By Liz McBreen
Rev. Tom Groenewold, pastor of St. Catherine's Roman Catholic Church, hosted the prayer service at St. Catherine's. He was joined by the pastors of several nearby congregations, including Bethel Assembly of God, the Franklin Square Jewish Center and Ascension Lutheran Church in Franklin Square as well as St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in West Hempstead.
Groenewold described the gathering as "an historic occasion." Priests, ministers and rabbis from houses of worship around the area gathered with members of their congregations to give thanks together.
"The group allows for neighbors belonging to different religions to celebrate together as God's people," Groenewold said. "Last year, terrible things happened, but this association was founded because of those events." The pastors taking part in the United Clergy came together in the wake of the attacks and decided several weeks later, during a meeting at the Franklin Square & Munson Fire House, to continue working together.
The service on Wednesday evening, Nov. 27, included prayer and song as well as contributions from St. Catherine's Youth Committee. Several children shared their thoughts on the meaning of Thanksgiving. "Tomorrow is not a day to take our family or a nice meal for granted," said one young Franklin Square resident. "It is a day to thank God for what we have, because nothing would be possible without him."
While delivering the homily, Rev. John Nyhan of St. James the Just Episcopal Church explained that the Bible is quoted more in the writings of the Founding Fathers than any other author. "This country is great because of the impact of the Judeo-Christian tradition taking root in our way of life, and Jews and Christians coming together in this way honors God's name," Nyhan said.
The offering collected at the service was donated in entirety to the Interfaith Nutrition Network. The INN began as a soup kitchen in Hempstead in 1983, according to Rev. Thomas Vaughn, pastor of Wesley Methodist Church. Word quickly spread about the soup kitchen, and it is now the largest service of its kind on Long Island.
"The INN brings food to thousands of families and homeless people," Vaughn said. "It also provides shelter and supportive services to [help people] break free of the cycle of poverty."
Groenewold, who described the view from the pulpit during the service as "impressive," explained that the pastors involved in the service had collectively decided that the service had to be one of prayer, worship and also of fellowship. Members of the various congregations were encouraged to meet in the auditorium next to the chapel for refreshments and to get to know their neighbors.
