New York, Los Angeles archbishops place World Series wager to benefit Catholic schools

Archbishop José Gómez of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (left) and Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York announced a friendly wager on the 2024 World Series. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA; Jonah McKeown/CNA

CNA Staff, Oct 28, 2024 / 14:10 pm (CNA).

The Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees are currently going head to head in this year’s World Series. The last time the two popular teams faced each other on baseball’s biggest stage was in 1981.

As baseball fans across the country watch the series unfold, Archbishop José Gómez of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York are also taking part in the excitement as they root for their home teams.

On Oct. 25, the two Catholic prelates announced a friendly wager involving New York-style bagels being sent to Gómez if the Dodgers win and Randy’s Donuts being sent to Dolan if the Yankees win.

Additionally, they are encouraging their respective followers to take part by making donations to Baseball Unites, a site that will direct funds to both the John Cardinal O’Connor School in New York and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Catholic Education Foundation. Whichever team wins the World Series will earn its Catholic educational institution 60% of what’s raised and the losing team will receive 40%. 

“I’m grateful to my brother, Archbishop Gómez, for agreeing to this friendly wager,” Dolan said in a press release. “I’m looking forward to three things: 1. A great World Series with the Yankees winning their 28th Championship; 2. Enjoying Randy’s Donuts; 3. Raising awareness of and support for the John Cardinal O’Connor School and the Catholic Education Foundation of Los Angeles.”

“This is going to be a great World Series,” Gómez said. “Baseball truly unites us as a country, but in every contest there has to be a winner, and that will be the Dodgers!” 

“I know my friend Cardinal Dolan is a good sport, and I’m going to enjoy the New York bagels that he will be sending me,” the archbishop continued. “I’m also grateful for this chance to highlight the great work of our Catholic schools in L.A. and New York and across the country. I have already made my donation, and I encourage everyone to enjoy the series and support the great mission of Catholic education. Go Blue!”

The John Cardinal O’Connor School was established to provide an affordable, Christ-centered, language-based academic curriculum for children in second through eighth grade with learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, or learning differences.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Catholic Education Foundation was established in 1987 and provides tuition assistance to needy students attending Catholic elementary and high schools in the archdiocese. Since its founding, it has provided more than 230,000 tuition awards in excess of $264 million. 

Gómez made a similar wager with the archbishop of Cincinnati in 2022 when the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers currently lead the best-of-seven-games World Series 2-0.