PROVIDENCE — On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 23, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin spent the afternoon visiting with the guests of Emmanuel House in Providence. Bishop Tobin joined the staff of the diocesan homeless shelter and volunteers in serving Thanksgiving meals of turkey and all of the fixings, as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade played in the background.
“Having the bishop here on Thanksgiving, that means a lot,” said Emmanuel House Homeless Shelter Director Dottie Perreault. “Without him we wouldn’t have this place, so we are very thankful.”
In a special blessing before dinner, Bishop Tobin shared with the men that even in the most difficult times, it is important to always look for reasons to be thankful this holiday.
“All of us, regardless of our difficult situations, or perhaps the problems we have had in the past or present, everybody has some reason to give thanks and praise to God,” he said. “Even as we gather here today, just the gift of your life, the fact that God created you. The fact that God has brought you together today to a place like Emmanuel House, a safe, warm and dry place for you to spend your evenings and sleep. Everybody has some reason to give thanks and praise to God.”
