Pope John Paul II’s vision of a collaboration between religion and sports will soon come to fruition as the Pontifical Council for the Laity prepares for the first international seminar of study on church and sport — a result of the creation of a new Vatican office under the same name. On Nov. 11-12, 50 scholars of sport from around the world will attend the seminar, which is slated as two full days of round-table discussion concerning the world of sports and its relationship to the Catholic Church.

Seminar members will analyze the "global phenomenon of sport" while considering the ways the world of sport can help the Church realize its pastoral mission, the Vatican said in an information sheet.

Robert Feeney, author, sports enthusiast and religion teacher at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, was invited to attend the event because of his writings combining Catholicism and the world of sports.

The Catholic Ideal: Exercise and Sports will be distributed by Ignatius Press on Sept. 21. At 270 pages, the book contains 10 chapters and 58 pictures illustrating the importance of spiritual fitness. The book is a "significantly extended" version of his 1984 release, The Catholic Perspective — Physical Exercise and Sports.

Over the course of his life, Feeney has run the gamut where sports careers are concerned, with stints as a physical education and health teacher, athletic director, coach, football, basketball and baseball player, and marathon runner. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Carroll College in Helena, Mont., and a master’s degree in the same subject from the University of Dayton in Ohio.

Feeney credits the writings of Pope Pius XII on exercise and sports as the impetus to his work on the subject. He also said he closely followed the philosophy of Pope John Paul II, known as "the athlete pope." Feeney said the pope was "a big proponent of people exercising — like he did himself" and attributed the formation of the special committee and the scheduling of the seminar to the former pope’s enthusiasm for the subject.

"Before he died John Paul II said the Church needs to be a major player in the world of sports," Feeney said. "If it wasn’t for him they wouldn’t have this conference. … He said we have to be involved."

"The potential of sports makes it a significant vehicle for the overall development of the person and a very useful element in building a more human society," the pope said in a 2000 address to an international convention held during the Jubilee for the World of Sport. "A sense of brotherhood, generosity, honesty and respect for one's body — virtues that are undoubtedly essential for every good athlete — help to build a civil society where antagonism is replaced by healthy competition, where meeting is preferred to conflict, and honest challenge to spiteful opposition."

Feeney said he stresses exercise physiology in his book, "how people should exercise and why people should exercise," with the hopes of encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle. He is particularly proud of a chapter on the philosophy of sport that includes a code of ethics — "it’s something practical for coaches, for athletes and parents" — and touches on the important themes of sportsmanship, loyalty and hard work — and not on the pressures of winning.

Much of his philosophy was honed from the coaching style of former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, who was, Feeney said, "a very good man, a Christian man.

"His philosophy was to do your personal best and not to put pressure on winning."

Feeney hopes that his work will give a good message to youths, and that they will grow in spirituality as they develop an active lifestyle.

"Kids have a natural liking for sports and if you can mix religion and sports together, hopefully that will be a means to promote a new evangelization," he said.

To order The Catholic Ideal: Exercise and Sports call Ignatius Press at 1-800-651-1531.