As the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics officially kicks off today, Canada's Olympians enter the games without a designated chaplain on its mission team, a rather notable absence for athletes seeking spiritual support on the world's biggest and most competitive stage.

The decision was confirmed in an email response from Canada's Olympic Committee to The Catholic Register. Some see it as a curious decision that eliminates the chance of centralized, holistic support often provided athletes, whether it be at the professional level or in Catholic high schools, where chaplains often play a vital role in building spiritual relationships and offering accompaniment.

Angelo Minardi, the chaplaincy leader at St. Michael Catholic Secondary School in Bolton, Ont., part of the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board, said he's puzzled by the news.

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“For me, I think that the decision would have been second nature,” he said. “ I can't imagine athletes, at such a high level like the Olympics, away from home and having worked all these years to compete at this level, not have someone like a chaplain who could accompany them,” said Minardi.

“To be able to have someone who's not a coach, a mentor or a family member, who could just be there to talk, sit down and have a meal with them — I think there's nothing more essential. These athletes should know that someone has their back, that someone truly cares and wants to be there for them regardless of the outcome, win, lose, medal or no medal.” 

Minaldi has served as a chaplain for nearly 25 years, having previously worked and coached at Brampton’s Cardinal Ambrozic Catholic Secondary from 2009 to 2021, where he coached the junior girls' basketball team for four years. A self-described “avid sports guy,” he emphasized the importance of being present both in the community he serves and expanding ministry through sport beyond traditional settings.

He also spoke about the unique value that a chaplain's presence maintains through sports involvement, with coaching and daily involvement in phys-ed leadership classes allowing him to build deep, trusting relationships with his athletes.

“What I found was that by coaching (athletes), you develop this close relationship while trust is being built. There became an ability to speak to the student and see them with a totally different perspective, and when I don't necessarily talk to the student about their academics or even their faith, you become present to their everyday questions, concerns and struggles. Suddenly, you now find yourself ministering to these athletes separate from the actual sports,” he explained.

Minardi also attests to sport chaplains' ability to see athletes as real people, ones with families, issues, vulnerabilities, as opposed to the “superhuman" performers incapable of losing that the media often creates. That a unique relationship alone fosters better athletes, but also better human beings capable of further developing character and resilience qualities.

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As for how the mission of sports chaplains in Catholic high schools can apply to the world's preeminent international sporting events, Minardi believes it should be even easier given the stakes.

With 207 competitors set to compete across a total of 14 sports for Team Canada this winter, the roster remains as diverse as the country it competes for.

“Almost every person, whether they identify as being part of a certain religion or not, will tell you that there is something spiritual and that something exists in their lives that's beyond understanding and the normal day-to-day. To me, it’s almost inevitable that those athletes would want to talk to someone about that,” Minardi said.

As to why the decision to exclude a chaplain was made, Minardi thinks societal shifts and a general preference towards playing it safe by avoiding any religious affiliation as part of such a diverse team could be at play.

“Sports psychologists serve a great role, and I know they probably have them around, perhaps even a mental health support worker, but we can't deny the role of the spiritual, of a clergy or a chaplain. I don’t think that's something we can just remove from our athletes or from that world,” he said.

It’s an interesting irony that Canadian medal winners may take the podium thanking God and their faith first in interviews, as part of a team where institutional support, at least in the form of a designated chaplain, is absent.

Still, Minardi remains content with the ongoing personal fulfillment he’s found as a chaplain with a heavy emphasis in the sports world. Even as he approaches 25 years of service, he says the ongoing relationships with the athletes keep him visiting classrooms, courts and fields as often as he can.

“ What I receive from the athlete is always way more than what I give them. I learn more about myself, the love of God, what it means to serve my neighbour, and all of that comes through service for that person,” he said.

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In a way, not having chaplains isn’t just a gap in athlete support, but a decision quietly depriving both sides, chaplain and athlete, of something more profound.

“While it might seem like it's the chaplain who is primarily providing that service, the athlete or the person you minister to is always providing you way more. It’s what these young people and athletes give me in return that sustains me and allows me to continue my ministry.”