Interfaith Council Thanksgiving leaves everyone with fellow-feeling and full bellies

Visit three slide shows in our Photo Gallery
November 27, 2009

Editor’s note: On Sunday, November 22, a Thanksgiving Interfaith Service was hosted by St. John and St. Mary’s Catholic Church.  It began with music and prayers sung and read by representatives of all the Interfaith Council member groups, and ended with a feast in the parish hall.  Here we reprint The Reverend Tom Lenhart’s opening remarks, followed by notes from some of the participants, and last, some film.

“On behalf of the Interfaith Council’s members I want to welcome you today to this thanksgiving service. We have much to be thankful for. Among our blessings is the legacy of remarkable ideals—equality, liberty, and freedom of religion—established by those who have gone before us. This is a land where a church and a temple and a mosque can share the same street; where children of different races, nationalities and religions can play and learn together. In that spirit we gather together in interfaith worship this day . . . 

O God, 

        For the beauty and wonders of creation

        For the love and affection of family and friends

        For the valiant seekers after truth, justice

        and peace who make our world better

        For the gift of the many traditions and expressions

        of faith that gather here to enrich each other

        For this special time of community and fellowship and For the food we are about to eat and those who have prepared it –

we give you our heartfelt thanks. And may you now bless us all and give us peace this day and ever more. Amen.”

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I want to say a heartfelt “thank you” to all involved in the Chappaqua Interfaith Council’s Thanksgiving Prayer Service this past Sunday at the Church of St. John & St. Mary. Having attended this service in past years, it is such a blessing to have this moment at Thanksgiving where we fellowship together as one community across many faiths and nationalities, sharing the desire for love and peace that God plants in our souls as His children.  I can only imagine that this is what God intended with the first Thanksgiving, and if we could do this across the world, how quickly wars and other human conflicts would disappear in our common desire for the good of our friends and neighbors - because we know them by name. 

So thank you to Rev. Msgr. Thomas Gilleece and the Church of St. John & St. Mary for hosting us (especially the Women’s Association – what a hard working team!!); thank you to Rev. Tom Lenhart and the Chappaqua Interfaith Council for their devotion and vision to bringing this community together to share this moment of peace; and thank you to Crabtree’s Kittle House, Mt. Kisco Seafood and D’Agostino’s for their food donations.  It is especially great to hear the many talented singers and musicians that we have in this community!  Maybe Vanessa Williams & the St. John and St. Mary Choir could perform (and make a CD) with Dave Bickler & the First Congregational “Hims of Faith”!  It would also be nice if NCCTV could videotape this next year for re-broadcast.
   
For those who were unable to attend, I hope that you will remember to put it on your calendar for next year.

Bill Spade

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Marion and I want to thank you again for inviting us to the Interfaith Council ecumenical service and meal.  Congratulations on an engaging and moving service! As Marion noted, celebrating the unique contribution of each religious tradition made this a truly ecumenical event.  Hearing Mr. Adhami chant the Muslim call to prayer in a Catholic church was a wonderful moment!

We wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Dale and Marion

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Hi All, My congratulations to everyone for a simply wonderful service yesterday and a great meal. It was a true moment of worship in which we celebrated all that we share and also the enriching and joyous diversity of our faith expressions. Every element in the service fit and added to the experience. My thanks to every contributing group and participant and to all who provide the cornucopia of food we shared. I would be remiss if I did not note two special “thank yous”—to the Church of Saint John and Saint Mary and its members and clergy for hosting and carrying the laboring oar this year and to Candie Downing, who so adroitly organized the service and the printing of the program —go our deepest appreciation.  Well done!  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving—Tom Lenhart

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Thanks for the Thanks

Dear all,

Our Thanksgiving event was a success again this year!.  We could not have done it without the sacrificial efforts of particularly Joanie Ferroni and the Women of St. John and St. Mary as well as those terrific youth!  Joanie, your seating arrangement worked out perfectly. The choirs, the organization of the food, the cleanup - how can we thank them all enough?  Thank you so much Msgr. Gilleece for opening your beautiful church to all faiths.

Elinor Griffith, Richard Laster and Ellen Lewis made sure there was turkey for everyone (and his brother!)  You all saved the day.  Tom, thank you for the beautiful prayers and especially for again providing a place in the service for our native Americans to be heard.  And those “Hims of Faith”.  Loved it!!!!  I particularly want to thank Joel for the beautiful selections that he submitted, but everyone provided material that was appropriate, moving, and uplifting.

To all those anonymous busy bees who brought food, pitched in when there was any kind of need, and made sure everyone was cared for, thank you for your loving spirits and caring hearts.  The food was grand!  And we had more than enough to share with others in the community.  What a statement about the closeness and giving nature of our community.  Please pass on thanks to all those who participated in your own congregations.

I received many compliments and positive comments from attendees about everything. People were very moved by the unity and diversity of our community and the service. I believe that the example we have set will have a ripple effect affecting others and inspiring other communities to work to achieve the spirit that we have.  My deepest appreciation goes out to everyone.

I have seen a big change in our community over the last few years.  The youth seemed so much more confident and anxious to serve and I was happy to see so many participate from the different congregations. The level of friendship and open-mindedness and cooperation has grown to a whole new level.  I brag out our council and our community all the time.  I can truly say of both Chappaqua and the council that “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

With love to all,

Candie Downing
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The members of the Chappaqua Interfaith Council extend our sincere thanks to all who attended our recent Thanksgiving Service and Community Meal.  It was heartwarming to have so many members of the community support and share this unifying event with us, We are especially grateful to those who donated over $900 to Food Bank for Westchester so far and for the additional offerings still coming in.

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The Chappaqua Interfaith Council includes representatives, both lay and clergy, from the following faith communities:  Baha’is of New Castle; Chappaqua Friends Meeting; The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Episcopal; First Congregational Church; Lutheran Church of our Redeemer; St. John and St. Mary’s Catholic Church; Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester; Upper Westchester Muslim Society.

For further information, contact Candace Downing at 914 419-7216 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).