Thanksgiving service at Ely Cathedral

  • Published
  • By Capt. Alysia Harvey
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ELY, England --  American and British gathered Nov. 21 at Ely Cathedral for the annual Thanksgiving Eve service.

The service has been held since World War II when local English people welcomed hundreds of American Airmen to join them in giving thanks to God for His many blessings.

The Ely Cathedral Thanksgiving service was conducted every year of the war, and the tradition has continued throughout the years since.

Brig. Gen. John Hesterman, 48th Fighter Wing commander, greeted the attendees, thanking the cathedral bishop for allowing the continuation of the service and calling the cathedral a beacon of hope and light.

"This cathedral has been a beacon of hope and light since World War II, and remains so even today for the men and women of [Royal Air Force] Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall trying to find their way home on a dark night."

Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Charles Baldwin, U.S. Air Force chief of chaplains, delivered the Thanksgiving message, and began by saying he was honored to be here in the United Kingdom and reminisced about the many holidays he's spent away from home and the things for which he was thankful.

Addressing the crowd of approximately 1,200 people, General Baldwin said there are obvious things for which everyone should be thankful on Thanksgiving: your Almighty God - regardless of your denomination - for all that He has done and who He is; for our countries, America and the United Kingdom, and the freedoms we enjoy in them; and for our families, parents, grandparents, and children. He went on to say giving thanks turns fear into faith, strangers into friends, and pain into purpose, before encouraging everyone to give thanks this year.

"Take a moment to give thanks to God because you'll remember for the rest of your life the Thanksgiving you spent in the U.K. at the Ely Cathedral," said General Baldwin.

The RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall Combined Choir performed several songs, and worship leaders from the two bases, gave prayers and read scriptures during the service. A pie and beverage social was held at the back of the cathedral at the end of the service.