2024 Pastor’s Cup builds faith, community, sportsmanship

August 16, 2024 at 11:02 a.m.

Updated 8-16-2024

With the goals of building community and sharing faith, the 2024 Pastor’s Cup soccer tournament continued a tradition of teams from varying parishes enjoying friendly competition.

PHOTO GALLERY- 2024 Pastor's Cup Soccer Tournament

Likening the spirit of all who participated to the athletes and spectators involved with the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Father Neiser Cardenas said that while the Pastor’s Cup is “competitive, and you see the fans wanting their parish team to win, in the end, sports are a way of sharing faith together.”

Father Cardenas, parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish, Toms River, founded the tournament three years ago. This year 16 teams competed on the campuses of his parish and Donovan Catholic High School, Toms River. The tournament is open to people of all backgrounds, but it especially has made a large impact within the Hispanic community.

Jossie Ramos, coordinator of Hispanic initiatives for the Diocese, noted sporting events tend to unite people and said the soccer tournament has made a positive impact upon parishes.

An evangelization tool

“All of the parishes in the Diocese are invited to play,” she said. “Generally, we’ve had a good response.”

Ramos said the games also have served as an evangelization tool, reaching women and men who have been away from practicing their Catholic faith. Tournament officials distributed Rosaries and religious cards to the athletes and families in attendance.

“A lot of young adults participate, and as a result the word spreads and they start to invite their friends to join .... This introduces them to the church if they aren’t religious,” she said, then noted that two players on the Toms River team had recently participated in the Rite of Christian of Initiation of Adults in St. Joseph Parish and received their Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist.

“You also see good sportsmanship, and many people playing also work within ministries in the Diocese,” said Ramos.

This year’s tournament began in mid-July; the finals were Aug. 11.

In the women’s final, St. Joseph Parish, Toms River, shut out St. Joseph Parish, Trenton, 4-0.

St. Paul Parish, Princeton, faced Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Lakewood, for the men’s final. At the end of the first half, the score was tied, 1-1. However, the game’s pace accelerated in the second half, ending with a 3-1 win for St. Paul.

Building friendships

Jen Medina, who played soccer in high school and played for St. Joseph Parish, Toms River, said: “It’s exciting winning with your team. We’ve gotten so close, and the coach on the team is like an aunt to me.”

Another athlete, goalie Edwin Garcia of St. Paul Parish, said it was his first time representing his parish in the soccer tournament, but he had played soccer while in high school.

Garcia said he enjoyed getting to know the men from his parish throughout the summer and having the experience to participate in the match.

“It was a friendly match between both teams,” he said. “The emotions got high during the game, especially if you’re down points, but, overall, it was still a friendly experience,” Garcia said.

The Cup concluded with fireworks and food at Donovan Catholic’s soccer field.