Dear Friends,
I am delighted to share that the Saint Thomas Thursday Book Reading Group is resuming this fall, with four gatherings between November and December.
The Thursday group is a cherished moment in our week: praying, breaking bread, reading, and reflecting, a space to grow together in fellowship and faith. This is more than a reading group. It is an opportunity to pause in the middle of the week to nourish both body and spirit, to share a meal, to engage deeply with Scripture and thoughtful writing, and to discover together how faith speaks to the pressing questions of our time.
This season, we will be reading Babette’s Feast by Isak Dinesen, a luminous short story – and later, an acclaimed film – that celebrates generosity, beauty, and grace. Set in a remote 19th-century Danish village, it tells the story of Babette, a French refugee who uses a lottery win to prepare an extraordinary feast for two devout sisters and their austere community. In this act of extravagant love, the feast becomes a parable of the Eucharist, revealing how shared meals can heal relationships, renew joy, and awaken the soul to divine grace. Few works so beautifully express how art, gratitude, and hospitality draw us closer to God and to one another.
Dates
Thursdays, 6:45 – 8:15pm
- November 13
- November 20
- December 4
- December 11
This reading series is part of our broader reflection this year on Idolatry and the Eucharist, which also includes the Sunday Theology Talks on the Theology of the Eucharist. You can download the complete 2024–2025 Theology Program.
I look forward to welcoming both familiar faces and newcomers as we read, reflect, and share this meaningful time together.
All blessings,
Fr. Luigi Gioia
Theologian In Residence
