Louise Dussault
Episode 48
30 DEC 2019
The Director of Catholic Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Providence, up in Rhode Island. She played softball, volleyball, and basketball, and in her current role is hands-on with the Catholic Athletic League, including the creation of Cooperative Parish Teams. She is a strong supporter of the intersection of faith and sports, as heard during this interview.
Notable guest quotes:
“It was the only college at the time that had a Youth Ministry degree… So I transferred out there from Providence.”
“Being athletic was part of my nature and I always liked being part of a team, so it was always team sports that attracted me.”
“(Sports and faith) always went hand-in-hand for me because I began playing organized sports through my parish.”
“My first leadership position was as the athletic coordinator for my parish.”
“Those coaches were incredible witnesses to me of faith. They were all active Catholics. They all were at church on Sundays back then… And even how they modeled how you not only won but how you lost and how you treated your opponents.”
“It’s horrifying to me that our young people aren’t given opportunities to play on a Catholic sports team. I know what it meant to me in my formation as a person and as an athlete.”
“I think we need to make sure that our young people who are playing sports aren’t just playing sports and not being exposed to people that are handing on the faith.”
“Myself, as a player, we had a young person who converted to the Catholic faith because she was part of the team and because part of being the team was sharing faith stories and she saw that there was a vibrancy of what we were experiencing being part of a Catholic parish.”
“Catholic sports are not about keeping the kids busy. They’re about teaching values.”
Related links:
Catholic Youth Ministry of the Diocese of Providence, RI
Mother of Hope Camp
Catholic Athletic League Diocese of Providence
