Last month, in honor of Thanksgiving, Catholics from all over the Diocese dedicated time to help donate, organize, and distribute Thanksgiving meals to those in need within their communities. Those parishioners and volunteers demonstrated the importance of generosity and gratitude, which Bishop Alberto Rojas referenced in his Thanksgiving prayer for the Diocese.
“We thank you for the food upon our tables today, and for the many hands that helped to prepare it for us,” Bishop Rojas said. “Through the generosity of other hands, provide nourishment and sustenance to those who may not be as fortunate as we are. Your Son Jesus taught us that with great faith in Your love all will be fed.”
One of the parishes to organize a Thanksgiving food distribution was St. Anthony, Upland. Thanks to the parishioners’ donations of food, gift cards, and money, they were able to assist over 60 families in need. Parishioners were able to assemble large baskets filled with traditional canned/boxed Thanksgiving items such as sweet potatoes, green beans, mashed potatoes, cornbread, stuffing, a large foil baking pan and much more.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Ontario also spent time coordinating a Thanksgiving box distribution to help feed the hungry. Parishioners and volunteers gathered on Nov. 18 to assemble Thanksgiving boxes filled with traditional Thanksgiving items as well as pumpkin pie for dessert. After taking time to assemble the boxes, the volunteers were able to distribute 125 of them to those in need. Father Cristobal Subosa, Pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, also placed a special Blessing over the food and volunteers who dedicated their time to help those less fortunate.
The youth, students and other parishioners of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish and School in San Bernardino combined forces with students from Aquinas High School’s Filipino Cultural Club to help organize their “Thanksgiving Food Hunt.” Over 60 volunteers divided into six groups and ventured out into the parish neighborhood to ask for donations of canned/ boxed food items. In addition to asking for donations, the volunteers handed out flyers with the parish’s upcoming Masses and events and invited everyone they encountered to join them in worship. Through their efforts, the parishioners, volunteers, and students collected over 1,400 food items and were able to create 240 Thanksgiving food baskets for those in need within the parish community.
These parishes, along with many others who donated food and/or their time within our Diocese truly exemplified the Catholic faith by extending a helping hand to feed those in need.