In what could be a first for the diocese, parishioners from two churches got together to play cricket.
In July, members of St. Thomas a Becket, Mississauga announced plans to have a friendly cricket match against members of St. Peter, Erindale on Sept. 10. To prepare for the match, St. Thomas a Becket asked interested parishioners to come out for a practice.
“To everyone’s surprise, about 20 people showed up for the practice session,” says Ranil Mendis, one of the organizers. Everyone wanted to keep playing, so they practiced every Wednesday in August.
There were thunderstorm warnings on the day of the match and emails were sent out telling people that it would be postponed. However, about 30 people turned up anyway at Erindale Park in Mississauga and set up wickets. The weather magically cleared and the cricketers decided to play after all.
“We didn’t quite have a full team from St. Peter’s, so we simply divided into two teams,” explains Mr. Mendis. “It was a lot of fun.”
The players dubbed the event “Mississauga Church Cricket Day” and hope to repeat it next summer. “We think that cricket will prove to be a great vehicle for fellowship among the GTA churches – a common thread that can bind our diverse church communities together,” says Mr. Mendis.
For more information and to join the 2017 event, contact Mr. Mendis at [email protected].
