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Catholic Mike Ditka: Bear of a Man of Faith & Football

Catholic Mike Ditka: Bear of a Man of Faith & Football

Last updated on: October 10, 2026 at 10:18 am by Kate O'Hare

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Catholic Mike Ditka: Bear of a Man of Faith & Football 2026-10-10T10:18:52-08:00 Kate O'Hare

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Chicago, IL November 24, 2024, Chicago Bears white football autographed by Mike Ditka, former head coach, National Football League

Faith and football are inextricably intertwined, no more so than in the life of NFL player and coach Mike Ditka, who passed away on Oct. 6, a couple weeks short of his 87th birthday.

Mike Ditka: Player, Coach … and Catholic

Born near Pittsburgh to a Catholic Polish-Ukrainian (with some Irish and German) family, Ditka never played for the Steelers, but went as a tight end in the first round of the 1961 draft (for both the NFL and the AFL, in those pre-merger days), playing for the Chicago Bears, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.

He also coached for the Cowboys, and did two seasons as head coach for the New Orleans Saints, but it’s his 1982-1992 stint as head coach of “da Bears” that earned “Iron Mike” icon status in Chicago, the NFL and America at large.

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The Catholic Roots of Da Bears (and the NFL)

There are men of many faiths (and no faith) that play pro football, but the ties between it and Catholicism go back to the sport’s earliest days — and no team exemplifies that more than the Bears.

I quote myself, regarding the team’s founder:

George Halas

Known affectionately as “Papa Bear,” Halas was born in Chicago in 1895 to a Catholic family of Hungarian immigrants (former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula was also a devout Catholic with Hungarian roots).

Halas founded the Chicago Bears in 1920, and the team stands as only one of two original franchises from the NFL’s founding (the other being the former Chicago Cardinals, now in Arizona). …

Halas’ daughter, Virginia Halas McCaskey, also a strong Catholic, is the principal owner of the Bears. At 95, she is the oldest owner in the NFL (and all other major-league sports in the U.S.).

She was responsible for a chapel being added to Halas Hall, the Bears’ headquarters, believed to be the only one in an NFL facility.

And, of all the Bears, no man exemplified that more than Mike Ditka — a former altar boy who was a lector at team Masses on game days — but the road wasn’t without its bumps.

From OSV News:

In his 1986 autobiography “Ditka,” published at the peak of his success, Ditka admitted to having had “no spiritual life at all” during the 1970s, before two other coaches got him involved in a Bible study that reintroduced him to God.

“I always had faith, but I never had understanding,” Ditka said. “I always knew what was going on in life. I was raised right. I did all the things you were supposed to do.

“But I never understood why I was supposed to do them, because I never had a total understanding of what was going on.”

But his foundation in Catholic grade school ultimately didn’t fail him. From an interview at OnePeterFive:

People’s beliefs differ from one another, and all that. Everyone understands faith somewhat differently. But I am so grateful for the Roman Catholic faith with which I was raised. My dad didn’t go to Church, but my mom was a terrific Catholic – a fervent convert to the faith – and always saw that we went to Mass and Catholic school.

The Sisters of Saint Joe taught us so much at St. Paddy’s Church and school in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. The nuns, they were really tough – they’d hit you if need be – and they taught us everything we needed. It was really great. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

So the Catholic faith was always very important to you?

Definitely. I altar-served throughout grade school. Actually, I even served a couple Masses at college at Pitt. Like I said, the nuns were tough, but it was really good for me.

And it continues, as current Bears quarterback Caleb Williams gifted an autographed jersey to Chicago native Pope Leo XIV.

And also, there was this, from Bears fans:

A Priest Reflects on Ditka, Faith and Bringing People Together

Father Vince Kuna, C.S.C., my co-worker at Family Theater Productions, is a native of a Chicago suburb and a lifelong Bears fan — and a chaplain for visiting NFL teams in Los Angeles.

I asked him for a reflection on the loss of Ditka:

What some people don’t know about Mike Ditka was his devout Catholic faith. During his playing and coaching, he was not too public about it, but quietly went about his profession with hard work and dignity very emblematic of the city of Chicago.

The owners, the McCaskeys are also very Catholic. One of the McCaskey sons was part of an online Bible study I led for NFL employees, and he had mentioned Ditka’s faith.

Mike Ditka’s legacy was his ability to unite not only a team, but a city.

Football, I like to remind people, combines a lot of the cliches many of us experienced in high school as well as the various professions we encounter in the everyday working life.

There are the blue-collar workmen from shop class that form the offensive and defensive lines, putting in the overlooked job of moving other bodies forcibly.

The quarterbacks and receivers make up the popular group, sleek athletes earning glory from completing beautiful pass receptions.

Even nerds have a valued place in football as Offensive and Defensive coordinators scheming a path down (or defending) the gridiron worthy of a Napoleonic field marshal.

Ditka, like other championship coaches, balanced these disparate human beings to great effect.

It translates to the viewing public, too. On both sides of my family, blue-collar and white-collar families enjoying watching Bears’ games. I think that’s in large part to the various professions personified in each position.

To manage it all as Ditka did so well, gives us hope for bridging professional and class differences in our own lives.

The Windy City pays tribute:

Image: Chicago, IL November 24, 2024, Chicago Bears white football autographed by Mike Ditka, former head coach, National Football League/Shutterstock

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Sports and Religion

About Kate O'Hare

Journalism, screenwriting, Seahawks ... I prefer stories with soul. Covering the intersection of entertainment, faith and pop culture. Writing movies in my spare time -- when not watching Seahawks football, that is. From the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, left my heart in Saratoga Springs. Currently based in Los Angeles, where it's always another day in paradise. No, I don't pick my NFL team by geography. You can read more about the author here.

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