Athlete knows dedication is important in sports and faith

This article first appeared in The True Voice magazine, a printed publication of the Archdiocese of Omaha. Copies of the magazine are available through parishes. To see an online version of the October edition of The True Voice, see the link below the article.

As a three-sport athlete at Guardian Angels Central Catholic High School in West Point, Isaac Guenther understands the importance of commitment.

Whether it’s taking ground balls at shortstop, working with receivers as the Bluejays quarterback or shooting 3-pointers in the gym, the senior knows effort equals success.

The 17-year-old approaches his Catholic faith in the same manner and credits his parents, Andy and Cassie, for providing a solid foundation in his desire to have Jesus in his life.

“Growing up, they taught me how important it is to pray and go to church every Sunday,” he said. “That’s when my prayer life started. It began as a habit, then got deeper and deeper as I grew older.”

The oldest of eight children – four boys and four girls – Isaac, his mother said, showed at an early age how much his relationship with Christ meant to him.

She recalled second-grader Isaac asking to go to Confession just weeks after making his First Reconciliation.

“He had examined his conscience and wrote out a list of sins he wanted to confess,” Cassie said.

That personal examination continues today as Isaac participates in Perpetual Adoration at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in West Point. His hour? Saturday nights at 11.

Issac Guenther prays before the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in West Point. LESLIE KREIKEMEIER

“The church was trying to fill up all 24 hours of every day, and that was an hour that I thought would work best for me,” he said.
Praying before the Blessed Sacrament in the church chapel, he said, brings him closer to Jesus.

“Sometimes I go in there stressed about everything – teenage stuff – and when I go out, I just feel ready for the next week,” he said. “I’m just more at peace after the hour.”

On the rare occasions Isaac can’t cover his hour, either his dad or brother, Luke, fills in.

Isaac Guenther, right, teams up with his brother Luke on and off the field. JOAN PLAGGE

It was in 2023, at Isaac’s first Steubenville Youth Conference in Springfield, Missouri, that he grew to appreciate spending time before the Eucharist. He attended the conference again this year.

“Adoration was my favorite part by far,” he said of his first conference. “I never experienced anything quite like that.”

His dad, Andy, who operates the family dairy farm, said it’s been a blessing watching Isaac grow in his faith.

“Isaac’s always accepted faith as part of his daily life,” Andy said. “The cool thing about (being) Isaac’s dad was watching his faith become his
own and not just something we did together.”

Just as his parents were examples of living a strong faith, Isaac said, he feels a responsibility to do the same for his brothers and sisters.

Isaac is among students at a Steubenville conference. CONNOR KREIKEMEIER

JENNA SCHLECT

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