The holiday season is rapidly approaching and with the season comes many reasons to be thankful: Thanksgiving break provides a much-needed break from the stresses of the semester, the hassle of scheduling for classes is finally over and the light at the end of the tunnel that is this semester is finally visible.
One of the many reasons I am thankful this year is because of the amazing faith community I have found here at Gannon. On Sunday, I attended a Thanksgiving dinner hosted by the residents of the Bishop Donald W. Trautman House, an intentional community on campus dedicated to living out their Catholic faith.
Members of the house cooked a Thanksgiving meal, complete with two turkeys, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and homemade pies. Everyone gathered in the living room to share in food and fellowship.
It was so nice to take time out of the craziness of the end of the semester to just be present in the moment. The friendship and sense of community was so apparent in the room that day that I had to take a few seconds just to take it all in.
It is in moments like these that God’s presence overwhelms me. The simplest experiences can have the most profound impact.
If you’re looking for God on Gannon’s campus, you need only to turn to the people around you to find him. It is in the time spent with those we love that God’s love shines through most brightly.
You might even be the face of God to other people you encounter without ever realizing it. If you’re looking for some more intentional ways to be Christ to others, Gannon offers many opportunities.
This week is Hunger and Homelessness Week and International Education week. An amazing way to spread love this week is to participate in Basket of Blessings, a collaborative effort between the Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement and OPEN to welcome refugee families to the United States.
Organizations and groups on campus who volunteered to participate in Basket of Blessings were assigned a refugee family that just arrived in the United States and put together baskets with food, winter gear, school supplies and welcome notes.
If you did not get a chance to participate in the actual basket-making, you can still support the event by voting for your favorite basket with a donation during the “Penny Wars” in Waldron on Thursday and Friday.
All proceeds will be donated to the CC Refugee Resettlement, the Second Harvest Food Bank and the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant Sunday Suppers.

LYDIA FENNESSY
[email protected]