Thanksgiving at the NAC

This past week, the college got to celebrate a distinctively American holiday—Thanksgiving. With so many men living away from home, Thanksgiving is a treasured time where the men can express their love and gratitude for their home country as well as for the college community itself. This year’s celebratory atmosphere was heightened because James M. Harvey of Milwaukee, Wisconsin was made Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI on the following Saturday.

The Thanksgiving festivities are not limited to a single day. Here in Rome, Thanksgiving becomes a weekend event. This year began with the annual “Turkey Trot”, a 5K run around Vatican City State. A record number of seminarians participated this year. Tyler Bischoff (Gaylord, Michigan, ’17) won first place for the second year in a row.

For some, Thanksgiving morning started with a ”hallway breakfast”. It is an opportunity to eat choice breakfast foods as well as enjoy the fraternity of a smaller community than the whole house. The festivities continued later that day when the New Men and Old Men faced off in game of flag football – a game for which both teams had been been practicing for a number of weeks. In this annual “Spaghetti Bowl”, the Old Men have a long history of winning, and this year was no exception. The Old Men had the advantage from the start and despite some good team-work and some good runs, the Old Men won the game. The day ended with a strong sense of unity amongst the men as well as fraternal good will.

Thanksgiving Day continued with Mass celebrated by his Eminence Edwin Frederick O’Brien. Cardinal O’Brien gave a wonderful homily that can be read by clicking here. After Mass, everyone gathered for a multiple-course meal, a true Thanksgiving feast. The large refectory was transformed into a sampling of the cultural flavors of the entire country. Men from the same states ate together at tables which were decorated with hallmarks of their state, including flags, pictures, and memorabilia. The meal finished with pumpkin pie and some entertainment from the 5th year priests, who served the tables throughout the meal. The house settled down after the meal, thankful for such cherished American traditions. The upcoming weekend also promised to be exciting due to the Consistory on Saturday.

The annual Old Men/New Men Show has been rescheduled for the upcoming Friday. These shows allow the community to gather for some entertainment as the New Men and Old Men host variety shows for the house. It’s always a good time, both showcasing the talents of the men here and making light of some familiar experiences around the house.

In gratitude for all that the Lord has done, we proudly celebrate Thanksgiving. It is truly a time where the best of American tradition and the Catholic faith can be lived out together.