As the Jubilee of Hope comes to a close and we enter this month of thankfulness, it is easy to draw comparisons between hope and gratitude. In a September 2025 Catholic Echo column titled “What is Hope?” Father Thomas Cebula and Karen Nelsen marry hope and gratitude together, concluding that an increase in gratitude can lead to a more hopeful outlook on life overall.
Indeed, even today’s modern, secular society sees the benefit of being grateful, tying it to the concept of mindfulness. A simple internet search for “gratitude” yields a wealth of stories with titles like “7 ways to become a more thankful person” and “How to practice gratitude”—and some of the suggestions are good ones. For example, making a concerted effort to say “thank you” every day—expressing thanks for someone’s current or past deeds—can shift your mindset. So can a change in verbiage— for example, “I have to go to a doctor appointment” vs. “I get to go to a doctor appointment” makes you realize what a privilege it is to have access to a doctor and medical care.
But we, as Catholics, have even more tools available to us. First of all, prayer can take many forms, but reflecting on God’s gifts is an exercise in gratitude that many of us perform daily. We also have the privilege of receiving the Eucharist (which is derived from a Greek word meaning “Thanksgiving”) and understanding the depth of God’s love for His creation.
So this month, I challenge you to be more intentionally grateful. Say “thank you” to a veteran. Volunteer to help those who are less fortunate. Try to note a different gift from God each day—and then take some time to pray to Him about it.
This month of gratitude is also the month in which the Church honors the faithful departed. As such, November is The Catholic Echo’s Death & Grieving Guide, and you’ll find loads of content on that topic, including a feature story on grief support services across the diocese (page 24), a statistical snapshot of diocesan cemeteries (page 7) and the faith fact, “Why do we pray for our dead?” (page 33). You’ll also find a story on the groundbreaking of the diocese’s new archival center (page 18), the Annual Diocesan Appeal impact report (page 22), a new installment of Catholic Classrooms featuring St. Paul School in Salem (page 15) and much more!
Finally, on behalf of The Catholic Echo Staff, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read this magazine—for you give each of us purpose.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Until next month,
Katie Wagner
