Dear Students,

Our Thanksgiving celebrations will likely look different this year. Gathering safely means we might not be able to be with all those we would typically see. It can be challenging to feel grateful when we are unable to spend time with many of the people we love. As we pause to reflect on these past months, however, I hope we can each feel gratitude. Sometimes it is through the greatest challenges that we discover greater faith, renewed strength, and a deeper appreciation for those who are accompanying us.

During this semester, you have brought such dedication and enthusiasm to your remote learning. Your families have offered tremendous support and encouragement. Our faculty skillfully transformed their courses, and our staff and administrators transitioned their services online, stepping up and implementing solutions. I am in awe of how the members of our community have encountered the turbulence of this time with creativity, courage, and compassion.

At this time of Thanksgiving, gratitude can take on a deeper, richer meaning. I hope we can each find reasons to be grateful—however large or small—and know that we can ask God to give us what we need to move forward with strength and hope. Through all that has happened, all that we are carrying right now, and all that we will encounter tomorrow, know that God is with us. What a gift that is to each of us today and every day.

May your Thanksgiving be full of blessings. Know that you and your families are in my prayers.

Sincerely,

Rev. Brian F. Linnane, S.J.
President

P.S. If you missed the Town Halls we held this week, here are links to the Town Hall for first-year students, the Town Hall for sophomores and juniors, and the Town Hall for seniors.