Friday services. He and his eight siblings grew up in the parish, attended the grade school and high school, and he says he spent years there as an altar server.
"I like to have fun on opening day," says the social studies teacher for Detroit City High, an alternative school. "I like to watch the revelries and all. But it just doesn't seem appropriate this year."
When opening day fell on Holy Thursday in 2004, he was there as the Tigers dashed the Minnesota Twins 10-6, "but it didn't really feel as festive." After the afternoon game, he headed to Mass.
Fr. Mark George, SJ, pastor of SS. Peter and Paul (Jesuit) Parish, Detroit, says being within walking distance of Comerica Park and Ford Field is an opportunity for his parish. "We're trying to make sure all the hotels in the area know we're here so people can plan for Palm Sunday and Good Friday while they're here," he said. This year basketball's Final Four game will be played at Ford Field on the weekend of Palm Sunday.
He was an associate pastor in Cleveland two years ago when the opening day for the Indians fell on Good Friday. Although the game was started, it couldn't be finished and was called because of a snowstorm. "Not only was that game snowed out, so was their whole first series. Was it because they tried to play opening day on Good Friday? That's one interpretation," he says and laughs.
Five blocks from Comerica, Fr. Ed Vilkauskas, CSSp, pastor of Old St. Mary Church in Greektown, says having opening day on Good Friday "is kind of appalling. I think it's a pretty big affront to Christians. It's one of the most sacred and solemn days of the Christian calendar and to do that is insensitive to our faith.
"Not too many years ago, stores actually closed noon to 3 p.m. Even banks were closed."
With the church so close to the ballpark, it means "we'll be massively affected by the traffic." While many will walk from their downtown offices, regular parishioners who come in from the suburbs "may be turned away by all the traffic." Fr. Vilkauskas says he's hoping that the traffic flow will be much clearer at 8 p.m. Good Friday when the church will present the "Stabat Mater" ("Sorrow of the Blessed Mother") by Franz Joseph Haydn with a soloist, choir and orchestra.
"We want people to know the church is open even after the game," he says. "We hope they come."
Ron Colangelo, vice president communications for the Detroit Tigers, says the league "tries to accommodate the clubs the best it can. In this instance, we had the Final Four being played on Monday (April 6) so they'll open the season on the road."
As it turns out, each of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball play on Good Friday this year, though not all are afternoon games.
"And don't forget," Colangelo says, "the NBA plays on Christmas and so does the NFL."
While Ochab says he's hoping others also pick Good Friday services over the game, he knows the already sold-out stadium will be filled with people of all faiths. Many of them, he realizes, may not have had the intimate experience of seeing God's hand in their life as he has.
The first time was when he was a 20-year-old self-described "skinny kid with braces." After a meal, he was leaning over the sink in a fast-food restaurant when someone charged in, held a gun to his head and demanded money.
"I tried to grab the gun away and we went round and round in circles. I was yelling and screaming and said, 'I didn't see your face.' All I had was $30 and I gave it to him," Ochab recalls. He was broke when he left the restaurant, he says, but very grateful to be alive.
Then, two years ago, he had two back surgeries that left him "in pain like you wouldn't believe." Off work for a year to recuperate, he says watching EWTN, praying the rosary and visiting the tomb of Ven. Solanus Casey "kept me going." He's relieved that this year he was able to return to teaching.
In a variety of ways, he's been involved with helping kids and baseball since he was 16, when he started a 25-year stretch of coaching with the Hamtramck Recreation Department.
As a 27-game ticket holder, an opening game ticket was included in his plan. He muses that it might go to a Muslim friend "since I don't think I'd give it to another Catholic or a Christian."
And in the meantime, he says, "I'm praying for rain."
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