Credit: San Diego Padres
Sr. Candida Massabo tosses out the first pitch before the San Diego Padres game against the New York Mets at Petco Park in San Diego on July 7. The Padres declared the evening Catholic Night, an annual event since 2015. The purpose is to strengthen and encourage Catholic laity to witness their faith in a public setting. The team allotted 4,500 tickets to Catholic parishes across San Diego County. A sellout crowd of 42,000 fans was in attendance. Sr. Massabo, a member of the congregation Saint Maria Goretti Sisters, is a chaplain at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego. Despite Sr. Massabo's strong start on the mound, the Padres lost the game 7-5.