The first time I was away from home for Thanksgiving happened three years ago. I was studying abroad in Dublin and naturally could not travel home for the holiday. Though I was separated from my family, I need not have worried. Instead of spending Thanksgiving in my Uncle Larry’s barn, I spent it at Newman University Church for mass followed by the Merrion Hotel for dinner with the rest of the Notre Dame Dublin Program. The evening was marked by fun and friendship with the people I had gotten to know over the course of the semester.
In the lobby of the Merrion Hotel in 2015, the fourteen ND students studying abroad at Trinity
Last year I had the unique experience of once again attending the Notre Dame Thanksgiving celebration, but from a whole new perspective. This time I was part of the group that helped make the students’ experience memorable by assisting with the mass at Newman University Church. I loved my first Dublin Thanksgiving, but the second was even better. After a lovely mass celebrated by Fr. Jenkins (who was in town for the official opening of the Notre Dame-Newman Centre for Faith and Reason) and an even lovelier dinner, I had the opportunity to host my first-ever Friendsgiving alongside Ben and Caitlin with Teach Bhride Wexford in attendance. The day was filled with firsts, including my first time cooking a turkey. Even though I was away from my family, I was still surrounded by the love of my friends.
Last year at the Mansion House for the Notre Dame Thanksgiving
This year did not disappoint. Whenever people ask me about my feelings surrounding my second year of House of Brigid I give the same answer: I love it because of the community we’ve built. Last year at Friendsgiving we had a lovely, small group of mostly American friends. We hadn’t really made any deep friendships with our Irish peers because we were still introducing ourselves to the community. It couldn’t have been more different this year. It was simultaneously thrilling and stress-inducing–Kerry, Shane, and I had no clue how we were going to fit everyone in our house, let alone cook enough food to feed all of our friends! At the end of the day we had almost thirty people stuffed into our living room, Irish and American alike, sitting any which way that would permit them to eat dinner, whether that was sitting on a chair, a side table, or the floor. The house was bursting with love and friendship. I was positively giddy when we finally sat down to eat (though that may or may not have been a side-effect of the exhaustion I was feeling).
This year at the Mansion House for the Notre Dame Thanksgiving. Photo credits go to Kerry’s friend Rob who was visiting with Kerry’s brother for the week!
A few weeks ago, one of our parishioners asked me why Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, particularly with a mass. I answered with a statement along the lines of, “It gives us the opportunity to reflect on all that we’re thankful for: our family, our friends, and our part as God’s creation.” I truly believe those words. Although Thanksgiving in America has become affected by the Black Friday sales as the years have gone on, the heart of the holiday has remained the same. Thanksgiving is a time to pause and reflect on our lives and thank God for everyone and everything in them. I missed my family dearly throughout all the festivities this year, but I was so incredibly grateful to be part of such an amazing community of friends over in Dublin. Looking around at everyone’s faces as we said grace made it truly sink in just how blessed I am to call both New Jersey and Ireland home. I know that I will think back on these two years in Dublin with fondness and love for the rest of my life, particularly during Thanksgiving wherever I may find myself celebrating it in the future.
Right before Shane carved the turkey and everyone dug in to dinner, our friend Rachel insisted on getting a picture of the three of us with our Friendsgiving dinner.
