CULLMAN, Ala. – Though most of us relate Thanksgiving to turkey and dressing and all the fixings, students at St. Bernard Prep gathered in the Abbey Church to give thanks to God for the various gifts they have been given in life. All students, faculty and clergy invited by the students, as well as sisters from Cullman’s Sacred Heart Monastery witnessed the bountiful representation of God’s gifts placed at the foot of the altar of the Abbey Church.
Priests, Sisters and Ministers read scripture, and international students read the same Scripture in their native languages of German, Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese.
Fr. Jose Chacko, pastor of St. James Church, Gadsden who presented the sermon, shared he had been a priest for thirty-four years serving in his native India, then in Brazil and now in the United States. He encouraged those gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving remembering with gratitude and love the people to whom we owe so much.
“Be people of gratitude. Thank the Lord and remember people who got you where you are today. Work hard for the coming generations, produce and make a difference,” Fr. Jose said.
In addition to Fr. Chacko, other visiting ministers included Korey Cowart from Crosshaven Church in Hanceville; Fr. Patrick Cullen, Nazareth House, Birmingham; Sr. Marian Davis, OSB, Sacred Heart Monastery, Cullman; Sr. Prioress Lynn Elizabeth Meadows, OSB, Sacred Heart Monastery, Cullman; and Fr. Raul Posada Valencia, Sacred Heart Church, Cullman.
Choral music was provided by the St. Bernard choir under the direction of Sr. Mary Therese Lopez, LIHM and Dr. Craig Mann. Instrumental music under the direction of Jonathon Farley was provided by the St. Bernard Prep School band.
Following the service everyone enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving lunch provided by the St. Bernard dining hall. Student servers included Scarlette DeCicco, Martha Jimenez Jose, Tanya Jimenez Jose, Kimberly McCormick, Anahi Pantoja and Kimberly Pantoja.
