As we approach our annual holiday gathering, we wanted to look back at the celebrations from previous years. Members of the Thomas More Institute have been coming together at a Feast of Lights celebration since the late 1980s, when a dynamic committee called the Associates, hit upon the idea of a holiday get-together as a fundraiser for the Institute.
The Associates Committee was made up of a small group of dedicated Thomas More volunteers, including Rolande Sentenne, Uve von Harpe, Cassie Cahoon, Tony Joseph, and others. This group believed in the mission of the Institute and gave their time and ingenuity to finding ways of raising money to support Thomas More, which despite its popularity, was (and is) always in need of financial resources. The Associates were best known for putting on an annual art exhibition of Québec paintings (read more about this in the next issue of More News), but they also organized the following fundraisers every year: a book fair, a spring tea, a trip to the Stratford Festival, and, starting in the late 1980s, the Feast of Lights.
The first Feast of Lights celebration took place in 1987 as Thomas More was searching for a permanent home. All attendees were invited to come to enjoy classical music played by students, delicious food prepared by community members, and the good company of fellow learners. They were also asked to bring a financial contribution to support the institute and to help fund the purchase of a new home. Once Thomas More had moved to its new premises at 3405 Atwater in 1991, the tradition continued, made easier by the availability of a party room in our new home. Tony Joseph remembers greeting Thomas More students as they arrived at the party, and receiving cash or a cheque from each one.
As the years passed, Thomas More transitioned to receiving most donations by mail, and later online, but the Feast of Lights continued, giving staff, students, leaders, and designers a chance to gather and celebrate the holidays and our common passion for lifelong learning.
