Thanksgiving Mass in Maryland

Thanksgiving Mass in Maryland November 27, 2014

We dropped by a nearby parish in Rockville, Maryland for Mass this morning: St. Mary’s. Twenty eight years ago, we were married in the tiny chapel next door. Today, we worshipped in the more modern parish church.

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The newer church—often known by locals as “the spaceship”— was dedicated in 1967. The interior has a decidedly post-Vatican II feel to it, along with some colorful stained glass windows depicting biblical scenes from the life of Mary.

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The window below depicts the Nativity.

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The liturgy was well-attended; I’d guess about 300 people were there. The Mass was celebrated by the pastor, Msgr. Robert G. Amey, and featured two other concelebrating priests, a deacon (very young, probably a seminarian), a small army of altar servers and a blue-robed choir. The pastor began his homily by discussing the notion of liberty and freedom from a patriotic/historical perspective, then segued into a wandering Q&A, circling around the church and asking a dozen or so people what they were thankful for.  (“We’ll skip the clergy,” he said wryly as he moved into the pews, “because we already know what they’re thankful for…”)

Musical selections included “We Gather Together,” “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come,” “Taste and See,” “The Majesty and Glory of Your Name” and “America the Beautiful.”

There was one announcement, at the beginning: the Knights of Columbus would have donuts in the hall after Mass.

Before we left, my wife paused to light a candle and pray at a shrine for her grandmother, Kathleen Thorpe, who entered eternal life about 15 years ago. Today is her birthday.

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I appreciated that the parish had a simple program printed for the occasion, with the words to all the hymns. There is much to pray for, to pray about, and to be grateful for.

Give thanks!

Come, ye thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest-home;
All is safely gathered in, Ere the winter storm begin;
God, our maker, does provide
For our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest-home.


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