The Roman Catholic sisters at Sisters of the Precious Blood of Dayton have cheered for the team throughout the season and were together when the Cincinnati Bengals finished a dramatic comeback Jan. 30 to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs to win the AFC Championship and punch their ticket to Sunday’s Super Bowl.
“We were all in the TV room and our little group whooped it up, and everybody wondered what was going on,” Sister Margie Zureick said with a laugh.
The group said they each have been fans of the Bengals since the team’s inception in the 1960s and they watch as many games as possible. The sisters, who regularly meet on Sunday afternoon after attending mass in the morning, include Patricia Dieringer, Delores Keller, Mary Ellen Lampe, Laura Will, Hoffman and Zureick.
Lori Brown and Roshell Harris, cooks at Sisters of the Precious Blood and fellow Bengals fans, said the group of sisters let their fandom be known.
“Some of the games are on during supper time, I can hear them shout and I check in on the score,” Brown said. “It’s pretty fun to watch them.”
The sisters said they feel Joe Burrow is a great quarterback because of his accuracy on his passes and his leadership on and off the field and Sister Dieringer said kicker Evan McPherson has had a spectacular postseason kicking field goals.
The sisters are also happy with how the defense has performed and how the team comes together as one to eke out wins in close games.
“Whether it was a stopping a play, tackling somebody or recovering a fumble, it seems like when we really got our backs up (against the wall), they come through,” Sister Keller said.
The Bengals will now play the Los Angeles Rams Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on NBC. The sisters said they plan to gather in their same spot but anticipate that more sisters will want to join them to watch the big game.
They all believe the Bengals will win -- some predicting a close last-second field goal victory and others predicting a more comfortable two-score decision.
Regardless of the outcome, they said they want the Bengals to know that no matter what, they will be supporting them and that they should do their best and go for it.
Sister Lampe said that she prays for the Bengals’ safety and that they are able to perform to their capabilities and the group said they hope the Bengals also take time to reflect and give thanks to God.
“Remember to pray to the one who gave them all this talent,” Sister Will said. “And we will be praying for them too.”
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