Vatican City, Apr 20, 2021 / 08:00 am America/Denver (CNA)
Pope Francis will ordain nine men to the priesthood on Sunday, including a former film director and a 28-year-old soccer player who turned down a chance to play for the team A.S. Roma.
In 2010, Samuel Piermarini was playing for the under-17 team of Italy’s Serie D soccer association, Ostia Mare.
After tryouts, Piermarini was offered a chance to sign as second goalkeeper for the youth team of A.S. Roma, part of Italy’s Serie A soccer league, in the national youth championships, according to the newspaper La Repubblica.
Piermarini said he decided not to accept the proposal, however, because he knew on that team he would have been warming the bench. “I refused because I wanted to play,” he told the newspaper.
He said he was also starting to realize there might be something else he wanted to do with his life.