The community stepped up to get the sisters to OKC, but instead the sister’s stayed true to their mission hosting a watch party for their students and families.
The Salesian Sisters of San Antonio traded a road trip to Oklahoma City for a watch party with students and families at St. John Bosco School on Tuesday night, saying their mission on the city’s west side matters more than the spotlight that followed their viral appearance during Game 4 of the Spurs’ playoff series.
The sisters drew national attention after cameras showed them praying for the Spurs during Game 4, sparking a wave of social media support and fundraising offers from fans eager to send them to Game 5 in Oklahoma City.
“We’re not about getting media hype for ourselves,” Sister Bernadette Mota said. “That’s the last thing that we desire.”
Among those inspired by the sisters’ appearance was San Antonio resident Megan Cherry, who launched a GoFundMe campaign after seeing the reaction online.
“We all were super touched by the game,” Cherry said. “We saw the sisters there praying for the Spurs and it went super viral.”
Cherry said what began as a joke among friends quickly gained traction online.
“The next thing you know it was at $850,” she said.
But after contacting the sisters, Cherry said they asked her to remove the GoFundMe and donate the money to them.
“We had other people who had offered to send us to Oklahoma as well,” Sister Bernadette said. “Obviously, our mission isn’t to get to Oklahoma.”
Instead, the sisters asked supporters to help fund a community watch party for students and their families at St. John Bosco School.
“Instead of sending us to Oklahoma, we said, ‘Can you help us do a watch party with our young people and their families?’” the sister said. “That means even more for us. But we are going to pray for the Spurs.”
The sisters said they do plan to attend Game 6 after receiving four tickets from supporters. Cherry also raised about $4,000 to secure four additional seats.
Cherry credited local businesses and donors for helping make the trip possible, including Adrian from Smoke Skybar and Patrick Hammonds from The Injection Room.
Despite the attention surrounding the sisters and the Spurs’ playoff run, the group said they hope the public also recognizes the financial needs facing their ministry and school community.
The sisters said several buildings on campus require significant repairs, including foundation work estimated to cost between $1 million and $2 million. They also cited deteriorating concrete across the property, a damaged playground and the lack of a school bus.
“We’re in great need financially,” Sister Bernadette said.
The Salesian Sisters said they hope the recent attention helps shine a light on the needs of families and children they serve on San Antonio’s West Side.
If you would like to help the Salesian Sisters continue their mission, you can visit their website by clicking here.
If you would like to get in touch with the sisters for a larger gift you can contact their Mission Advancement Office, that information can be found by clicking here.