On Friday, November 22, 2024, the Saint Thomas Aquinas Class of 2025 was able to take part in an annual tradition: the Senior Basket Mass. The morning began early as the seniors were instructed to make their way to the main gym where the mass was being held. For the past several weeks, seniors have been meeting in groups during their theology classes to designate different roles in the assembly of  “Thanksgiving baskets,” or reusable shopping bags full of food items to be sent to the needy. The bags consisted of stuffing, gravy, canned vegetables and potatoes, cranberry sauce, cornbread mix, and Thanksgiving-themed plates and napkins– all of the ingredients for a typical Thanksgiving feast. These components were packed into the bags with care, which were then decorated with themed tissue paper, ribbons, and turkey regalia. Their hard work culminated in the Senior Basket Mass, where Father Celsus blessed the bags and shared words of wisdom about both giving and gratitude.

This special tradition has made a mark on STA’s senior classes for years. This year was no different; the Senior Thanksgiving Mass was a beautiful ceremony for everybody who participated and expressed actions of gratitude. Senior and Varsity Soccer player Kenneth Jones recounts the mass by noting that “everyone was participating in the music . . . the atmosphere was something I will remember as a core memory of being at STA.” Spreading the spirit of giving is the best way to spend Thanksgiving, and the senior class was fortunate enough to bond with one another during the process.