BARRINGTON — If ever there was a “Sunday story,” this is it.

Actually, the story begins with another story that appeared in The Sunday Journal last month about a group of Carmelite nuns who included in their daily prayers their favorite football team, the New England Patriots, and the team owner, Robert Kraft.

A friend of the nuns sent a copy of that story to Kraft, who then sent…well, let Sister Susan Lumb tell it:

“One morning,” she said, “I was called to the front door of the monastery to see a man that I was told was from the Patriots organization. I thought it was a joke, that a friend was pulling my leg.”

It was no joke.

“The man had been sent to deliver six tickets, along with a ‘VIP’ parking pass, to the Tennessee game,” she said.

The sisters were excited about the prospect of attending their first NFL game, but also hesitant.

“We don’t do things like that,” said Sister Normagene Gillespie. “We talked about the pros and cons, and how it fit into our lifestyle. The more we thought about it, we felt it was a one-time thing, and that we should go.”

The nuns wound up having the time of their lives.

“It was one surprise after another,” Sister Lumb said.

“Mr. Kraft met with us,” she said, “and we had some pictures taken with the Patriots’ three Super Bowl trophies. Then we all got on an elevator, thinking we were going to our seats, but we ended up going out on the field. We were stunned. It was unbelievable.”

Standing near the 50-yard line, Kraft introduced the nuns to former linebacking star Andre Tippett, then called quarterback Tom Brady, who graduated from Catholic high school in San Mateo, Calif., over to meet them.

“He was much taller than I thought he was,” said Sister Jean Elliott, a tiny bundle of personality who had brought a huge smile to Kraft’s face during their picture-taking session.

“I was standing next to him,” she said. “When he put his hand on my shoulder, I said: ‘I feel as if I’m standing at the right hand of God.’ He laughed, and said: ‘I’ll have to tell my wife that.’”

To their surprise and delight, the nuns also met Kraft’s wife, Myra, and two of their sons.

“When we left the field,” Sister Lumb said, “he took us up to the owner’s box to sit with him and his family.”

Sister Eileen Nasser, a native of Palestine who came to America eight years ago, enjoyed talking with the Krafts about Israel, where the family has a branch of their company, called Carmel Containers.

“Our order was founded on Mt. Carmel,” she said. “He told me about how he had brought Tom Brady to visit Nativity Church and the Holy Sepulcher. I am Arab and Catholic. He is Jewish. But I didn’t feel any difference between us. I felt like one of the family.”

“Whenever the Patriots did something good,” Sister Jean said, “Jonathan Kraft would turn and give me a high-five. They couldn’t have been nicer.”

Sister Vilma Seelaus was struck by the similarities between the values of the Carmelites and those espoused by the Patriots organization.

“Mr. Kraft and I talked about things like loyalty, dedication, commitment, and perseverance,” she said. “We try to apply those qualities to our lifestyle. He said the Patriots also try to do that, as a team.

“They try to inculcate a sense of caring, respect and responsibility among teammates. Those are good qualities for all of us to practice.”

For those who may wonder why, with all problems in the world, the nuns pray for a football team, Sister Eileen said: “Sport is so much a part of American life. While we live a quiet life of prayer, we also want to be in the heart of that larger life.”

“People don’t call us,” said Sister Normagene, “and ask us to give prayers of thanks because they won the lottery, or are getting married. They call because they’ve been diagnosed with cancer, or they’re having surgery, or their spouse is dying. It’s nice, for me, to have balance on the other side.”

A former physical education teacher, Sister Normagene has been a sports fan all her life, as has Sister Susan. They attend Mass every morning but, on fall Sundays, they are just as devoted to watching the Patriots play.

“The other sisters can tell when we come out of the room whether the Patriots have won or lost,” Sister Normagene said.

“We’re pretty faithful to it — no pun intended,” Sister Susan said.

She says she’s a big fan of “the old guys — Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Rodney Harrison. And everybody likes Troy Brown.”

Following their trip to Gillette Stadium, the nuns have become even more avid fans of the Pats and the Kraft family — who have, in turn, become fans of the Carmelites.

“I was touched,” Kraft said before the Carolina game Friday night, “to learn of the support that we get from the Carmelite Monastery. They are the sweetest ladies. They told me they would be praying for us this season. I just love that. In my opinion, you can never have enough friends, and you can never have enough prayers.”

jdonalds@projo.com