For the past eight years, Father Steve Kim has had a unique role among his fellow priests in the Diocese of San Jose, California, serving as Catholic chaplain for the San Francisco 49ers, who will take on the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday at Super Bowl LVIII.
In his role, Father Kim says Mass for the team the night before home games, hears confessions, offers counseling and is an avid fan while they play.
Born in South Korea, his family immigrated to the San Francisco Bay area when he was 6 years old. His father was a businessman; he was an only child. His was a devout Catholic home. He grew up in San Jose and attended Palo Alto High School. He went on to Santa Clara University and entered seminary at age 17.
“Being in an Asian family in the Bay area, your parents want you to become a doctor, a lawyer or an engineer. And I wanted to be a professional golfer. But, in the end, I decided to give God the first chance,” he told the Register.
Father Kim’s friend and fellow priest in the diocese, Father Joseph Kim (no relation), recalled attending Holy Korean Martyrs Church in San Jose as well as seminary with Father Steve Kim and admired his competitive spirit, telling the Register, “Father Steve likes to win. He’s very competitive in golf and could have gone pro had he not gone to seminary. It’s good to have someone of his intelligence and high standard of excellence be part of our diocese.”
Father Steve Kim was ordained a priest at age 25 in 2011. He has been assigned to a variety of parishes since and today is principal of St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda, which is near Oakland.
A lifelong 49ers fan, Father Kim enjoys his role of chaplain. His duties begin with saying Mass for interested members of the team and staff; there is also an option to attend a nondenominational Protestant service. Some associated with the 49ers are strong Catholics, Father Kim noted, including General Manager John Lynch.
Father Kim said that he has had the chance to meet players on the opposing team for this year’s big game, the Kansas City Chiefs, during a Mass he said before a game between the (then) Oakland Raiders and Chiefs, highlighting that many associated with the Chiefs are also strong Catholics, most notably Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker. Father Kim recalled, “He’s very devout, and like many young people, is especially drawn to the Latin Mass.”
When preaching to the players, Father Kim likes to remind the team that the Gospel offers a message of hope as well as one of responsibility.
As Christians, we all have a role in evangelization, he stresses, which includes not only our words but our behavior: “Millions of people watch televised football games. People look up to the players and coaches. It doesn’t help if people observe you cussing or doing something stupid. It is a real opportunity to bring Jesus to the people, and you should take advantage of it.”
Miguel Reveles is the 49ers’ offensive assistant coach. He told the Register of Father Kim, “He’s amazing with the players and coaches and the relationships he’s built.”
Reveles said he came to the team two years ago, and after meeting Father Kim, began attending the San Jose parish to which he’d previously been assigned. Reveles added, “Father Kim has a wonderful way of articulating and communicating with people.”
Father Kim said he urges his listeners to place their full trust in Jesus, “because at the end of the day, he is the only Person who will never fail you.”
The days leading up to Super Bowl LVIII have been “nerve-wracking” as well as exciting, Reveles admitted, and the support and encouragement Father Kim has provided have been crucial, he said, adding, “I am fortunate to be a part of it in only my second year with the team. Getting to the Super Bowl has been a lot of hard work and has only been possible through the contributions of many people, including Father Kim.”
Steve Risser, the 49er’s vice president of team operations, told the Register that Father Kim is “a true joy with whom to work. He’s down-to-earth and relatable; talking to him is like talking to a friend. Many on our staff have grown close to him.”
Father Tony Mancuso was pastor of St. John Vianney Church in East San Jose, where Father Kim was first assigned after ordination. “Father Steve is a marvelous young man, very self-motivated and dedicated to God,” Father Mancuso told the Register. “We did phenomenal work together at a parish during a time when it was struggling.”
When he arrived at the parish, Father Mancuso explained, the church building was unfinished, recalling that he organized a fundraising drive in which parishioners would sponsor him for a 53-mile walk from East San Jose to East San Francisco to raise money to complete the church. He recounted, “I asked Father Steve to take care of the parish for three days while I was gone and he said, ‘I’m going with you.’”
