By Greg Barlow
Special to GoHolyCross.com
WORCESTER, Mass. – A member of the Holy Cross faculty's History Department since 1974 and serving as a chaplain for the Department of Athletics since the mid 1990s, Rev. Anthony Kuzniewski, S.J., never imagined his name would become a piece of history to live on forever in the Holy Cross Athletics realm.
Approached by a donor family in the fall, Fr. Kuzniewski accepted the request to have Holy Cross Field named after him.
“I never saw anything like this coming,” said Fr. Kuzniewski. “You could have knocked me over with a feather—I was so surprised. All of a sudden, this thing came at me from the blind side. Whatever goodness people see in us, we use as a springboard to inspire others. That's what it's really all about and what the naming of this field entails. It's a sort of cooperative adventure between this donor family and myself to try encourage and support younger people.”
On April 22, the Kuzniewski Field dedication will take place at the men's lacrosse game against Boston University. Former student-athletes are encouraged to attend, as Fr. Kuzniewski will be honored at halftime for his many years of dedication and service to Holy Cross.
"I couldn't be more excited to have our game field named after Father Kuzniewski,” said men's lacrosse head coach Judd Lattimore. “Father K. has been a valuable part of the school and our men's lacrosse program. He has helped so many of the teams during his time here, and we are lucky to have him as a member of our men's lacrosse family."
As a chaplain for the Department of Athletics, Fr. Kuzniewski mostly works with football, men's lacrosse, women's basketball and up until 2015, men's basketball.
Conducting pre- and post-game prayers, as well as serving as a vent for student-athletes, Fr. Kuzniewski has always cherished the opportunity to connect values found in sport with religion through helping young people understand that it's all part of one seamless piece of fabric.
“I love being on the sidelines and being able to see the intensity,” said Fr. Kuzniewski. “ I always pray before the game about strength, speed, mind and heart. You see young men and women using all these gifts. It's a wonderful experience to be able to bring the Gospel into the locker room or onto the field and court. It's an opportunity to break down the barriers between religion and other facets of our lives. God is here when we're praying, and when we use our athletic gifts well, we really are giving glory to God.”
Over the course of the years, Fr. Kuzniewski has witnessed an abundance of remarkable moments marked down in the Crusaders' record books.
Fr. Kuzniewski was at the Hart Center in 1991 when the women's basketball team defeated Maryland in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, which remains the only NCAA Tournament victory in Patriot League women's basketball history.
He recalls losing his voice from being sick during a home Patriot League Championship football game versus Lafayette in 2009 and having to whisper a prayer in head coach Tom Gilmore's ear after the team won the conference. He also stood on the sideline in the midst of a blizzard when the men's lacrosse team took down No. 8 Loyola (Md.) in Baltimore during the 2015 season.
“It would take me a long time to list everything that Father K. does for the College of the Holy Cross, the athletic department and the football team,” said Gilmore. “His dedication and involvement with our student-athletes is incredible, and his value in the role of team chaplain, mentor and friend can't be understated.”
Regardless of his list of high points observed in athletics, one of Fr. Kuzniewski's most memorable moments took place off the sidelines. In 2000, he worked with the men's lacrosse squad after team captain John Price passed away.
“It was such an incredible bonding experience for the team, as we gathered together daily, to pray for him,” Said Fr. Kuzniewski. “Out of that, came the John's Brothers program, which was the first formal contact of the team making direct contact with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. So, all the players on the men's lacrosse team are connected with Big Brothers through this program, called John's Brothers. He was a great social justice person, and that's been a wonderful thing—that this ideal has spread to a number of teams throughout the years. It really started as a team effort with John's Brothers.”
Having the field named after him, Fr. Kuzniewski additionally holds onto a deeper personal value in which he identifies the dedication to him being passed along to all future Crusaders who will one day call Kuzniewski Field their home.
“I'm the last survivor of my nuclear family, and when thinking of all my Kuzniewski ancestors up there and saying 'thank you very much,' I somehow feel like they all invested in me when I was growing up, and now it's as much a tribute to them as it is to the one survivor who still bears the name,” said Fr. Kuzniewski. “It's a tribute to more than just one person.”
Click here for more details on the Kuzniewski Field dedication ceremony.
