VATICAN CORNER
For centuries, many cultures have celebrated their agricultural harvests. The Romans had a harvest fes!val called Cerelia, which honored Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, grain and fer!lity. Our word cereal comes from her name. The fes!val was held each year on October 4th with offerings of the first harvest fruits going to Ceres. The celebra!on included music, parades, games, sports, and a feast. The American Thanksgiving celebra!on, created by Pilgrims to commemorate a boun!ful harvest in the New World, although a holiday in the U.S. is just another workday for the people of Rome. A few years ago an American Peter Purpura who was studying at the Va!can described his Thanksgiving as follows: On the morning of Thanksgiving Day, I walked to the top floor of my seminary. From its terrace, which has a view of Saint Peter’s Basilica and beyond into the Eternal City of Rome, the sights and sounds of the streets below looked like any other day. The people were rushing to school and work, while the families of my fellow American seminarians were busy preparing turkeys and desserts on the other side of the Atlan!c. I was pleased not to have to go outside the walls of the seminary our “American Island” and into this beau!ful city where everything was as normal as any typical day in Rome. Our seminary community does its best to make the students feel at home and invites other Americans to share the day with us as they, too, spend the holiday away from family and friends in the United States. This year our seminary community of nearly two hundred people welcomed another one hundred-fi&y Americans to celebrate. We began the day with a Mass of thanksgiving in the seminary chapel. It is in this chapel that my fellow seminarians and I pray daily for our family and friends. There was a true spirit of prayer as we li&ed our hearts and minds to God in thanksgiving for all that he has provided. A&er Mass we con!nued our celebra!on in the dining hall. Guests sat at tables each designated for a par!cular state in the United States. First came pasta, then the tradi!onal dishes of turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. A&er the meal, it has been our tradi!on for a student to prepare a small speech about the blessings of our country. This year as always, the speech reflected on the inten!on of our founding fathers and how we have tried to fulfill their hopes for our na!on. Following the speech, the Ambassador of the United States, who represents the United States and the President to the Va!can, read the President’s Thanksgiving Day Proclama!on. It was touching to hear the words of our president speak of the importance of Thanksgiving and the need to thank our God for all he has done. Peter Purpura wrote: I am especially thankful to the Lord for allowing me to celebrate this holiday in a wonderful country that knows it not, but in a giving community that knows it well.
Sources: About.com, Sadlierreligion.com
A Thanksgiving Poem: For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson