WASHINGTON— Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, vice president of the USCCB, offer Thanksgiving Day wishes to the nation.

Full statement follows:

On Thursday, our nation will pause to give God thanks for the abundant blessings He has bestowed upon us. It is a grateful tradition people of many faiths have honored since even before our country's founding. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt all sought to establish a day of Thanksgiving for the good of our national life.

In modern times, Thanksgiving has become a day when dispersed families come together again around the dinner table. Let us pray for all those traveling this week that God may guide them safely to their loved ones. In countless parishes, Thanksgiving is also a day of service as volunteers prepare a meal for those less fortunate. Let us pray for everyone separated from the abundance of our country that God may comfort them and opportunities may open for them to fully participate in the hope of America. Let us also especially remember the elderly and those who are in need, as well as anyone who may be spending the day alone. May they experience the closeness of God.

On Thanksgiving, millions of Americans, from big cities to rural countryside, will bow their heads to say grace. They will be successful and struggling, citizen and newcomer, sisters and brothers to us all. Diverse as we are, we are united in the debt we owe to God and our desire to give Him thanks. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!