NBA Star Gordon Hayward’s Inspiring Conversion to Catholicism: A Journey of Faith

Image of Gordon Hayward, retired NBA player, with a crucifix or in a Catholic setting

A professional basketball player has converted to Catholicism at a ceremony in Rome held just two months after he retired from the NBA.In a statement released last week, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA announced that recently retired NBA player Gordon Hayward had joined the Catholic Church in a ceremony held on Oct. 1 in Rome, Italy. The archdiocese stated that Archbishop Timothy Broglio performed the sacraments of initiation on Hayward, referring to confirmation and his first Holy Communion.

Hayward was formally initiated into the Catholic Church at the Basilica of Saint Sebastian Outside the Wall with his wife and two of his four children in attendance. The archdiocese said Hayward chose Sebastian as his confirmation name, noting that Sebastian was the patron saint of soldiers and athletes.

Mr. Hayward chose ‘Sebastian’ as his confirmation name following a period of discernment through the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) under the instruction of Father Marcel Taillon, who serves Archbishop Broglio as Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese,” the archdiocese stated.OCIA is the process adults seeking to join the Catholic Church undergo, which includes classes where they learn about the Catholic faith. Hayward, whose career in the NBA spanned 14 years and included stints with the Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz, took to social media to share the image posted by the archdiocese following his confirmation. The picture includes Hayward, Broglio, Taillon, Hayward’s OCIA sponsor Maxwell Van Vliet, and two seminarians studying to be priests with the Archdiocese of Military Services, USA.

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