Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, November 26, thirteen days from today. That is enough time to order fruitcake from a Kentucky abbey, a case of wine from a Catholic family vineyard in Virginia, and a scratch-made pie from a Pennsylvania bakery, but only if the orders go in this week. This guide walks through the Catholic-owned businesses in the directory that can fill a Thanksgiving table, in the order you need to book them.
What if every dish on the table this year came with a story: preserves the monks have been making since 1954, a wine named for the two people who planted the vines, bread from a convent, honey from a beekeeper in the Blue Ridge? The food would taste the same. The meal would not.
Today, November 13, is also the memorial of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, patroness of immigrants and the first United States citizen to be canonized. She arrived in New York in 1889 to serve Italian immigrants and spent the rest of her life building schools, orphanages, and hospitals for people who had crossed an ocean with nothing. The American Thanksgiving table has always been an immigrant table, and many of the businesses below are the second- and third-generation result of the families she served.
Monastery Foods for the Thanksgiving Table
Monasteries have been feeding people for fifteen centuries, and several American abbeys and convents sell what they make. Almost all of it ships, and almost all of it needs to be ordered now. The monastic goods category lists 30 religious communities with products for sale.
Gethsemani Farms in Trappist, Kentucky, is the food enterprise of the Abbey of Gethsemani, the Trappist monastery founded in 1848 and best known as the home of Thomas Merton. The monks make bourbon fudge, traditional fruitcake, and cheese within the monastery walls and ship directly to customers. Their fruitcake is a Thanksgiving-to-Christmas tradition in thousands of Catholic homes, and we profiled the abbey in a full spotlight. Listing: /listing/gethsemani-farms.
Trappist Preserves in Spencer, Massachusetts, began in 1954 when the monks of Saint Joseph's Abbey sold out a batch of mint jelly at the abbey gift shop. Seventy-two years later it is one of the best-known all-natural preserve brands in North America: jams, jellies, and conserves with no artificial coloring, flavors, or preservatives. Cranberry conserve and a hot pepper jelly belong on a Thanksgiving relish tray. Listing: /listing/trappist-preserves.
Monks' Bread from the Abbey of the Genesee in Piffard, New York, is baked by a community of Cistercian monks and sold alongside spreads, soups, coffee, and sauces. Listing: /listing/monks-bread-abbey-of-the-genesee.
Our Lady of the Angels Monastery Cheese is made by contemplative nuns and sold as Monastery Country Cheese, a natural fit for the appetizer board. Listing: /listing/our-lady-of-the-angels-monastery-cheese.
Redwoods Monastery sells Trappistine creamed honey, and Brigittine Monks Gourmet Confections makes fudge and truffles by hand for after the meal. Listings: /listing/redwoods-monastery and /listing/brigittine-monks-gourmet-confections.
Sinsinawa Bakery, run by Dominican sisters, sells Mound Bread, rolls, and fruitcake. Subiaco Abbey in Arkansas makes Monk Sauce, a Benedictine hot sauce that will not survive the weekend if there are teenagers at the table. Listings: /listing/sinsinawa-bakery and /listing/subiaco-abbey.
For the full list and ordering advice, see our guide to finding monastic goods and monastery products.
Catholic Family Wineries and Wine Shops
Virginia has become an unexpected center of Catholic family winemaking, and three of the directory's best-documented wineries sit within an hour of each other in the northern part of the state. Browse the beer, wine, and food category for the complete list.
Casanel Vineyards in Leesburg, Virginia, takes its name from its owners, Casey and Nelson DeSouza, who planted eight acres of vines in 2006 and opened the winery in 2008. Listing: /listing/casanel-vineyards.
Delmare Family Winery in Front Royal, Virginia, is the work of John Delmare, who moved his family from California to Virginia's Catholic community, planted a vineyard in 1999, and began producing wine the next year. The family grew to twelve children, several of whom now work at the winery. Listing: /listing/delmare-family-winery.
Chateau O'Brien in Markham, Virginia, is owned by Howard O'Brien, a parishioner of St. Timothy in Chantilly. The name joins French winemaking to the owner's Irish roots. Listing: /listing/chateau-o-brien.
Two monastery wineries round out the list. New Clairvaux Vineyard in Vina, California, is a Trappist monastery on farmland once owned by Leland Stanford; the monks planted vines in 2000 and sold their first wine in 2005. The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey in Canon City, Colorado, opened to the public in 2002 and produces Colorado wine on the abbey grounds. Listings: /listing/new-clairvaux-vineyard and /listing/the-winery-at-holy-cross-abbey.
If you would rather buy local, 688 Fine Wine & Spirits in Largo, Florida, and Kirby Wines in Memphis, Tennessee, a family-owned shop with frequent tastings, are Catholic-owned retailers who can pair a bottle to the menu. Listings: /listing/688-fine-wine-spirits and /listing/kirby-wines. Our guide to Catholic breweries, wineries, and food businesses covers more. See the Virginia Catholic business directory for the wineries' neighbors.
The Bird, the Meat, and the Sides
Fresh poultry and meat are the one part of the meal that must be local, and they are also the part to reserve earliest. Butchers take Thanksgiving orders on a first-come basis and most close their lists the weekend before.
Lake Meadow Naturals in Ocoee, Florida, raises cage-free eggs, poultry, and grass-fed meats. Listing: /listing/lake-meadow-naturals-llc.
Thistle Hill Farm and Bakery in Sedalia, Missouri, specializes in pasture-raised pork and poultry with regenerative farming practices, and the owners describe their work as stewardship of God's creation. They bake as well. Listing: /listing/thistle-hill-farm-and-bakery.
