When Grace Mazza Urbanski received an unexpected email from Ballpark Day of Faith founder Bob Simi years ago, it was the beginning of a friendship rooted in faith, encouragement, and a shared mission.
“Bob sent me an out-of-the-blue email,” Urbanski recalled. “Essentially saying, ‘Hi, my name is Bob, and I think we’re supposed to meet each other.’”
Anyone who knows Bob knows that’s exactly the kind of Spirit-led introduction that has helped shape Ballpark Day of Faith into one of Milwaukee’s most unique annual gatherings.
This year, Urbanski will take center stage as she sings the National Anthem before the June 14th game.
While she has supported Ballpark Day of Faith behind the scenes for years through prayer and encouragement, this will be her first opportunity to participate publicly.
A Life Rooted in Faith and Community
Urbanski serves with the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, a Jesuit ministry dedicated to connecting people around the world in prayer for the intentions of the pope. The mission resonates deeply with her, especially this year.
In a fitting connection to Ballpark Day of Faith, the pope’s prayer intention for June is “for the values of sports,” inviting people to pray that sports become an instrument of peace, encounter and dialogue, while promoting values such as respect, solidarity and personal growth.
For Urbanski, this connection makes the day even more meaningful.
"I think the same impulse that draws me to our mission to connect people all around the world and throughout time in prayer is alive in my excitement about being part of Ballpark Day of Faith,” she said.
That sense of connection is one of the reasons she appreciates what Ballpark Day of Faith has become over the past 16 years.
Taking the Microphone
Although this will be Urbanski’s largest audience for the National Anthem, it won’t be her first time singing it publicly.
She first performed the anthem for a large crowd at her undergraduate graduation from Marquette University and has since sung at academic and sporting events over the years.
“It’s so much a part of the communal experience of Americans,” she said. “It’s great to tap into that strength.”
When she takes the microphone at American Family Field, she’ll be leading what she hopes becomes a stadium-wide chorus.
“I’m assuming people will join in,” she said. “So I won’t feel alone.” (Note: You can get your tickets to the event - and join her in singing!)
Finding God in the Crowd
Though she doesn’t consider herself a die-hard baseball fan, Urbanski loves what Ballpark Day of Faith represents.
“I’m not partial to baseball, but I do love a good party,” she joked.
And few events combine celebration and faith quite like Ballpark Day of Faith.
Urbanski is especially moved by the experience of gathering with thousands of others.
“When the stands are full, there’s an energy that is impossible to feel in your regular daily life,” she said. “There’s something about gathering together as a community that’s really powerful.”
For her, the day becomes even more meaningful because it begins with worship.
“If it’s true even of a secular baseball game, it’s even more true when we can worship together beforehand and be a part of something even greater.”
That combination of Mass, fellowship, and baseball creates a unique experience that continues to draw thousands each year.
“A truly great Mass should send you out on fire to be on mission with Jesus Christ,” Urbanski said. “If you can share that with 20-some-thousand people in a stadium, that’s kind of an amazing way to cap off Mass.”
More Than a Baseball Game
Of course, no conversation about Brewers baseball would be complete without mentioning the Famous Racing Sausages.
“The sausage race really is the apex of human civilization,” Urbanski joked.
As an Italian married to a Polish husband, she says both have a rooting interest every time the sausages hit the track.
But beneath the fun, food, and baseball is something deeper: a shared spirit of joy and community.
That is what Ballpark Day of Faith has always been about. It’s a celebration of faith lived publicly, joyfully, and together.
And this year, as Grace Urbanski stands on the field to sing the National Anthem, she’ll help kick off a day that continues to bring people together through faith, fellowship, and America’s pastime.