I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! As every year, I spent Thanksgiving with my family in Florida. It's the one time of year we all gather.

We had Mass in the chapel at St. Sebastian's Church in Fort Lauderdale.

The chapel is dedicated to Christ the Healer, and the windows in the chapel reflect that theme.

And, of course, we shared a wonderful meal together.



Feast of the Vietnamese Martyrs

Saturday, I gathered with members of the Vietnamese community of the archdiocese at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross for a Mass to celebrate the feast of the Vietnamese Martyrs.

Before Mass, they put on a play depicting the life of one of the martyrs, and they set up an altar in the sanctuary with the relics of the Vietnamese martyrs.

There were a number of Vietnamese priests and seminarians with us for the Mass. They also had a huge choir that was spectacular.



Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez

Saturday evening, we were pleased to have Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez join Msgr. O'Leary and I for dinner at the cathedral. Archbishop Gonzalez was, at one point, an auxiliary bishop of Boston, and he was here for a visit.

He had not been here for several years and had not seen the renovations to the cathedral. So, we were happy to give him a tour.



Spanish Mass

Sunday, I went to Most Holy Redeemer Parish in East Boston to celebrate a mid-day Spanish Mass for the feast of Christ the King.

We were, of course, joined by Father Tom Domurat and Father Dan Zinger, who do such an outstanding job shepherding the parish.

The church was just packed; it was standing room only.

It's always very life-giving to celebrate with such a vibrant faith community, and it was a great joy to be with them.



Celebration of the Cheverus Awards

That afternoon, we had our annual celebration of the Cheverus Awards, which we always celebrate around the feast of Christ the King. I instituted this program 15 years ago as part of our bicentennial celebrations to recognize the unsung heroes and heroines without whom the mission and ministry of the archdiocese would not be possible.

I like to call the Cheverus Awards the "Catholic Thanksgiving Day" when we thank all the people whose generosity, fidelity, and witness we too often take for granted. It's a way, as a Catholic community, to express our thanks for all the people who work so hard to help the archdiocese, its parishes, and its agencies keep running.

Bishop Cheverus was the first Bishop of Boston, and in my reflections, I talked about his episcopal motto, "diligamus nos invicem" ("Let us love one another").