Thanksgiving Dinner

The St. Ferdinand Thanksgiving Dinner is a parish organization which brought together volunteers from area churches to serve a free Thanksgiving Day dinner to the community.  We invited all faith traditions to join with us to give thanks for our blessings and share a meal.
 
 This organization has its roots in the visit of St. Pope John Paul II to St. Louis on January 26-27, 1999.  The Pope placed a high priority on interfaith and ecumenical relations.  Pat von Nida, a parishioner from St. Ferdinand, was very moved by the Pope's words about helping others and religious unity.  She went to other churches in Florissant, asking them to help sponsor a free Thanksgiving Dinner, on Thanksgiving Day, for those in need, lonely, or who just want a good dinner.  She worked to organize the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Dinner.  The mission and tradition continues as the St. Ferdinand Thanksgiving Dinner.  After having to cancel the 2022 and 2023 Dinners, we are re-starting in 2024!
  The St. Ferdinand Thanksgiving Dinner (SFTD) committee is made up of volunteers from our home parish of St. Ferdinand and many area churches working together to provide a free Thanksgiving Dinner.  Area churches represented on our 2021 planning committee included:  Halls Ferry Christian Church, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, St. Angela Merici, St. Martin de Porres, St. Norbert, St. Sabina, The Body Christian Church, and our parish home, St. Ferdinand.  Our dinner volunteers represent churches across St. Louis Metro and Metro East communities and our region.  As our mission statement explains, we invite the community to share in this holiday meal.  The dinner is served at St. Ferdinand Church in Florissant and we also provide a takeout service.
 
 As a parish organization of St. Ferdinand, we were solely dependent on donations from local businesses and individuals.  All food purchased for the dinner was paid for through the generous donations we received.  Among our generous sponsors was Krause Katering & Kakes who roasted our turkeys.
 
 We had volunteers working year-round to plan for the annual event.  We also had volunteers on Thanksgiving Day that provided help to serve the dinner.  If you are interested in being a part of an ecumenical group which comes together in service to our community, we invite you to provide your contact information to the Parish Office.  If this event is re-started in future years, we will contact you to better understand how you can be of service to this important community event serving the people of our area.