MADISON — A large number of people from Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian communities in the Madison area gathered together at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Madison for an Ecumenical Thanksgiving Prayer Service on the evening of November 21.
John Schmitz, a parishioner at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Madison who led the committee organizing the event, said he thought the turnout was great.
“It was the upper end of our expectations,” he said, adding that it was more than just the number of people who attended that impressed him. “There was an eagerness, an excitement about people coming together and being able to praise God with their Christian brothers and sisters. They were thirsting just to praise God together, celebrating what we have in common. Thanksgiving is such a perfect opportunity to do that.”
The night was filled with song, prayer, and reflections offered by church leaders of more than 20 congregations co-sponsoring the event.
Bishop’s words
Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison offered his reflections on the virtue of gratitude, stating that “for us, as Christians, thanksgiving is not just a little square on the calendar. It’s not just the fourth Thursday of November. That’s way too small. For us, Christians, thanksgiving is a way of life.”
He then spoke about his time in the Dominican Republic and about a couple who possessed very little and yet were extremely generous.
“I always wondered what was their secret,” he said. “That night, I learned what it was. It was gratitude. They were grateful for everything, and because they realized everything was a gift from God, they could easily pass on to others what they themselves had received.”
He added that, “Everything in our life comes as a gift from the Lord of the feast, not to be pridefully enjoyed by ourselves, but to be shared and multiplied so that every human life is enriched. And so gratitude flows into generosity.”
Generosity
Toward the end of the prayer service, those in the pews came forward to offer their non-perishable food items and monetary contributions to be shared with three area food pantries. The monetary donation total exceeded $3,000. All donations would be evenly shared between Extended Hands Food Pantry in Madison, River Food Pantry in Madison, and St. Vincent de Paul in Madison.
After the prayer service, people exited the chapel to enjoy refreshments and time to socialize.
“The whole thing was a highlight,” said Marcio Sierra, lead pastor of Lighthouse Church in Madison. “The messages were great. The songs were great. The whole thing was beautiful. But after the service, I could see people from different churches connecting with one another, learning each other’s names, and I think that was the highlight because the truth is we could have a joint service every year and never even get to know each other. We just come there, we do our thing, and then we leave. But this time, it was beautiful to see that people were staying around after the service, talking to each other, and getting to know each other. Relationship is the fruit of it.”
Deacon Mark Zwolski of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Madison said that the plan is for this to become an annual event. Lighthouse Church has offered to host next year’s event, but the official location has not yet been determined.
“We had no idea how big the turnout might be, so that will certainly have to be a consideration if we are able to keep this momentum going,” said Deacon Zwolski. He said those on the planning committee would need to carefully consider where the event would best be held next year.