Nashua church sings Sox's praises

BOSTON (AP) – Some say sports is a religion in New England. A trip to some churches Sunday morning would have confirmed that, as parishes around Red Sox Nation took a moment to meditate on the hometown team.

At the Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua, N.H., the choir surprised parishioners by singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” as a tribute to the Rev. Stephen Edington, a die-hard fan who said he is known for working Red Sox references into his sermons.

Hundreds of Roman Catholics who packed the West Newton parish of St. Bernard’s, which is facing closure by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, heard the priest compare the Red Sox’s ALCS win over the Yankees to the parish’s struggle to keep the church open, said parishioner Richard Roland.

“It was very apt,” he said. “Of the 750 people (present), there were probably 749 Red Sox fans.”

The Rev. Connie Reinhardt wore her Red Sox cap as she made announcements during a service at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Newburyport. During her sermon, she compared faith to belief in the team.

Reinhardt was careful to point out that God isn’t taking sides with Boston, but said that the power of faith applies to both the divine and the baseball diamond.

“God’s not a Yankees fan or a Red Sox fan,” she said later. “For those of us passionate about the Red Sox, it’s natural to talk about the Red Sox.”

“Go Red Sox,” she added.