HIGHLAND BEACH | In a spirit of compassion and unity, St. Lucy Parish in Highland Beach brought together members of the local community who may be alone and in need of companionship for a free Thanksgiving dinner Nov. 27, 2025.
“Not only are we a welcoming community, but we’re also a very caring community. And we feel that nobody should be alone at Thanksgiving,” said Father D. Brian Horgan, pastor. “Unfortunately, there are a lot of lonely people in the state of Florida, and especially here in Highland Beach,” a small town between Delray Beach and Boca Raton.
“We wanted to provide an opportunity to come together. They didn’t have to be members of St. Lucy Parish. Anyone could come, and everyone was welcome,” he said. “Good outreach to the community. Good show of the way the town and the church work together.”
About 30 volunteers signed up to help make the expected 200 guests feel at home in the parish’s social hall. Roasted turkeys were purchased from The Boys Farmers Market in Delray Beach, parishioners cooked side dishes and desserts, and donated flowers added a homey touch. Members of the St. Lucy Sisterhood women’s group helped organize and serve the food.
True to his background as a former Air Force chaplain, Father Horgan invited all military veterans and students at Florida Atlantic University to come and enjoy the meal. There are 923 military-connected students at FAU, said parishioner and Navy retiree Jason Scott Nadolinski, who oversees the university’s Military and Veteran Student Success team.
“Some of our veterans, it’s a tough time for them. I served for 26 years, so I know. For about 99 percent, Thanksgiving’s a great time. Honestly, for about 1 percent, it’s not a great time,” he said.
It meant a lot that Father Horgan reached out to the students, many of whom are by themselves in university dorms, Nadolinski said. Part of his team’s objective is to create a sense of membership, which aligns with the church’s goal of helping people feel that they belong to the body of Christ. Inviting the military-connected students on Thanksgiving Day speaks to Father Horgan’s character, he added.
“I’m hopeful that some of those students who are veterans and who are by themselves will join us today,” Nadolinski said. “I told them, ‘I will be there to welcome you and serve you as a servant leader.’”
For information on St. Lucy Parish, visit www.stlucy.net, call 561-278-1280 and connect on Facebook and Instagram.
