JOYFUL, JOYFUL
SAS Shoes blesses San Antonio's Salesian Sisters with new Spurs kicks
Oh, happy day.
Alamo City’s biggest Spurs fans will now be doing the Lord’s work in some more comfortable kicks. SAS Shoes has gifted the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco new sneakers as a thank you for their community service and unwavering dedication to the NBA Western Conference champs.
The sisters have become a global phenomenon after one of the members prayed over center Luke Kornet, a devout Catholic, during Game 4 of the Spurs’ playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder (booooo). Since then, many locals have considered the habit-wearing megafans good omens, immortalizing them in memes and (ahem, bootleg) merch.
But the order isn’t only known for giving Kornet the wings to make a championship-worthy block. The long-time West Side order runs an elementary school, offers services for women at risk, and runs a weekday camp for area youth during the summer.
“San Antonio’s favorite sisters, now in even more comfort,” wrote SAS Shoes in a social media post. “Their joy, kindness, and spirit have captured hearts across the country, and we couldn’t be happier to see all the love they’re receiving.”
In keeping with the sister’s devotional dress, the shoes were equally understated — black with tasteful silver topstitching.
Although the sisters have only recently gone viral, the Spurs' support isn’t anything new. Sr. Bernadette Mota, director of mission advancement for the order and a former basketball coach, told Christian publication Sojourners that the fandom started around 20 years ago.
“We had a couple elder sisters at our provincial house, our retirement house for our sisters who need assisted living,” she explained. “Some of them were born and raised in San Antonio, and anytime there was a game on, they would watch it. And they would get very irritated when the game had to be turned off because it was bedtime.”
The other sisters began watching games to connect with the youth they serve.
There’s no word whether there will be any divine intervention in the Spurs’ first game against the New York Knicks, held at the Frost Bank Center on Wednesday, June 3. But, DJ Quake, if you’re listening, nothing pumps up an arena like “Joyful, Joyful.”
