10 minute read
Thanksgiving Traditions
Sharing gratitude as brothers Thanksgiving Traditions
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REV. JUSTIN WEBER ‘20, ARCHDIOCESE OF MILWAUKEE
ver the top” is just one phrase that gestures towards what Thanksgiving O,, Day at the College is like. In order to fit all of the events in, the day requires an early morning start. Before the sun is up (and most of Rome for that matter), some seminarians and faculty, and even some expats from study-abroad programs, lace up their shoes for the only five-kilometer run to circumnavigate a sovereign nation,
Vatican City. As the runners contend for the quickest time or the most creative costume, back at the College each hallway morphs into a kitchen, dining room, and living room that rivals the crowded streets of Naples.
Hall breakfast takes what is usually the smallest, quickest meal of the day and transforms it into an event that rivals the Thanksgiving banquet itself in terms of food and fraternity. Later in the morning, the sacred liturgy magnifies what is usually a daily Mass into something closer to a solemnity.
The morning of Thanksgiving could constitute its own day, yet it still pales in comparison to the Thanksgiving banquet. Each state decorates its table according to its own customs: cows carved out of butter, cowboy hats and boots, cheese meant to be worn on the head, and some candlesticks for propriety’s sake. The meal itself, a
Joseph Brodeur '24 (Providence) ices the cinnamon rolls for his hall's Thanksgiving Breakfast, while wearing a turkey hat.
full traditional Thanksgiving course of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, is preceded, as only can happen in Italy, by pumpkin-filled ravioli. The student priests not only provide the pumpkin pies, but also a song, which is usually as comically cringe-worthy as the pie is delicious. The evening closes with a showing of a 1950s-era Person to Person episode spotlighting the College, which illustrates the fact that, while the people change, the College remains the same.
Naturally the question arises, must Thanksgiving be celebrated this way? Why must it be so “over the top?” In some ways, it is necessary on Thanksgiving to break out of the rhythm of the Eternal City, which naturally passes over the American holiday in silence (yet, ironically, has found Black Friday worth celebrating). The class lectures still go on during that otherwise anonymous Thursday, though there may or may not be the same number of listeners. All the more, if we are honest, perhaps such an “over the top” celebration may merely be an attempt to make up for what is felt to be missing. Far from family and friends celebrating a most American holiday back in the nation we call home, the gap we feel beckons to be filled with something.
And so, is Thanksgiving at the College a bit of overcompensation? Maybe. However, the fruits of the traditions of Thanksgiving Day at the College are tangible. To put it quite simply, it forges bonds of fraternity and memories that last longer than any turkey trot, meal, or class lecture the day after Thanksgiving. It takes hard work to pull off such a day. The race in the morning that finishes in minutes takes weeks to plan. The cooks for hall breakfast usually rise just as early as the runners. Dignified praise of our God in the liturgy comes only from prayer and preparation. The banquet provided by our generous staff and the pies from the hands of the student priests (for better or for worse, at least they try) do not happen by accident but emerge from sacrifices of time and ego that bear fruit in relationships. We do not have to do Thanksgiving this way, yet we choose to, and that makes it all the more special, “something over the top.” n
The Show Must Go On
DILLON BRUCE ’22, DIOCESE OF RICHMOND
Members of the Class of 2024 perform a song at that end of the 2020 New Man Show.
ver since I learned that St. John Paul II was a playwright and an actor, I have been amazed by E the connection between the arts and a priest’s ability to preach and connect with others in ministry. One of the clearest expressions of this at the College is the annual New Man/Old Man Show.
Capping off a week of Thanksgiving festivities and traditions, the show gathers the men of the house together for an evening of fraternal entertainment. A blessing of living in a large community is the opportunity to witness the creativity and talents of my brother seminarians. This show is one of my favorite events of the year, and I am awed by the acting, writing, and video-editing skills of the men in the house. The skits and videos range from Saturday Night Live parodies and movie-trailer spoofs to musical numbers and original sketches. While the content and subjects of the acts are diverse, they often focus on good-humored commentary about seminary or life in Rome.
It is a big night for the New Men because this is one of the first times they come together to work on a project and share their class’s talents and personalities with the rest of the community. The pressure is on for them to entertain the Old Men—leave even a moment’s silence between acts, and the crowd might begin to make animal noises! The Old Men also have a chance to amuse with skits and videos influenced by their experiences from years already spent at the College. In the end, both groups put a lot of time and effort into preparing, practicing, and presenting the show, which provides us all with a moment to laugh and relate in a way unique to men preparing for the priesthood. n
Thanksgiving List
NICHOLAS SELLERS ’24, DIOCESE OF EVANSVILLE
It is time for the carrying of the turkey!” My dad echoes these words early each Thanksgiving morning as the preparations for ,, the savory and sweet feast are being laid out. A few years ago, my dad decided to start a family tradition in which he would process the Thanksgiving turkey throughout our house for all to see before he put it in the oven. It sounds goofy, but that is my family.
