News Item: : Happy Thanksgiving to Our American Readers!
(Category: Torch of The Faith News)
Posted by admin
Thursday 24 November 2016 - 12:34:07

We wish a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving 2016 to all our American readers!

A few years ago, we came across some splendid research by Dr. Marian T. Horvat over at the Tradition in Action website. Dr. Horvat's studies remind Catholics that the very first Thanksgivings in American history were actually Catholic affairs.

Most history books repeat the story of the New England Pilgrims celebrating a day of Thanksgiving for a good harvest at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. In so far as most contemporary British kids know anything at all about this celebration - mainly from American movies - they associate it with that particular Puritan event.

But Dr. Horvat acknowledges that many Catholics feel a little discomfort knowing that the Protestant sect which celebrated that New England Thanksgiving established a grimly Calvinist theocracy in Massachusetts and went on to mercilessly persecute Catholics.

Nevertheless, Dr. Horvat's research reassures American Catholics that in celebrating Thanksgiving today they are truly continuing an essentially Catholic tradition. And a marvellous one at that! For the documentary record proves that the very first Thanksgivings on American soil were thoroughly Catholic celebrations. This history is sadly unknown by too many of us Britons.

Angie and I ''pulling the wishbone'' during one of the two Thanksgivings that we spent at Steubenville, Ohio, a decade ago. We have many happy memories of those blessed times when American friends took us into their homes to celebrate with them. We'll always love America!

Dr. Horvat recalls that the very first Thanksgiving was actually celebrated by Catholic Spanish explorers at St. Augustine in Florida on the 8th of September, 1565.

On that day, Captain General Pedro Menendez de Aviles came ashore with his soldiers and a group of priests, amid the sounding of trumpets and canon fire, to claim the land for the expanding Spanish Catholic Empire of King Philip II.

Fr. Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales had gone ashore one day earlier to prepare to ceremonially meet the General. He advanced toward Menendez chanting the beautiful Te Deum and carrying a cross, which was reverently kissed by Menendez and all of those with him.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was then offered in honour of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In attendance were 500 soldiers, 200 sailors, 100 families and artisans, together with some Timucuan Indians from the nearby village of Seloy.

The new arrivals even had turkey in their celebrations when the local tribe offered them wild turkey; together with venison, oysters, giant clams, maize, nuts and fruits!

Dr. Horvat's studies also recall that the second Thanksgiving was yet another thoroughly Catholic affair.

On 26th January, 1598, a Spanish expedition set out from Mexico to found a new kingdom. After a dangerous three-month trek along what is now the El Camino Real -the Royal Road - this expedition crossed the Rio Grande and established a base camp just south of present day El Paso, Texas.

On 30th April, 1598 a Holy Mass of Thanksgiving was offered at the camp. The valiant leader Don Juan de Onate took formal possession of the land - called New Mexico - in the name of the Heavenly Lord, God Almighty, and of the earthly King Philip II of Spain.

After the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Franciscan missionary priests, who were with the expedition, blessed tables laden with ducks, fish, and geese. Some 600 soldiers and colonists then shared in a grand feast. After the Thanksgiving feast, a number of natives received instruction in the Faith, prior to reception of the Sacrament of Baptism.

We pray that all American readers will enjoy celebrating this essentially Catholic custom today with their families and friends.

And we thank readers from all over the world who encourage us each day by clicking on to our articles from so many nations. May God bless you all! 

---

This news item is from Torch of The Faith
( http://www.torchofthefaith.com/news.php?extend.1472 )