By Michelle Martin
STAFF WRITER

For the members of the Christian Family Movement at Our Lady of the Wayside Parish in Arlington Heights, Thanksgiving has always been a day to celebrate the importance of family by organizing—and attending—the parish Thanksgiving Mass and a small reception afterward.

Volunteers from the Christian Family Movement at Our Lady of Wayside helped build a wheelchair ramp into the home of Rob Komosa. Paralyzed in a football accident, Komosa will attend Thanksgiving Mass. Photo courtesy of Cindy and Gene Dougherty

This year, as Thanksgiving has been designated the Jubilee Day for Families in the United States, it takes on added significance, said Gene Dougherty, who chairs the group with his wife, Cindy.

“The spirit of the day is enhanced by coming to church, because it’s obviously not a required day,” Dougherty said. “People like to come because they feel gratitude, for your families and other blessings. It fits right in with the jubilee theme of renewing your relationship with God, because you need to be in a space of gratitude to do that.”

This year, the Mass will be even more special, Dougherty said. Parishioner Rob Komosa, a high school football player who was paralyzed last year, will attend with his family.

CFM has done several service projects for the Komosa family, including helping to organize a “Rake for Rob” fund-raiser with local scout groups and building a ramp up to his home.

“He himself has been amazing,” said Dougherty, of the example set by Komosa, who made a point of meeting with all the young volunteers who participated in “Rake for Rob.”

Most Catholic parishes have at least one Thanksgiving Day Mass, said Frank Hannigan, director of Family Ministries for the Archdiocese of Chicago, and thousands of area Catholics make a tradition of attending them, even though they are under no obligation to do so.

The office has been disseminating information about the jubilee day, but has found little demand for organized activities. That could be because most people already spend the day with their families, giving thanks to God, either in church or at home, he said.

“It’s both good and bad in a way that the jubilee day is on Thanksgiving,” Hannigan said. “In the United States, it’s such a secular holiday.”

Nearly everyone spends it with his or her family, and the National Council of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference has some suggestions to help make the time more meaningful.

Families can spend the time waiting for the turkey to come out of the oven learning something about one another, especially in families that gather in large groups for the holiday. Perhaps everyone could get the same list of questions to answer, including things as simple as “Who was first to arrive at the gathering today?” to “Who has already begun their Christmas shopping?”

For Dougherty, who leads a group of 140 families dedicated to fostering the values needed in all families, Thanksgiving traditions do make it a good time for the church to celebrate families.

“Kids come home from college, and people are off of school and work,” he said. “Unless you’re traveling to see family, most people spend it pretty much at home. What better time to be able to step out and attend church together?”

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