This week as you are all well aware we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day. This day was set aside by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 as a day to give thanks. To give thanks for the bounty of the harvest and to give thanks for the blessings bestowed on our country. Each year the president again proclaims the 4th Thursday of November as a national holiday and as a day set aside to gives thanks.

A group of St. Thomas Council knights raked the yard of Steve Ganaway, a brother knight on November 7th. Father Bill was so impressed with their raking ability that he "allowed" the St. Thomas Council to do some raking at Notre Dame Church.

St. Thomas Council is proud to award Knight of the Month for November to Kevin Neely. Kevin has been a Knight for three years.

The Cusacks are longtime communicants at St. Therese of Lisieux Parish, having been parishioners for over 33 years. Thomas has been employed at Shaw’s Supermarket as a Meat Cutter for over 30 years. His wife Joanne has worked as an Administrative Assistant at St. Thomas School for over seven years.

Ron Robichaud has been a Knight in this council for approximately 10 years. He is extremely active in the Parish and is always willing to lend a neighbor a helping hand. He sings in the Music Ministry and is on the ACTS team.

Robert and Michelle Guillemette are the proud parents of Joshua 22, Jacob 19, Thomas 18 and Theresa 13.

Twenty people, including seven Knights, attended the monthly public rosary at Gowen Park in Sanford on Sunday, September 13th. The seven Knights from the St. Thomas and Limerick Councils included: David Vaness, Terry Sylvanus, Rob Martin, Manny DeAmaral, Joe Garant, John Chandonnet and Ron Robnichaud.

Ray Sargent, the September Knight of the Month, has 27 years of service with the Knights of Columbus and has served in the Sanford and St. Thomas Councils and every position on the State council, including State Deputy. Ray also served as District Deputy for two terms.

Grand Knight Terry Sylvanus presented a Certificate of Excellence to Dan Rooney. The Certificate of Excellence is awarded to a Brother Knight for Excellence in Leadership.

Sanford, Maine - Knights of Columbus Council #13861 in Sanford was awarded the distinction of Star Council, the international organization's top honor for local councils.

As you read this, the diocese has a new priest. Fr. Alex Boucher has completed his yes to the call to the priesthood and has been anointed to serve his fellow Christians. We celebrate and give thanks that our parish will have the privilege of welcoming and continuing the formation of young Fr. Boucher.

Over the past few months much of the news we have been paying attention to has something to do with justice. This has mostly been precipitated as we witness acts of violence against our brothers and sisters. We cannot help but cry out for justice as we witness those in power taking advantage of those who have none. We cannot help but cry out for justice when the “haves” get more and the “have nots” become even more poor. We cannot help but cry out for justice when our brothers and sisters are victims of hate, discrimination, or violence because of some aspect of their humanity that they had no choice in making.

The St. Thomas Council named the family of Michael and Laura Alexandre as Family of the Month for July.

Grand Knight Terry Sylvanus was selected as 3rd Degree Knight of the Year for his contributions to the St. Thomas Council, as he led the council to a Star Council award. Terry, a Knight since 2018, had previously served as District Warden and Deputy Grand Knight. Terry is in his second term as Grand Knight. This past year, Terry Sylvanus has led the St. Thomas Council to a Star Council award.

Our August Knight of the Month joined us in March 2020. He immediately took his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree Exemplification at our First in the State Exemplification.

While I often set out to offer a bit of wisdom in these ponderings, there are times when I am simply moved to write about something I have seen or heard. Other times I try to offer some teaching that, in the end, offers us hope or reminds us of the abundance of God’s love available to each of us. But this week I thought I would share my opinion with you. Keep in mind that this is just an opinion…there is no science to back up my words. What I present here is just one man’s humble opinion. Put another way, ignoring the coin shortage, let me offer my two cents worth.

This week, at the end of a confession, a man asked me a question. Although I could not see the man, I could tell that his question was cloaked in the weighty garments of despair. His question was one that has been on my mind and I suspect on the minds of most of us these days. He simply asked; with all that is going on in this world what is the point of even trying? While the question was simple the sentiments were anything but. Without faith I would not have been able to offer any answer.

It would be way out of line for me to even guess how God thinks. My limited intellectual skills do not come even close to the smallest thought that God has. Be that as it may, I have lately found myself wondering what God thinks about all that is going on in our world these days. Most especially what does God think about our reaction to COVID-19? What does God think about all the violence and discrimination that seems to be so rampant in our world? What does God think about the division and the seemingly constant bickering that is going on between even people in the same families? What does God think about all the fear, all the sadness, all the anxiety and depression that is such a large part of our lives these days?

This past weekend I traveled to Reading, Pennsylvania to preside at the wedding of a former UMaine student. Not only was he a former student, but Jon also played on the hockey team. Most impressive was that when he first arrived at UMaine and when his brother arrived two years later one of the first places they became familiar with was the Newman Center for Sunday night Mass. For their entire time at UMaine, Jon and Steven were regulars at the Newman Center. So much so that I not only got to know these fine young men but am pleased to call their whole extended family my friends.

Is it just me or are people angrier these days? It seems that no matter where one turns, in movies, on the news, in the stores, even at church people seem to be afflicted with a lack of patience and short fuses. It is almost as if there is an epidemic of anger that is growing with the pandemic of COVID-19.