Many thanks to Marie Gartner and the Parish Religious Education Program (PREP) families and Kieran McCormack and the CYO families for co-sponsoring our Parish Thanksgiving Service, Monday, November 23^rd. Thanks also to Marie Maher and those who worked with her in providing the wonderful hospitality we shared together in the gym immediately following the service. Many who attended brought in a nice variety of hors d’oeuvres, desserts and other food items for our sharing table which were all enjoyed with great enthusiasm. In addition, loaves of blessed bread were distributed to each and every household which joined us over in the gym following the service.

Our service was begun with our children leading the celebrants down the main aisle with homemade posters depicting the reasons we give THANKS at Thanksgiving. As they processed around the church with their posters, the choir and congregation joined in singing America the Beautiful.

Following our Liturgy of the Word, with our readings done by the children, our pastor, Msgr. Nevin, preached a homily on the meaning of Thanks as reflected in Luke’s parable of the Ten Lepers.

One of the highlights of the service was the Procession of Gifts to the altar. As the choir and congregation sang This Day God Gives Me, many of those present processed down the main aisle to present their gifts of food or monetary donations on behalf of the needy who are serviced by our parish food pantry as well as Catholic Community Services of Rockland.

The children took turns leading the congregation in the Prayers of Petition. Following the Lord’s Prayer and Exchange of Thanksgiving Peace, we listened to the words of a Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln. Following the service, all sang God Bless America as we processed out of the church and over to the gym to enjoy our sharing table and each others’ company.