ROME — Former NBA player Gordon Hayward joined the Catholic Church this week in Rome. The 34-year-old, six-foot-seven forward who retired from professional basketball in August after a 14-year career with the Utah Jazz, the Boston Celtics, the Charlotte Hornets, and the Oklahoma City Thunder, made a Profession of Faith and received the sacraments of confirmation and his First Holy Communion.
His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, USA (AMS), and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), administered the sacraments to the married father of four from Brownsville, IN, whose NBA career spanned from 2010 until his recent retirement. The reception into the Catholic Church took place on Tuesday, Oct. 1, during Holy Mass at the Basilica of Saint Sebastian Outside the Walls.
Saint Sebastian, a Roman army officer martyred in the Third Century under Emperor Diocletian, is the patron saint of athletes and soldiers. A sarcophagus in a side chapel of the Basilica holds his remains. 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 for the Military Services, USA (AMS). His Excellency accepted Father Taillon’s invitation to receive the former NBA player into the Church while in Rome for the Oct. 2-17 Synod on Synodality. Mr. Hayward, wife Robyn, and their two oldest daughters traveled to the eternal city just for the occasion.
Father Taillon concelebrated the Mass. Also participating were prospective U.S. Army Chaplain and co-sponsored seminarian Bill Waters, prospective U.S. Navy Chaplain and co-sponsored seminarian Jacob Pohlman, and Mr. Hayward’s OCIA sponsor, Maxwell Van Vliet. Seminarians from the Pontifical North American College provided sacred music for the solemn Mass.
