Thanksgiving in a Legionary Seminary

Turkey, football, and family: these three shape what Thanksgiving is for many Americans. This also holds true in our seminary here in Connecticut. We have these aspects—we eat turkey, play football, and come together as a Legionary family – not for their own sake, but to thank God for the gifts He has bestowed on us. These three elements revolve around God who gives them meaning. On this day, we give thanks to God and He receives our gratitude by allowing us to celebrate and have fun as a family.
After a beautiful Mass and a good breakfast, we had to change quickly into recreation clothes: we were going to play football the whole morning. Although it was very cold (high of 27!) and windy, we were resolute to go to the field and throw some pigskin. A group of brothers organized a tournament, giving us a shot of competition. However, I soon realized that winning was not the top priority: each brother’s enjoyment was everyone’s top priority. We were able to combine charity and hard work on the field, and the result was amazing.
A great meal was waiting for us when we returned home to the seminary. A team of novices (seminarians in their first two years of formation) prepared lunch for all ninety of us. They put a lot of work into this meal: the turkeys had been roasting since three in the morning! Since all the employees had the day off, we also had to wash dishes, clean pots and pans, and make dinner.
When lunch was over, we had a period of housework and then solemn rosary with the Blessed Sacrament exposed and with beautiful English and Latin hymns. It was 5:00 p.m., and only one thing had been missing for the day: to watch a football game, and so we did. Once the game had concluded, we had dinner, night prayers, and a deep sleep.