Xavier University Community Gathers for Mass in Greensboro

Mar 18, 2023

The Xavier University community gathered for worship on Saturday, March 18 at the Marriott Greensboro Downtown, where the men’s basketball team is stationed for the first and second rounds of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

Approximately 100 Xavier fans, friends, family, administrators and staff gathered in a banquet room at the official team hotel for an hour-long Catholic Mass, which was led by Fr. Bill Murphy, S.J., Chaplain for Xavier Athletics, and supported with music by Jesuit Regent Matthew Zurcher, S.J.

“That’s what makes Xavier, Xavier,” said Gary Massa, Vice President for University Relations. “We have great representation down here in Greensboro and it was wonderful to be able to offer this to our community and see everyone come together.”

It was the first time the University was able to put on such an event since 2018 when the Musketeers were last on the road for the NCAA Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Our Xavier University community is amazing. It spans the world and it’s awesome that anywhere we go, Xavier people gather and their hearts are together,” said Fr. Murphy. “This mass is a celebration of that incredible unity of our great University.”

Those in the Xavier community who traveled to cheer on the team will have another day to be together in Greensboro as the Musketeers prevailed on Friday, beating Kennesaw State, 72-67, on Friday at Greensboro Coliseum.

Xavier advances in the national tournament to a second-round matchup with Pittsburgh on Sunday, March 19 at 12:10 p.m. The game will air nationally on CBS.