Luke Vercollone
Episode 37
14 OCT 2019
He played 15 years of pro soccer, having retired last year from the United Soccer League after having initially been drafted into Major League Soccer. He had played the sport collegiately at Seton Hall University (a Roman Catholic university). Although he founded a program that teaches basic soccer skills to kids, he is now working for a pro-life organization. He is also in the Knights of Columbus and has started a men’s ministry. He also has a faith-based line of apparel.
Notable guest quotes:
“I was so blessed to be raised in the faith, growing up, but, it was often more of my parents’ faith and that comfortable environment where I was surrounded by it than it was my own personal faith.”
“He lived it. He lived the faith fully and he had peace and he had something that I wanted… He was… a likeable, relatable person who practiced the faith… and I told him what I wanted and he said it can be done… in giving God all of my life and not just trying to hold onto parts of it. It really transformed my life.”
“But the balance is always tough. I mean, where do you get your identity? And for me, sometimes I would get it in soccer and find fulfillment in succeeding in soccer, but I knew that it had to come from God and from God alone.”
“What helped a lot me was that relationship through prayer. And just by prayer, on campus I would pray for 15 minutes a day, my senior year… in front of the tabernacle. In the sacraments – prayer and the sacraments are just so powerful with that personal relationship with God.”
“That identity and that discernment in prayer, in sacraments, and understanding that to do God’s Will doesn’t mean that I can’t do the desires of my heart. So, that prayer really helped a lot.”
“As I was discerning retirement with pro soccer, I felt a strong calling to ministry and towards evangelization.”
“So many great saints in our tradition that we get to learn from, be inspired by, and have them intercede for us, so, we are grateful that they’re praying for us daily.”
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