Sport, Human Flourishing, and the Common Good: a Jesuit Perspective
Sport, Human Flourishing, and the Common Good: a Jesuit Perspective
February 24, 2026
5:30pm - 7:00pmMike and Josie Harper Center, Hixson-Lied Auditorium
Creighton University
602 N. 20th St.
Omaha , Nebraska 68178
An evening with Rev. Patrick Kelly, SJ, PhD, Charles and Mary Heider Endowed Jesuit Faculty Chair
Father Kelly will draw on the role of sports in Jesuit schools historically, and the flow psychology theory of his mentor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to help us understand how participation in sports can foster human flourishing and contribute to the common good in our own context.
The lecture will have relevance for sports participation at all age and skill levels. The lecture will be followed by a Q&A with Father Kelly and a complimentary reception.
Father Kelly has published extensively on sport, theology and spirituality. He is the author of "Play, Sport and Spirit" (2023) and "Catholic Perspectives on Sports: From Medieval to Modern Times" (2012). His scholarship has led to collaboration with Vatican offices on the role of sport in human development, including his contribution to the Catholic Church's first book-length document on sports, "Giving the Best of Yourself" (2018).
Father Kelly's influence extends beyond academia, shaping students and practitioners alike – including two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, who credits Father Kelly's interdisciplinary course on sport as a formulative influence.
Learn more and RSVP.
Father Kelly will draw on the role of sports in Jesuit schools historically, and the flow psychology theory of his mentor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to help us understand how participation in sports can foster human flourishing and contribute to the common good in our own context.
The lecture will have relevance for sports participation at all age and skill levels. The lecture will be followed by a Q&A with Father Kelly and a complimentary reception.
Father Kelly has published extensively on sport, theology and spirituality. He is the author of "Play, Sport and Spirit" (2023) and "Catholic Perspectives on Sports: From Medieval to Modern Times" (2012). His scholarship has led to collaboration with Vatican offices on the role of sport in human development, including his contribution to the Catholic Church's first book-length document on sports, "Giving the Best of Yourself" (2018).
Father Kelly's influence extends beyond academia, shaping students and practitioners alike – including two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, who credits Father Kelly's interdisciplinary course on sport as a formulative influence.
Learn more and RSVP.
Sport, Human Flourishing, and the Common Good: a Jesuit Perspective
February 24, 2026
5:30pm - 7:00pmMike and Josie Harper Center, Hixson-Lied Auditorium
Creighton University
602 N. 20th St.
Omaha , Nebraska 68178