The divine drama of the Toronto Blue Jays’ postseason run isn’t lost on Father Terrence “Terry” McKenna, who continues to support his favourite team and find spiritual echoes hidden on baseball’s grandest stage.
The retired pastor of St. Mary Immaculate Parish in Richmond Hill, Ont., Father McKenna has long been a notable fan of the sport of baseball and the hometown Toronto Blue Jays. Just days after the team’s 5–2 win over the New York Yankees to advance to the American League Championship Series (ALCS), he shared his thoughts on the Jays’ remarkable charge — one that has now carried them all the way to the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, following their victory over the Seattle Mariners.
“It’s great to see how a lot of no-names, at least to the average public, have accomplished this athletic feat. These young men have chosen to believe in teamwork instead of being lone rangers, and they’re looking to make a name for themselves,” he said.
After ending the Yankees’ season with an exciting Game 4 win on Oct. 8 in the American League Division Series, Jays infielder Ernie Clement was caught rushing to join a team photo while in the midst of a post-game interview — a now-viral moment that Father McKenna points to as an example of the passion the 2025 team holds.
“When he left that interview and readied himself to get in the photo with his teammates, it was too late, and they had to start over, but it shows that everyone wants to be there. When you add up everyone doing their best, it’s a winning staff,” he said.
The Blue Jays’ current run marks their first appearance in the World Series since their back-to-back championships in 1992 and 1993. Father McKenna said he still vividly remembers where he was when those titles were won.
“I can remember what I was doing the day they won in ‘92 or ‘93,” he said. “I was in Richmond Hill at St. Mary Immaculate, and I’ll never forget it.”
Father McKenna served at St. Mary’s for many years, with it holding the distinction of being the last parish he called home before being appointed to the Pearson Airport chaplaincy and retiring officially in 2021.
Now, with a little more time on his hands, the priest still keeps up with the team the old-fashioned way, preferring to follow the Jays in the sports reports on the radio rather than watching television broadcasts.
The 79-year-old said he continues to view the Blue Jays — and the sport of baseball itself — as a much-needed source of unity in a divided world.
“We need something that’s not about partisan politics, good versus evil, even Catholic versus Protestant or something like that. When it’s all over, there’s some crying and there’s some cheering, but we can say it was just a game — we won or we tried hard to win,” he said.
Father McKenna reflected on how the sport mirrors both everyday life and faith, a reality that has grown clearer to him with age.
“I think the game is so good in that it’s not always action — there’s a lot of waiting, and you have to be ready to make snap decisions and snap moves. Watch the batters; they know the reputation these pitchers have, and they have to make this quick discernment. Quick discernment is something we deal with in our faith,” he said.
“Everyone plays their position in baseball, whereas in hockey anybody can score or defend all over the ice. Here, you stay at your post and do your best and be ready, because things can happen fast, even when they seem to be standing still for a while.”
Father McKenna will be following the Blue Jays closely as they look to claim Canada’s first World Series title in more than 30 years — and, perhaps, another chapter in the faith-filled story that connects a retired priest to his hometown team.
“You want to take it all if possible, and I’ve heard how some felt that this lone Canadian team was not considered a contender — maybe they want the Americans to win the American game — but the Blue Jays have shattered that conspiracy,” he said. “I think that in their own minds, they have proven something, and anything else from here on will be a bonus.”
The Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers have split the first two games of the 2025 World Series in Toronto and are tied 1-1 heading into Game 3 at Dodger Stadium on Monday, Oct. 26.
