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St. Ferdinand’s Annual . . .
Thanksgiving Dinner Celebrates 20 Years
St. Ferdinand Church, 1765 Charbonier Rd., will host the 20th free Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 28. Two serving lines will be available to anyone who would like a meal. The turkey will be provided by Krause Katering & Kakes. The in-house dining line will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the take out serving line will be open 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Kathy and Chris Helfer were recently honored at a Greater North County Chamber luncheon (see photo) for their long-time contribution to the dinner. St. Ferdinand Church will honor caterer Don Krause and his family members for their 20 years of service and commitment to the dinner with a 9 a.m. Mass on Sunday, Oct. 27. Krause Katering has donated and prepared turkeys for the dinner since 1999.
The St. Ferdinand Thanksgiving Dinner (SFTD) organization is celebrating its 20th-anniversary dinner this year and the organization has its roots in the visit of Pope John Paul II to St. Louis, Jan. 26-27, 1999. Pat von Nida, a St. Ferdinand parishioner, was very moved by the Pope’s words about helping others and religious unity. She went to other local churches, 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, which today continues as the St. Ferdinand Thanksgiving Day Dinner.
Pat Meitz has been in charge of coordinating and getting the dinner ready since 2016 and was elected committee president in April. “The dinner still depends on the efforts of our volunteers who give their time to make the annual Thanksgiving dinner a big success,” said Meitz.
The organization includes many other area churches, including Halls Ferry Christian Church, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, St. Angela Merici, St. Martin de Porres, St. Norbert, St. Sabina, and recently added Body Christian.
Dinner volunteers represent churches across St. Louis Metro and Metro East communities and our region, explained Meitz. If you are interested in being a part of the ecumenical group or a volunteer, contact thanksgivingdinner@stferdinandstl.org or call 314-837-3165.
PHOTO CAPTION: In honoring local people who have assisted with the annual St. Ferdinand’s Thanksgiving Day Dinner, Kathy and Cris Helfer of Helfer’s Bakery and Deli were presented a plaque at a recent Greater North County Chamber meeting. Left to right are Father Mike Murphy of St. Ferdinand Church, committee president Pat Meitz, and Kathy and Cris Helfer.
