The celebration of American Thanksgiving has become a yearly tradition at the International Seminary in Gricigliano, which now numbers twenty American vocations. Those with culinary talent carefully prepare traditional Thanksgiving dishes for the delight of all the seminarians, as well as the seminary professors and visiting guests who are also invited. The seminarians decorate the refectory and place a statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States, in a special place of honor.
At the start of the soirée, Reverend Canon Philippe Mora, Seminary Rector, gave an insightful discourse (see below) explaining the reasons for the celebration. Afterwards, Canon Mora carved the large turkeys with the assistance of Canon Paul Antoine Lefebvre, Seminary Vice-Rector, and Canon Jason Apple, Prefect of the Seminarians in the Spirituality Year. This year the seminary received a gift of new Beaujolais wine from France which went along very well with the turkey—a successful French-American duo! The homemade pumpkin pie was also popular. The talented seminarian cooks well merited the grateful applause of all present!
Discourse of Reverend Canon Mora, Seminary Rector
On this beautiful day of Thanksgiving, please permit me, in the name of your superiors and of the community, to say to each of you how happy we are for the occasion of this feast to manifest concretely the Catholic and Roman spirit that characterizes our dear Institute.
Beyond the presence of the different nationalities at the seminary, we would like to underline what we have heard Cardinal Pie so magistrally remind us : the traditions and customs of our nations and countries are the precious stones of the Holy Church ; they are her ornament, because they are the fruits of Christendom.
The Holy Church, guided by the Holy Ghost, knows how to adopt as her own all that, in our fallen humanity, can be ennobled by the grace that her Saviour communicates to her.
Contrary to the insinuations of her enemies, the Holy Church destroys nothing that is true and beautiful in the customs of the peoples whom she converts to Our Lord, but rather brings everything into conformity with the message of her divine Master.
This truth opens for us great horizons for the exercise of true charity, which is so foreign to all that is coarse and narrow, contrary to the spirit of sects which are always so eager to condemn and thus to divide. No, it is precisely the true unity in diversity of which only the Catholic is truly capable which fills us with joy this evening ! The Seminary Rule reminds us of this truth : « They shall make every effort to manifest for everyone the same esteem and devotion, especially during times of recreation and during outings. They shall always think above all of what unites them more than of what separates them. May they never forget that the memories of the years of seminary spent in a holy mutual charity, inspired by the gift of piety and the virtue of justice, will give to their whole priestly life an inestimable boon : "O quam bonum et quam jucundum habitare fratres in unum !" (Ps. CXXXII, 1.)
Let us, then, give thanks to God on this beautiful Thanksgiving! And let us assure our American confreres, who edify us by their character and their generosity, of our sincere and fraternal prayers.
Deo gratias! God bless America!