So the priestly pair made the trek and raised $453,000 to complete the church building.
Father Mancuso has since been assigned as chaplain of St. Francis High School in Mountain View.
He said to his former associate, “You have a great talent; you should teach a class.”
So Father Kim went on to earn a doctorate degree in education.
The 49ers players, staff and families are fortunate to have a priest of his caliber as chaplain, he continued, “as he’s a bright, talented, wonderful priest dedicated to God. It shows in the way he interacts with the people.”
Father Joseph Kim has also celebrated Mass for the 49ers, saying that it was helpful for players and staff to take a break from their “crazy” football schedule and gather together in prayer.
The hard work he observes in the team matches Father Steve Kim’s level of dedication: “He’s also a ball of energy and a hard worker. I’m glad for him, that he gets to see his team go to the Super Bowl.”
The 49ers’ chaplain is confident his team will win this year’s big game, telling the Register, “They won last time; it’s our turn to win!”
From National Catholic Register story by Jim Graves
Nice story.
And, if you’d like to read about the original 49ers’ chaplain, Archbishop Joseph Alemany of San Francisco (and Monterey, before that), see the link below:
https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/the-original-49ers-chaplain
Many in the Bay Area drive past Alemany Boulevard without knowing who it’s named after.
(Hopefully, some won’t want the name changed, if they discover he is a Catholic bishop.)
Enjoy the big game!
All eyes will be on Taylor Swift Sunday. And, what kind of a nation do we live in?
“Taylor Swift may influence the results of the 2024 presidential election, with nearly 20% of voters saying they are ‘likely’ to support a candidate endorsed by her. The poll conducted Redfield & Wilton Strategies shows 18% of voters would align their choice with the singer’s, according to Newsweek. However, it also shows 17% of voters are less likely to vote for a candidate endorsed by Swift.”
Of course, if one can sing and dance that makes one an expert in foreign policy, healthcare, the economy, criminal justice, education and pretty much everything.
Any Swifties reading this, please think with a formed conscience before voting. Your Princess is talented, but not that talented.
She endorsed Biden last time. Nobody was surprised.
As reported in The Tablet:
In recent years, the bishops of the dioceses of the competing Super Bowl teams have often taken part in a friendly wager on the game’s outcome, usually agreeing to send local food to the winning bishop or a donation to a charity in the winning diocese.
This year’s Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11, brings Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco and Bishop James Johnston Jr. of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, back together for a Super Bowl bet.
This year, the two bishops are upping the ante and promising not just to send a food or local delicacy but also to support organizations that promote the sanctity of life in the winning diocese.
If the Kansas City Chiefs win, Archbishop Cordileone will send a case of Rice-A-Roni and donate to Alexandra’s House in Kansas City, an organization that helps families facing difficult diagnoses for their unborn child or infant loss.
If the San Francisco 49ers win, Bishop Johnston will send a gift package from the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City and donate to Bella Primary Care, a Catholic health care clinic in San Francisco.
A spokesman for the San Francisco Archdiocese said that the two Church leaders chose to use the platform provided by the Super Bowl to “raise awareness about the efforts to protect the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, particularly as it relates to the protection of human life in the womb, in the face of efforts to limit restrictions on abortion and even enshrine it as a ‘right.’”
He said the two bishops are “wagering a donation to organizations in their respective communities that are doing the heroic work of upholding the sanctity of life and prioritizing the health of mothers and children.”
Bud Light will spend $7 million for each 30-second ad during the SuperBowl. They lost on the transgender model, so they’re back to betting on horses. Maybe more fans like Clydesdales. And, simply want to enjoy a game without politics and the sex lobby. In spite of what Mr. Trump says, think of giving up Bud, Michelob, and Stella for Lent (or maybe even the rest of your life).
You got my vote.
