Former Olympian and NBA Star to Appear at St Rose of Lima

Former St. John's and New Jersey Nets star Jayson Williams and U.S. Olympian turned Catholic priest Rev. Joseph Fitzgerald will speak at a community event at St. Rose of Lima Church on Sunday.

The event called "2 Athletes. 2 Stories. Achieving Success & Chasing What Matters."  It's free to the public and will follow the 5:15 p.m. Sunday Youth Mass at the church.

Organizers said the men will talk about their successes and trials as Catholic athletes.

Williams played nine years in the NBA with the Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, and was an all-star in 1998.  He's a New York Times Best Selling author heads up the Jayson WIlliams Foundation, dedicated to helping underprivileged youth. He's  seen dark times, serving prison time after  he plead guilty to aggravated assault in connection with a shooting incident that left a limousine driver dead.  He also served time for a 2010 DWI arrest.

Fr. Fizgerald was a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Handball team that competed in Atlanta. He was also a football player on an Ithaca College team that won the Division III national championship.  He was ordained a priest and serves as the Vocations Director for the Diocese of Rockville Centre.