10/09/2026
On Oct. 8th, renowned sports psychologist Dr. Mark Nesti offered an in-depth lecture at SJC, titled “Flourishing of the Human Person in Sport: In Conversation with Sport Psychologist Dr Mark Nesti”. The lecture, which approached the world of sports and athletics from a holistic and spiritual perspective, marks the first St. Joseph’s College Speaker Series event of the academic year.
For the 23 persons in attendance, Dr. Nesti drew from insights by Catholic thinkers like Josef Pieper, philosophical disciplines like phenomenology, and other sources to detail an understanding of sports which acknowledges the reality and importance of the human soul in athletics. Dr. Nesti emphasized that what makes a great athlete is not merely their physical capabilities, but their whole personhood of mind, body and soul. He had brought these same insights to bare at the Vatican in 2018, when he worked with the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life in Rome on their document, “Giving the Best of Yourself”, relating to a Christian perspective of sport and the human person.
The lecture, co-sponsored by the SJC Kule Chair in Catholic Religious Education and Newman Theological College, emphasized how much religious education extends into all areas, including sport and athletics. We thank everyone for taking the time to attend this unique and insightful lecture!
