CHICAGO (AP) - Bow down before God - or before the Bears?
The Rev. Dan Brandt, a lifelong Bears fan, is making sure his parishioners at Nativity of Our Lord Parish don't have to choose.
Brandt holds a regular 5 p.m. Mass at the South Side Catholic church, but this Sunday, that falls just a half-hour before the Super Bowl's start time. So he plans to cut a few corners - omitting parts of the liturgy and forgoing his sermon.
"I'm going to say the fastest ... Mass you've ever been to," Brandt said. "People will be in front of their TVs at home by kickoff time."
The 36-year-old priest isn't the only one in Chicago making accommodations as the city prepares for Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts. Restaurants, theaters and other businesses have changed their schedules - or thrown in the towel altogether - in anticipation of the game.
Chicago's Feast restaurant, for example is shutting its doors early, in part to give staff the chance to see the game. A worker from Poland will use the down time to refurnish the restaurant floor, said manager Kelly Hunt.
"He's European, so he cares more about soccer than football," she said.
The Archdiocese of Chicago didn't know how many churches might alter Mass schedules - or speed them up, like Brandt plans to do. But spokeswoman Susan Burritt suggested some Catholics might be of more use to the Bears by attending church during Sunday's game.
"Praying for the Bears may be the best thing they can do to help," she said, laughing.
At Nativity of Our Lord, Brandt has invited parishioners to watch the game with him in the church hall. He also plans to blast the team fight song, "Bear Down Chicago Bears," out an open church window throughout the day.
And every time the Bears score Sunday, he'll run up the steps to the belfry to ring the church bells.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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