Papa The Butcher in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, is a full butcher shop with fresh meats, deli items, and seafood. Urbaniak Bros. Quality Meats in Erie, Pennsylvania, offers high-quality meats and Polish specialties, which means kielbasa on the Thanksgiving table for the families who keep that tradition. Listings: /listing/papa-the-butcher and /listing/urbaniak-bros-quality-meats.
For produce, Meadowlark Community Farm in Wonewoc, Wisconsin, delivers customizable organic farm shares, and A&M Farm & Garden Center in Robbinsville, New Jersey, has run a produce market since 1954. Listings: /listing/meadowlark-community-farm and /listing/a-m-farm-garden-center.
For the honey on the sweet potatoes, Mosermade Sawmill & Apiary in Bedford, Virginia, produces honey and beeswax products in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and Mark's Apiary in South Glastonbury, Connecticut, has sold local honey in one-, two-, and four-pound jars since 1963. Listings: /listing/mosermade-sawmill-apiary and /listing/mark-s-apiary.
Pies, Bread, Dessert, and the Coffee After
Pie orders close early, and the best Catholic-owned bakeries in the directory are small enough that early means this week.
Grandma's Country Oven in Jeannette, Pennsylvania, specializes in scratch-made pies, breads, cakes, cheesecakes, and cookies. Ultimate Pastry Shop in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, offers pies, tarts, and gluten-free options. Listings: /listing/grandma-s-country-oven and /listing/ultimate-pastry-shop. Both are in western Pennsylvania, which has one of the densest concentrations of Catholic-owned food businesses in the directory; see the Pennsylvania Catholic business directory.
Willow's Gluten Free Bakery in Melbourne, Florida, is a celiac-safe, peanut-free bakery born from twenty years of recipe work by a mother of special-needs children, and it ships gift boxes nationwide, which makes it the answer for the guest who usually skips dessert. Listing: /listing/willow-s-gluten-free-bakery.
EDM Catering & Estrella De Mexicali Bakery in Garden Grove, California, bakes artisan Mexican breads and pastries, and for the families who keep a Mexican Thanksgiving, pan dulce on the table is not optional. Listing: /listing/edm-catering-estrella-de-mexicali-bakery-and-kitchen.
For after dinner, Chocolatea in Portage, Michigan, is a tea shop and cafe that takes online orders. On the coffee side, Knights Coffee in Pittsburgh partners with Knights of Columbus councils to support priestly vocations, and Mystic Monk Coffee is roasted by Carmelite monks in Wyoming. Listings: /listing/chocolatea, /listing/knights-coffee, and /listing/mystic-monk-coffee. Browse the Catholic coffee category or read our guide to Catholic coffee roasters for more.
If You Would Rather Not Cook: Catholic-Owned Caterers and Restaurants
Some families cater. Some eat out. Both can be done Catholic-owned.
Farmhouse Catering at the Fainting Goat in Glenolden, Pennsylvania, handles on-site and off-site events, and DNH Caterers in Philadelphia builds custom menus for any occasion. Listings: /listing/farmhouse-catering-at-the-fainting-goat and /listing/dnh-caterers.
Carmine's Gourmet Market & La Trattoria in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is an upscale Italian market with catering and fine dining. Cafe Carmela in Philadelphia serves traditional Italian dishes with catering available. Empanada World Cafe in Tampa is a family-owned cafe making handmade empanadas, Cuban sandwiches, and pastries, with catering. Listings: /listing/carmine-s-gourmet-market-la-trattoria-restaurant, /listing/cafe-carmela, and /listing/empanada-world-cafe.
Italian, Cuban, Polish, Mexican. That is the immigrant table Mother Cabrini would recognize, run by the grandchildren of the people she served.
Thanksgiving Day Itself
Thanksgiving is not a liturgical feast, but the Church in the United States gives it a proper Mass. The Roman Missal for the United States includes a Mass for Thanksgiving Day with its own prayers, and most parishes celebrate it on Thursday morning. Many families make the 9 a.m. Mass the first stop of the day, before the kitchen takes over.
Two small traditions fit the day. First, a grace that names the people who grew and made the food. Second, a plate set aside for the parish food pantry: many pantries collect on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and a family that has just ordered a case of wine can afford a case of canned goods.
Your Thanksgiving 2026 Ordering Calendar
| Date | What to Do | |------|------------| | Friday, November 13 | Order shipped goods: monastery fruitcake, fudge, preserves, honey, coffee, wine | | By Friday, November 20 | Reserve the turkey or roast with a local butcher or farm; place catering orders | | Monday, November 23 | Order pies and bread for Wednesday pickup | | Wednesday, November 25 | Pick up bakery orders; Thanksgiving Eve | | Thursday, November 26 | Thanksgiving Day Mass, then the table | | Saturday, November 28 | Small Business Saturday: shop local Catholic gift shops for Advent, which begins November 29 |
The last line is deliberate. Advent begins Sunday, November 29, three days after Thanksgiving, and the Catholic gifts and religious goods category is where Advent wreaths, candles, and calendars come from. We will cover that in the coming weeks. For now, the pie.
Find Catholic-Owned Food, Wine, and Farms Near You
The businesses above are a sample from the 46,000+ Catholic businesses and organizations in the Discover Catholic Business directory. Search by state and category to find the Catholic-owned bakery, butcher, farm, or wine shop closest to your own table.
If you run a Catholic-owned farm, bakery, winery, restaurant, or catering company and you are not yet listed, add your listing free. Thanksgiving is the busiest ordering week of the year for food businesses, and Catholic families are looking for you.
Sources:
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Roman Missal texts for Thanksgiving Day in the United States (https://www.usccb.org/)
- National Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Chicago, biography of Mother Cabrini (https://www.cabrininationalshrine.org/)
- National Retail Federation, Thanksgiving weekend consumer research (https://nrf.com/)
- Discover Catholic Business directory data, September 2026