We love traditions because good family traditions make for good memories, and good memories mean the gift of time together.
The thought of not having time with my family this Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks my heart. I have currently been away from home for longer than I ever have before, and it has certainly been a challenge. But it is also a beautiful gift. In fact, the primary emotion that wells up within my heart so often here in Rome is gratitude. I am learning that I am blessed to be missing something so much because it means that a real love was and is there. fulfillment, and the thirst to be seen, known, and loved is quenched. That is something worth celebrating!
In more grateful news, I am beginning to realize that there are numerous friendships and memories to be made here. As soon as I began hearing about the Thanksgiving traditions of the College, I was hooked. This place begins to feel more like a home each day, and our week of Thanksgiving festivities definitely helps with that. It is the joy and sweet smell of pumpkin pie filling these halls that make this a special time of year. Additionally, wonderful traditions like the New Man/Old Man Show, Thursday morning hall breakfasts, and the community Thanksgiving meal unites us all as brothers. There is something special about a house full of men, who share the same goal of giving praise and thanksgiving to God, sharing this Thanksgiving together.
Back home, my family also has a tradition of making a “Thanksgiving List” that sits on our kitchen counter, and all day long on Thanksgiving, we walk by and write down who or what we are thankful for. I sure hope I make the list this year in Fort Branch, Indiana, and you better believe I will be making a list this year in Rome, full of all the gifts with which the Father has blessed me. Even amid these challenging times and the difficult steps along the journey, there is always something for which to be grateful, because we know who our Father is and the home that one day awaits us. n
As I lean into this longing for home in the midst of my seminary formation and theological studies, this Thanksgiving takes on a whole new light. My thoughts and prayers have been turning to the Eucharist, the true gift of thanksgiving in our lives. It is there that we find our
Nicholas Sellers '24 (Evansville), kneeling second from left, with Fr. Vincent Ferrer Bagan, O.P. (Province of St. Joseph) and the College's Angelicum softball team, after its Thanksgiving week victory over the College's Gregorian and Santa Croce teams. This year, the softball tournament was moved from the spring to Thanksgiving week.
A Toast to Tradition: The New Man Toast
REV. MR. REED FLOOD ’21, DIOCESE OF DES MOINES
As I stood at the podium three years ago and stared into a sea of clerical attire, I thought of the past few weeks. Fresh off of the plane from Fiumicino Airport,
I had just hauled a small suitcase with my belongings for the next several years. I had fought off jetlag, seen the
College, and realized that the greatest adventure of my life had begun. These thoughts flooded my mind immediately before giving the New Man Speech at the College.
Every year, the new seminarians elect a man from among their classmates to speak on their behalf at the College’s opening banquet. When I spoke for the first time, it was exhilarating! My speech was mostly energetic and filled with excitement. I felt I had very little wisdom to offer—only gratitude towards the upperclassmen who welcomed me.
The tradition of the New Man Speech is a long one. What makes the speech truly special, however, is what comes
Rev. Mr. Reed Flood '21 (Des Moines) delivers the toast on behalf of the Fourth Year Class at the Opening Banquet. afterwards. After four years, that same nervous New Man will stand up once more and deliver the Fourth-Year Speech at the same opening banquet.
I was still trembling at the podium when I gave the Fourth-Year Speech, but this time it was different. The crowd was not just a sea of unrecognizable seminarians, but a cheerful gathering of my closest friends and comrades. I truly knew these men, and that made all the difference.
Speaking to the College a second time was humbling. Not because I was nervous or scared, but because I was speaking to a group of good and holy men. n
Speaking Like Myself
JAMES MUSCATELLA ’24, DIOCESE OF ROCHESTER
Whenever I am asked to prepare a speech, it takes a decent amount of time and thought to get myself ready to speak how I normally do, without planning. For this year’s New
Man Toast at our opening banquet, my classmates chose me to represent them. It only seemed right, then, to speak in the way they expected of me.
As the New Man giving this toast, I had my next-door neighbor Deacon Reed Flood as my Old Man counterpart. As he delivered his own speech, I saw and appreciated an Old Man (younger than me, in fact) speaking like himself. Knowing that I may be slated to give another toast like his in the future, when I am in my fourth year, I hope to grow a bit wiser and a good deal holier over those years. I hope those qualities will show when I speak, too. In some ways, I hope to become a bit like Deacon Reed.
I also realize that even as I grow during my time here, it is probably right for me to keep speaking like myself. For this toast, after some scraped preparation, I tried to speak the way I usually do. G.K. Chesterton, my strong preference for Upstate New York, and what some
James Muscatella '24 (Rochester) delivers the New Man Toast at the 2020 Opening Banquet after being elected to speak on behalf of his class.
have called a “distinctive accent” all made their appearance. I hope that, by what I said, I at least shared how grateful we New Men are to be here, by the grace of God, among all of the good people here at the College. n
