Fr. Benedict Croell, O.P.

Born in 1968 in Arizona, Fr. Benedict Croell, O.P., grew up in Colorado as the youngest of nine children in a family that has since grown to include 27 nieces and nephews. Before entering the Order of Preachers, he studied at Colorado State University and Conception Seminary College for the Archdiocese of Denver. He obtained a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Providence College while discerning a vocation to religious life. He entered the novitiate of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph in 1992, and was ordained a priest in 1998. Fr. Benedict was assigned first to St. Gertrude Church and Priory in Cincinnati, Ohio as associate pastor for four years. In 2002 he was assigned to the Province's Vicariate of Eastern Africa, serving in Kenya for five years. He had the responsibility of being Novice Master in the Vicariate for novices from seven African countries. Returning from the missions, he ministered briefly at the University Church of St. Joseph at New York University before continuing studies in Rome. In June 2010 he completed the License in Sacred Theology (Spiritual Theology) from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) where he also served as a chaplain for two years. In 2010 he was appointed Director of Vocations for the Province of St. Joseph.

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The Clericus Cup in the Eternal City

Final matchup between the Angelicum and the Gregorian University

Posted by Fr. Benedict Croell, O.P. on May 22, 2011

The Clericus Cup

The Clericus Cup is a soccer tournament that takes place annually between the various pontifical universities of Rome. The teams are comprised of seminarians, priests, and lay students studying in each of the pontifical universities. One of those Pontifical Schools is the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (known popularly as the "Angelicum"), founded by the Dominican Order. This was the first year the Angelicum students organized themselves and guess what?... THEY ARE IN THE FINALS! The students at the Angelicum will play the students from the Pontifical Gregorian University--founded by the Jesuits--in the finals on May 28, 2011 at 10:30AM in Rome. The competition will be fierce!

Bl. John Paul II, Angelicum alumnus

During the history of the Clericus Cup, players have come from 65 countries, with the majority coming from Brazil, Italy, Mexico, and the United States. The annual tournament is organized by the Centro Sportivo Italiano.

Officially, the goal of the league is to "reinvigorate the tradition of sport in the Christian community." In other words, to provide a venue for friendly athletic competition among the thousands of seminarians, representing nearly a hundred countries, who study in Rome. The league was started by the Cardinal Secretary of State of the Vatican, Tarcisio Bertone, who is an unapologetic football fan. The teams that regularly contend for the eight play-off spots are, on the field, fierce rivals.

Team Angelicum has three Dominican Friars among their players: Bro. Juan Carlos Canoles, O.P. (cooperator brother, Angelicum Librarian, from the Province of Columbia), Fr. Emmanuel Albano, O.P. (PhD candidate in Patristics, from the Province of Southern Italy), Fr. Mirek Sander, O.P. (PhD candidate in Canon Law, from the Polish Province).