A Season to Remember

Happy Thanksgiving! When I think about Thanksgiving, certain images come to mind. Thanksgiving is the one day a year set aside for expressing our thanks to God.  We wait an entire year for this one moment to express our thankyous.    We are caught up in the busyness of all it takes to prepare our thanksgiving meal and by the time Thanksgiving arrives we collapse from exhaustion.   

As I was driving home today, I was asking myself “do we really take the time to count our many blessings?”  Years ago when I lived in Brooklyn, there was and maybe still is a facility called St. Joseph Home for Girls. Children lived there from infancy through eighteen if a parent had not signed off for them to be adopted.  As a mission a dear friend and I decided to become involved and foster children from time to time. The time I spent with those children has always been a blessing to me. They have now aged out of the system and hopefully are enjoying life as an adult

I am blest and thankful for the families that have allowed me to be part of their lives by sponsoring them and becoming a godmother to their children baptisms.     I want to begin by giving thanks to my family, my St. Stephen family along with others who have impacted my life beyond words.  Let me begin with   Perida from a previous Parish and from St. Stephen I have been blessed with meeting many wonderful people; Dedra, Alba, Joe, Sue, Frances, Naomi, Charlinda, Kevin and Sophie and William. I have also had the opportunity catechized (teach) many others through a ministry called “Catholics Come Home” and in doing so it has enriched my faith.  

God allows so many people to leave footprints on your heart.  This Thanksgiving day, let's make an extra effort to express our thankfulness to God in prayer, from our hearts to yours!  Thank you!

Peace, love, and joy,

Jeanne Schneider, Pastoral Assistant