Racetrack chaplain offers prayers before post
time
SHAKOPEE, Minn. - If betting on horses were a sure thing, the
Rev. Jack Nigro would not be the chaplain at Canterbury Park. He probably would still be betting compulsively on horses,
but with guaranteed results, he'd likely be rich. He would be
indulging all of his addictions: sex, pornography, gambling and
maybe some drugs. He would still be a tortured man, but he wouldn't
hurt quite as much. "I hate religion, but I love relationships," says
Nigro as he rushes off to the security building that guards the
entrance to the track's backstretch. He's about to deliver his
morning devotional that will be heard by about 400 workers and
their families. His conversion from addict to minister has been
quick and deep. "I went to the seminary in Pennsylvania in 1997, and there
was a man in my life, Dr. Grant Ward. This man treated me like
a person - just as Jesus drew people to himself because of his
love. He never judged me even through my addictions. "We finally got to the point where he directed me to counsel
and realized the gifts I had for talking to people and he directed
those things. He welcomed me into his heart and soul like it talks
about in Thessalonians and really built me up as a mother would
a newborn babe." Ward's support and Nigro's passion for his work have allowed
him to gain experience as a preacher, benefits the folks at Canterbury
Park are now hearing. The security personnel stand to the side and Nigro moves in.
He takes a stance - head down, legs spread, arms outstretched
and gripping the speaker's counter. A former stand-up comedian, Nigro knows this moment is his
greatest strength. He's doing the "Monica Sweepstakes,"
a 30-second take on four horses: Monica, Hillary, the president
and a special prosecutor, all running a race in Arkansas. Nigro
imitates the voice of a racetrack broadcaster: "Hillary comes up from behind and kicks mud in the face
of ... The special prosecutor pulls up lame and can't finish." "This is Chaplain Jack back on track with Matthew 3:17.
'And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved,
with whom I am well pleased.' " Nigro continues. "Hey, I grew up with a father who wasn't around but he
always criticized me. I was always trying to live up to that.
I know what it's like not to have a father or a father who can't
love. I know what it's like. Remember James 4:8: 'Draw near to
God and he'll draw near to you. Press on to the Lord.' " The morning devotion is over quickly, and Nigro steps from
the booth, shakes hands with the security folks and heads back
to his office, a small cubicle where he counsels, studies and
even sleeps when the track closes at night. He's working on a
four-month contract, and his job description is a bit soft. Somehow
he has to care for the backside, the entire conglomeration of
stables and apartments where the workers, trainers, exercisers
and their apprentices work and live. His financial support comes
from three sources: the Horseman's Beneficial and Protective Association,
Canterbury Park and the Brookfield Foundation. In a few weeks his job will be done, and his whole parish will
move to other tracks, back home to other countries or into the
Twin Cities, where people will search for work. Nigro has taken
on a three-year prison ministry and doesn't plan to return to
Canterbury Park. Until then, he takes care of people, organizing
softball games where alcohol isn't permitted, field trips to Valleyfair
and weekly worship services. Most of his contacts start informally, just walking around
or sitting in the backside cafeteria. On this hot and humid day, everyone in the cafeteria is talking
about the lack of air conditioning in the place where they eat
and socialize. If the doors are opened for fresh air, the flies
come in and take over. Armando Vargas stops Nigro as he drinks
coffee in the cafeteria. Vargas has been around the track for
25 years. He is now a trainer and a horse owner. "I love horses," Vargas says. "I love the industry.
But I don't like the way the tracks are managed. That's one of
the reasons they're going downhill." Casinos, where people can push a lever and play a game of chance,
are often blamed for a slump at the racetrack. But some people
say such problems are linked to the downturn of the entire agricultural
enterprise. Horse racing also must compete with a number of sports
and entertainment venues. "The biggest challenge is pleasing God, not man. It's
like people don't think you can have fun if you're a chaplain,"
Nigro says. "It's like ministers are (supposed to be) sour,
bored, boring. I mean, God has to have a sense of humor: He created
me." Nigro always has a self-deprecating remark, a put-down that
pulls him off the pedestal and into the dust of the backside of
the track. Sheila Williams, the public relations representative at Canterbury
Park, says Nigro is just what the track needs through the four
months of summer. "There are a lot of people back here with street savvy
and with them, he's very charismatic," Williams said. "Of
course, the horse is why we're here. We're all looking for the
big horse. So it's the horse that holds us together. It's kind
of a mystical thing. And Jack, he's right in the middle of all
that." That's just the right spot for this minister, among a group
of people who inspire him. "That's where the Lord comes in; he was with the poor
people. And for me, it's God's timing," Nigro said. "So,
I still struggle. Sure! "But loneliness is a spirit. Out of that loneliness comes
the addiction. We have to beat that spirit."
Clark D. Morphew
Posted For August 28, 1999