Fr. Kim sounds like a wonderful priest. I have read about him, and have seen TV interviews with him. Here is a link to a news story about Harrison Butker– an NFL Kansas City Chiefs star, who is a devout Catholic, with a lovely wife and several young children. He loves to serve his priest at the old Latin Mass. Butler is one of four mature, devout Catholic young men, who practice good manners, respect, and good dress, too– and they recently launched a new menswear shop called Shepherd’s in Kansas City. Their influence on young men will hopefully be tremendous– and will help uplift (and eliminate, someday) our evil Death Culture society. Here is a link to a news story about their new shop: https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/kansas-city-chiefs-kicker-harrison-butker-shares-fashion-faith-super-bowl-fits-together
I have never liked beards. I would prefer that Harrison Butker– and Bishop Strickland, too– both shave off their beards. But I love and appreciate all the rest of everything that these two do, for the Catholic Church and for our society. Bishop Strickland will help, along with many others, to lead the National Men’s March to Abolish Abortion and Rally for Personhood, on Sat. March 2nd, 11am-1:30pm, in Temecula. Perhaps Harrison Butker will help lead, too. He is a strong national Pro Life advocate. I saw a TV interview in which some prominent people warned others not to be attracted to move to a nice city like Temecula. Temecula is an unfriendly city, they said. The town has many Christians, all denominations, and they are all unfriendly to outsiders and to all those who do not share their Faith and religious values. They do not like liberals. I laughed and laughed. Sounds like an ideal, all-American, family-and church-oriented town. Great place to live, and raise a family, or to retire to. I bet the crime rate is low, too, and I bet the cost of living might be a little lower.
Who asked you to comment on men’s facial hair?
What about Jesus, Peter, Paul and the other apostles?
I don’t like cantaloupe, but I’m glad Harrison Butker won the game for the Chiefs.
And, $65, how is he is professional prolifer? He is a pro football player, who takes his Catholic Faith seriously.
The professional pro-lifers are the ones selling the tie not the football player.
Harrison Butker is a professional pro life advocate and activist. And yes, I greatly prefer clean-shaven men.
Could you explain what he does as a professional pro-lifer and who pays him?
You are not aware of Harrison Butker’s strong, professional pro life activism? Look it up and find out. That is one of his greatest endeavors.
I looked before I asked you the question. I found that he wore a tie that said something prolife in Latin to the White House when the Pres hosted the Chiefs last year.
I looked again and saw that he was in a commercial for ProlifeKansas although he really does not say anything prolife in the ad.
So you are saying that he got paid to do the commercial or to wear the tie?
Or is he doing something else?
Does he live in Kansas?
The Kansas City Chiefs is a Missouri team.
For Catholic men– and anyone else — interested in attending the upcoming Men’s March in Temecula CA, here is a link to FAQ–Frequently Asked Questions– about the Men’s March:
https://themensmarch.com/faq/
Here is the Pro Life tie for men, that Superbowl Champion Harrison Butker wore to the White House. You can buy one, too. And a lady can buy one for her husband, father, son, father-in-law, and all other men in her family. Here is the link: https://shop.liveaction.org/products/hand-embroidered-pro-life-tie-worn-by-harrison-butker
I don’t get this.
People who want to advertise or promote a cause usually give stuff away.
$65 for a tie?
This is how professional pro-lifers lose respect (if they ever had it.)
You don’t know anything about LiveAction. They have lovely items in their gift shop, and all the money they receive goes to support the excellent, award-winning Pro Life organization. If you learn more about these outstanding organizations, you will find out the costs of all of their projects to save the lives of precious unborn children. Donate. Buy gifts. You can also get their videos, their literature and books, etc. and use all of that for pro life programs at your church, and for teaching Catholic school children. This is an international organization with a big staff of many employees.
