By Sister M. Dorothea Sondgeroth, O.P.
JACKSON – “The Saints of St. Mary’s” By X.M. Frascogna Jr. with Joe Lee, Mississippi Sports Council (2024), 192 pages, $24.95

The author, Mike Frascogna Jr., has done a masterful job in weaving the ingredients that spell success into a love story that piques your interest from beginning to end. A love for faith, family, young children, football and coaching blend together to make this true story a playbook of life, worthy of recognition and wide distribution. These pages illustrate how one person with integrity, purpose, determination, respect for others and fondness for children and football can be a positive mentor, role model for young boys giving them the discipline, character building blocks and goal setting needed for success not only on the football field, but also in their adult life.

Light moments and highlights of the team’s games wins and losses coupled with parental support showing love for their sons and the coach, mixed with tragedy, reflect reality in the game of life. These, of course, etch indelible memories of team spirit, sportsmanship, competitiveness, community and friendship in the minds and hearts of these young athletes.

Football is not just about athleticism, but also about teamwork, respect for others, motivation, character, dedication to details, discipline and courage. The coach throughout this story exhibited these traits and worked with passion to form these young boys into young men in spite of the grueling practices, for which they came back with appreciation and admiration for their coach.
I highly endorse “The Saints of St. Mary’s” to be placed in the hands and read by young parents, aspiring coaches, young students and all who are interested in the game of football. It’s a winning story!

(Sister Dorothea Sondgeroth is a Dominican Sister of Springfield. She is recognized for her years of service at St. Dominic Health Services, and is the recipient of many awards and accolades, including the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross.)