Cincinnati Reds’ pitcher, Brent Suter, drew great fanfare when he returned to his hometown after playing for the Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies. Currently in his ninth year with Major League Baseball, the Moeller High School and Harvard University grad finds real joy in playing ball with a “great group of people.” “The Reds have a fantastic organization, top to bottom,” Suter said. And while baseball clearly plays a primary role in Suter’s life, his faith takes center stage both on and off the field.

“Jesus is the primary source of joy for me. … The faith and hope I have in Him, saving me … is the ultimate joy that I try to have infiltrate every aspect of my life,” he said.

His joyful faith affects all areas of his life: from his pitcher’s glove on which he inscribed “Phil. 4:13,” to the delight he finds in his wife, Erin (who is expecting their third child) and two sons Liam and Layton, as well as how he lives out his Catholic faith, especially his passion for environmentalism and Care for Creation.

As with all stories, Suter’s narrative is punctuated with the drama of challenges faced and obstacles overcome.

“[There’ve] been a lot of crosses in the road … in my path of baseball. We all have trials, we all have tough times. … When I got news I had a torn ligament (2018), I was having a pretty good season, just starting to

find my groove as a big league starter. A freak play led to the torn ligament …my heart was broken. It was such a bummer at the time, but it ended up being a big blessing in disguise. My son was born a couple months later, and I was able to spend some time with him while in [rehab, then] I came back and was better than … before as a pitcher, and probably [stronger] as a person.”

He continued, “I knew God would see me through it, if I just stayed faithful to Him. I had to definitely work through some emotions there, but I was able to look at it as a blessing in disguise. I felt the strength of God saying, ‘Use this for My glory, use this for your betterment.’ It’s been a good test of my character, my faith. Did I pass with flying colors? No. But I was able to bounce back… I was running the race to win—like Paul—running the race for His glory. And I came back better.” Suter’s challenges continue. This past July, he suffered a partial tear of his left teres major muscle. “As shocked and saddened as I was at the timing and extent of my injury, I stay faithful and hopeful knowing that He … can work all things for His good and for the good of those who love Him,” he said.

Recognizing God’s work in his own life, Suter prioritized discerning what God is calling him to in other aspects of his life.

“Baseball was always what I feel God gave me the talent to do. I wanted to explore that and then have environmentalism, Care for Creation, as my ‘heart song,’” he said. “We’re on a troubled path here as a planet, as a species. I want to be part of the solution … so I committed to study it and to try to do something in my life about it.”

To that end, Suter is a leading voice for the nonprofit Players for the Planet, an organization of professional athletes. Their mission statement says, “We believe the responsibility to preserve and protect our planet falls on each and every one of us.”

The Reds left-hander wants his children to grow up on a planet on which they can thrive, not just survive; a place where they can be in awe of nature’s beauty without the looming threat of the climate crisis and extreme weather.

“That’s a huge part of my care for the environment. When I became a dad, it was ‘Oh my gosh, this is real life.’ I want Liam, Layton and our expected new baby to experience nature and an Earth as healthy, as habitable, as the one I was blessed to grow up in. And some of these heat waves … are really concerning.”

To find local solutions to these concerns, Suter enthusiastically promotes the parish resources of our own Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s Care for Creation Task Force. “It’s great. It connects people who really care about the environment. They go back into the communities and help parishes to flourish on these issues … doing God’s work in an area that really needs it.”

Suter recommends that pastors and parishioners get involved by contacting the Catholic Social Action Office at 513-263- 6690. The Care for Creation Task Force follows the Catholic Social Teachings of Popes St. John Paul ll, Benedict XVI and Francis. Each pontiff has urged the faithful to take meaningful environmental action to protect people and the planet.

As Pope Francis reflects, “The world sings of an infinite Love: how can we fail to care for it?”

This article appeared in the September 2024 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.