As the nation celebrates Thanksgiving this week, here’s a little history lesson on the true story of the first Thanksgiving in the New World. Since it was the British who ended up dominating the colonization of what would become the United States, it isn’t surprising that the story we all learned about the “first Thanksgiving” is that of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians at Plymouth Rock in 1621. However, the real “first Thanksgiving” was celebrated 56 years earlier in Florida. In the decades following Christopher Columbus’ voyages to the New World under the patronage of the King and Queen of Spain, other Spanish explorers followed, expanding the influence and claims of the Spanish crown. In 1565 Spanish Admiral Pedro Menendez de Aviles led a band of nearly 1000 soldiers, sailors, and civilians on an expedition to the eastern coast of Florida to establish a permanent Spanish colony and mission there. On September 4, they entered a harbor in Northern Florida which Menendez named St. Augustine because they had first sighted the land on August 28, St. Augustine’s feast day. Four days later (the feast of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary) the expedition’s chaplain, Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales celebrated Mass for the first time there on a makeshift altar. The Spanish invited the Timucuan Indians, who inhabited the area, to celebrate with them. Following the Mass they settled down for a feast; the Timucuans brought oysters and giant clams while the Spanish brought from the stores on their ship pork, garbanzo beans, olive oil, bread, and wine, thus the first Thanksgiving. This Thursday, some 459 years later, we will celebrate Thanksgiving in that same time-honored way: by celebrating our thanksgiving at Mass and then settling down with our loved ones to feast.
There will be two opportunities this week to join in worship and praise of God for all of the blessings we enjoy. This (Sunday) afternoon, the Greater Latrobe Ministerial Association is hosting its annual Thanksgiving Service at Trinity Lutheran Church on Weldon St. at 2:00PM with refreshments and fellowship to follow. On Thursday morning, Thanksgiving Day, Mass will be celebrated at 9:00AM at both Holy Family and at St. John. The Thanksgiving Collection will be designated to assist those in need in our community. While Thanksgiving is certainly not a holyday, I encourage you to make an effort to come to Mass that morning. What better way could there be to begin this national day of thanks than by celebrating the Eucharist?
Next weekend we usher in the year of grace 2025 with the beginning of the holy season of Advent. This is a season of preparation...not only for decorating, buying gifts, and other such things, but it should be, first and foremost, a season of spiritual preparation to prepare for the coming of Christ. Plan now to make the most of Advent this year...maybe make an effort to attend daily Mass at least once a week, if you are able, or set aside a little time each day for quiet reflection amidst the busyness of the season; and the ever-popular Little Blue Books for the Advent and Christmas Seasons are available at both parishes. Another important part of the seasonal preparation is the Sacrament of Reconciliation; in addition to the regularly scheduled celebration of the sacrament on Saturday afternoons, Advent penance services at the parishes around our region are scheduled to begin on December 17.
For all who will be traveling over the coming days to spend Thanksgiving with loved ones, be assured of my prayers. If you are journeying elsewhere, I look forward to seeing you when you return; if you have loved ones coming home to be with you, I look forward to meeting them. And please remember in your prayers all those who are in need and those who will be separated from their loved ones this Thanksgiving.
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