For those who cannot afford to buy the special pro life linen tie, with the special hand-embroidered pro life message, that Harrison Butker wore to the White House– you can buy the Precious Feet lapel pin, which just costs $8.99. I don’t know how fans can afford Superbowl tickets– they are very expensive, too. Plus, the cost of travel, lodging, food, etc. The menswear shop that Harrison Butker launched with three other devout Catholic friends, called Shepherd’s, in Kansas City, MO, is not a typical ready-to-wear store, stocked with racks of men’s clothing. It is a high-class, European-style (found also in NYC and other major U.S. cities), made-to-measure, conservative, custom menswear shop, where you make an appointment and get fitted, for a suit or other men’s garment of your choice, according to patterns and material that they have to choose from. The material is sourced from centuries-old mills in England and Italy, and the suits and other garments are made by a distinguished family of dressmakers in Portugal, and mailed back to the U.S. for you. That is what it says, in their description. They do not yet create totally original (bespoke) garments, but hope to later add that service. I know that this kind of shop is expensive– perhaps men who can afford Superbowl tickets would be interested. And businessmen who can afford it. The whole idea is to start a good, conservative trend to upgrade men’s dress and overall good, gentlemanly manners, in our society, and elevate it. Harrison Butker has other businesses that he is involved in. Asians, as well as Europeans, also have excellent, custom made-to-measure menswear shops.
Shine the spotlight where you want it.
I have not forgotten the real issue.
This is a Catholic website. The real issue is to shine the spotlight on Catholics giving their lives to Christ, working hard for important causes like Pro Life, ending abortion– the murder of precious unborn children– and seeking to overturn the Death Culture, and help establish Christ’s Culture of Life.
The problem is when you idolize people you set them up to be criticized and this guy does not deserve it.
We are seeing the reversion to barbarism that St. John Paul II warned about.
Nobody is idolizing anybody.The problrem is that the Death Culture is very prevalent in today’s world. Only a very few are doing great things today, for Christ. Ash Wed.. starts tomorrow.. Why don’t you join with them? Criticizing these very few good workers for Christ is certainly not helpful. What can you do, for Christ, and for His Kingdom? Where are your gifts for Him, to make a better world?
Sorry you live in a place like that.
Sorry that you have so few good Christians there.
Real issue,
Harrison Butker. This devout young Catholic husband and father, has publicly stood up for Catholic Pro Life and Pro Catholic Marriage and Family teachings. His beloved wife and children are deeply proud of him! There are beautiful photos of them all, and of Harrison playing with his adorable little boy and little girl. He and Isabelle, his beautiful wife, who were high school sweethearts from age 14, plan to have more children, too! Happy Valentine’s Day to them, along with blessings on Ash Wed. and all through Lent– and a Happy Easter, too! Go and offer your lives to Jesus Christ too, as this wonderful young athlete has done.
Reply to: nobody criticized him.
For any reader interested in a Pro Life job and career, you can submit your resume to LiveAction. You can go to LiveAction.org, and see four current job openings: Deputy Director of Government Affairs and Communications (District of Columbia), Director of Activism (Washington, D.C.), Office Intern (Washington, D.C.), and Production Intern (Orange Coubty, CA).
A great deal of our clothing and many other items, are no longer American-made, they are imported– especially, from China. Many garments are now made in China, and other countries, for men, women, and children– by hand, and with sewing machines. There are a lot of unethical and abusive practices in the garment industry, which have caused a great deal of concern, and many good leaders in business and government have tried to do sonething about this situation. I think that Harrison Butker and his three Catholic friends who started Shepherd’s, were well aware of this problem, and sought out only very ethical people in the garnent industry, to work with.
This is comical–but Donald Trump complained not too long ago, that every tie he owned, said Made in China– or else, Bangladesh… or else, just plain, “Imported.” 97% of American clothing is now outsourced, made in foreign countries.
The first instance of gay in the game, commentary, or a commercial, I’m turning it off.
Well, the Kansas City Chiefs won the Superbowl. I bet Harrison Butker will wear his special pro life tie and Precious Feet lapel pin, for another White House visit and congratulations to the winning team. Now, Abp. Cordileone will have to send Bishop James Vann Johnston, Jr. of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph MO, a case of Rice-a-Roni and a donation to Alexandra’s House. In another previous comment, I goofed, regarding Butker’s menswear company, and referred to the Portuguese family that makes the menswear garments, as dressmakers, but they should have been referred to as tailors.