A Thanksgiving Message

As Thanksgiving approaches, I find myself thinking of you and giving thanks for this parish.

I’m grateful for the ordinary, holy things we share here at St. Mary Magdalene & St. Martin: the conversations in front of the church after Mass, the people who quietly get things done, the kindness you show to one another, and the way you reach beyond these walls to care for our neighbors.

I also know this holiday is not simple for everyone.
Some of us will notice the empty chair at the table.
Some are worried about money, health, or strained relationships.
Some look at the news and feel more anxious than grateful.

If that’s where you are this year, please hear this: you are not doing Thanksgiving “wrong.” You don’t have to pretend everything is fine. God meets us in the real place where we actually are, not where we think we should be.

Even in a hard season, sometimes we can still notice small gifts: a phone call from a friend, a shared meal, a quiet moment of rest, the knowledge that this church is praying for you. Those little signs of grace matter. They’re often how God steadies us.

I am deeply thankful for you—for your faith, your questions, your generosity, your willingness to keep showing up. What we do together as a parish, especially for those in need, is one of the clearest ways I see God at work.

My prayer is that, whatever your table looks like this year—full and noisy, simple and quiet, or somewhere in between—you will know that you are loved by God and that you have a place in this community.

A short prayer for you and for our parish:

Gracious God,
thank you for the gifts you place in our lives,
the ones we see and the ones we miss.
Bless every home in our parish this Thanksgiving.
Comfort those who are grieving, strengthen those who are worn out,
and give hope to those who are worried.
Help us turn our gratitude into care for others,
following the way of Jesus.
In his name we pray. Amen.

With love and thanksgiving for you,