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In Thanksgiving . . .

 This week we celebrate Thanksgiving.  As Christians, this holiday provides us with a special time to give thanks for all God’s blessings.  The word “thanksgiving” actually means “the act of giving thanks” - a grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, especially to God.  I hope and pray you will take some time to pray together and enjoy family and friends this week, giving thanks. 

 Often when we gather together, we remember past Thanksgiving gatherings with fondness and gratitude.  It was over 30 years ago, that our Catholic Ministries Appeal (CMA) began as the “Thanks Giving Appeal.”  The aim of our CMA is to raise money to support crucial diocesan-wide ministries and outreach.  

 It is critical that we each give thanks through this Appeal, recognizing that Jesus has entrusted us with the mission of spreading the Faith.  Without your financial support, we could not adequately teach our young, help our elderly, feed our poor, maintain our churches and other buildings, or provide for our priests. The Body of Christ’s only real means of support is through the generosity of its members.

 When you give to the Catholic Ministries Appeal, you are really giving to our eager children hungry to learn about the faith of their parents and generations of Catholics. You are giving to the dedicated young seminarian learning to serve God and the Church, or the older priest who has served faithfully and needs retirement support. Your money goes to help the vital work of Catholic Charities, to families just like yours whose faith sees them through difficult times. And more than half of every dollar raised returns to our parish in the form of services and programming we would have a difficult time providing on our own.

 This Thanksgiving Holiday, would you take the time to act and give thanks by making your pledge to the CMA?  Each of us is called to reflect the compassion and generosity of Jesus, who gave his very life so that we might have eternity with God.  To be truly thankful means that we will use our blessings well, to help others, to share our bounty so that our wealth, however large or small, does good for God and returns to God with increase.  To all of you who have already and so generously given – THANK YOU and GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!!

 This year, may God give us each the grace to be truly thankful!

Deacon Frank