The local faithful are invited to St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J., on Wednesday, May 6, for an “An Evening with Jay Wright,” an uplifting presentation about leadership, character, teamwork, and faith in Christ by the former head coach of Villanova University’s championship men’s basketball team at 7 p.m.
Named Associated Press men’s college basketball Coach of the Decade in 2020, Wright will speak about “Winning and Losing as Disciples and as a Team.” His talk promises to inspire clergy, parish leaders, coaches, young adults, and anyone seeking to live their faith with courage and purpose. The presentation will include a question-and-answer period with Wright and prayer with with Bishop Sweeney.
“The event featuring Jay Wright at St. Paul Inside the Walls is an opportunity to hear from a proven leader who connects faith, character, and excellence in a compelling and practical way,” said John Cammarata, executive director of St. Paul’s and director of Youth Ministry of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey. “Jay’s insights on leadership, teamwork, and purpose resonate well beyond sports and offer meaningful takeaways for everyday life.”
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Wright’s impressive record further underscores his leadership. In 21 seasons as Villanova’s William B. Finneran Endowed Head Coach, Wright guided men’s basketball to new heights, including NCAA national championships in 2016 and 2018 and four appearances in the NCAA Final Four. In 2018, Wright received the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in Los Angeles. He is a two-time winner of the Naismith National Coach of the Year award (2006 and 2016) and in 2018-19 became the first man in BIG EAST history to be selected as the league’s Coach of the Year six times.
In addition to his coaching accolades, Wright and his wife, Patricia Reilly, were honored with the inaugural St. Augustine Medal in 2017. Wright’s book “Attitude,” published in 2017, was a New York Times bestseller.
In his March 23 column for BeaconNJ.org, Bishop Sweeney wrote about the intersection of sports and faith. In addition to previewing Wright’s upcoming talk at St. Paul’s, he also discussed his recent Beyond the Beacon podcast episode with Deacon Steve Javie, a permanent deacon of the Philadelphia Archdiocese since 2019. Javie served as an NBA referee for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011. Listen to the interview here.
“A common theme, whether it be Coach Wright, Deacon Steve, or others, who are people of faith and are also successful in sports or other professions, is the importance of keeping in perspective, realizing, and remembering what and who is most important in our lives,” Bishop Sweeney writes in the column. “Hard work, sacrifice, dedication, perseverance, teamwork, and other values that can lead to ‘success’ in more secular pursuits can lead to ‘true success’ if they are offered to God and in the service of others and the common good.”
To register for “An Evening with Jay Wright,” visit insidethewalls.org/jay-wright-leadership.
