Mike Ditka dies at 86: Bears coach remembered for his deep faith and devotion to church 

To the world, Mike Ditka was an intimidating presence on the football sidelines, shouting orders at players and arguing with referees as he built the Chicago Bears into Super Bowl champions. But those who knew him behind the scenes say he was a devout man of God who took his faith seriously and made it a central part of his life.

Ditka died Friday at the age of 86, capping a remarkable life that saw him achieve greatness as both a player and coach before becoming a familiar face on television as a football analyst.

A five-time Pro Bowl tight end and three-time Super Bowl champion – once as a player, once as an assistant coach and once as a head coach – Ditka was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988 for his play on the field and later became a pop culture phenomenon thanks in part to Saturday Night Live sketches (“Da Bears”) that parodied the devotion of Chicago fans.

Family members and friends remembered him as a devout Catholic who regularly attended Mass.

“Coach Mike Ditka was a Catholic and would go to daily Mass,” Maury Buford, the punter for the 1985 Super Bowl-winning Bears, told EWTN News. “The Catholics were well represented on the Bears squad.”

Ditka told the Catholic website OnePeterFive.com in 2018 that his faith was rooted in his childhood, particularly the influence of his mother, who made sure he attended Mass and Catholic school.

“I am so grateful for the Roman Catholic faith with which I was raised,” he said. “My dad didn’t go to church, but my mom was a terrific Catholic – a fervent convert to the faith – and always saw that we went to mass and Catholic school. The Sisters of Saint Joe taught us so much at St. Paddy’s Church and school in Aliquippa, Pa. The nuns, they were really tough – they’d hit you if need be – and they taught us everything we needed. It was really great. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

Concerned about atheism, secularism

The interview was conducted prior to the recent resurgence of faith among not only Catholics but Protestants. Ditka expressed concern about what he viewed as a growing movement toward secularism and atheism in American society.

“If you take God out of your daily life, that’s scary. That seems to be what we’re talking about, isn’t it? This country has gone in and out of a lot of different movements, but I don’t know how we come back from this atheist movement,” he said in the 2018 interview. “That’s why this is so scary. Like I said, my mother was a convert to Catholicism, and it’s beautiful what she gave me, in the faith. I believe every bit that the church teaches. Confession matters. Communion matters.”

Ditka also expressed traditional views on the roles of men and women, arguing that men have a responsibility to lead and protect their families.

“Men are the leaders; that’s the way it is. Men take care of women, like Adam should have taken care of Eve,” he said. “A man’s a man. I didn’t make the rules; I’m just saying the obvious. All these people are afraid of the truth. There are plenty of strong, great women, sure. I’m not saying there aren’t. But men are leaders and we need them to realize that.”

Jarrett Payton, a sports broadcaster and son of legendary Bears running back Walter Payton, announced Ditka’s death Friday on social media and shared a statement from the coach’s family.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka,” the statement said. “While the world knew Mike as a Hall of Fame football player, legendary coach, and leader of the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl XX championship team, we knew him as the heart of our family. Mike will be missed beyond measure and remembered forever.”

(Image credit: Screenshot/X/@thesportsontap)