The spirit of Catholic fun
Festivals celebrate the joy, faith and bonds of parish communities
Painting faces always adds a festive touch at parish festivals—a touch experienced by television reporter Keith Kaiser and Father H. Michael Hilderbrand, pastor, during the “Knobs Fest” at St. Mary-of-the-Knobs Parish in Floyd County in June of 2011. Kaiser and Father Hilderbrand benefited from the artistic talents of young parishioners Zoe Libs, left, and Chloe Sprigler. (Submitted photo) Click for a larger version.
By Alison Graham and John Shaughnessy
It’s the season of the parish festival—a time when children squeal with joy as they play games, and adults lick their lips as they line up to feast on fish, chicken, hot dogs and homemade desserts.
It’s the season when festival committee members pray for sunny afternoons and moonlit evenings touched by soft breezes—a time when families and friends gather to eat, laugh, drink, dance, play and eat some more, all with the hope of building a closer faith community.
In celebration of this rite of summer, The Criterion asked readers and festival leaders from across the archdiocese to share their favorite moments and memories from their parish festivals. Their stories capture the spirit of this fun Catholic tradition.
The flavor of a parish and America
Watching the fireworks explode into bursts of red, white and blue in the night sky is one of the favorite parts of the parish festival for Julie Johnstone.
So are the delicious food creations that entice people at the Fourth of July Ole! Festival at St. Mary Parish in Indianapolis.
Johnstone recommends the jochos, a hot dog wrapped in bacon and covered with your choice of sautéed onions, tomatoes, jalapenos and whatever else your taste buds can take.
And she also raves about the esquites, cooked corn served in a cup with mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, hot sauce and a touch of lime.
And to cool the heat of your body from the food and the sun, she strongly encourages trying the raspados, shaved ice with homemade fruit syrups.
Still, the best part of the festival for Johnstone is the way it brings together the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking members of the parish.
“At the event, everyone works side by side, whether it is squeezing a hundred limes or enjoying the traditional food of each other’s culture, and celebrating the spirit of the nation’s birthday by welcoming everyone,” says Johnstone, a member of the festival committee.
“After working all day at the festival, everyone stops to gaze in wonder at the fireworks in the sky [from the nearby fireworks show in downtown Indianapolis]. Being there with family, friends and parishioners, there’s nothing better to remind you of the wonders of God’s creation.”
The scene is also a reminder of the diversity of the United States and the universal quest for freedom, says Father Michael O’Mara, pastor of St. Mary Parish.
“The celebration of U.S. independence is something that resonates deeply not only with U.S. citizens, but also those who dream of, one day, being U.S. citizens,” he says. “The festival at St. Mary’s on July 4 celebrates this dream with immigrants of the past, and the immigrants of the present from the perspective of our reality as a parish. It is a great day. A multicultural day. An American day.”
The sweet tunes of Sinatra
The lights dimmed and the anticipation built as the candlelight reflected off the faces of the dinner crowd at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Terre Haute. Everyone’s attention turned to the stage where Rob Verostko, a former parishioner, was dressed a bit differently, a bit more like Frank Sinatra. As he began to belt the sweet tunes of Sinatra, everyone cheered and clapped.
Verostko is a hired Sinatra imitator. He sang, danced and acted like the famous entertainer at the parish’s “Sunday with Sinatra” dinner on June 10.
The event offered a fun, light atmosphere for connecting the parish community, says Barbara Black, parish life coordinator.
“We have some new people coming into the parish because of some local church closings,” Black says. “When you’re sitting in the pews, you don’t really get the opportunity to get to know people. It went wonderfully. We had a lot of people, and they really enjoyed it. It was an all-around good time.”
‘It’s the best chicken you’ll ever taste’
Joyce Hansell may surprise some people when she shares her favorite moment of the “Summer Festival” at St. John the Baptist Parish in Dover.
“My favorite part is the Friday right before the festival when we set up,” says Hansell, the festival chairperson for the past six years. “That’s when we get a lot of help and a lot of involvement from people in the parish. The people who fry up the chicken for the festival have a dinner for the workers that day. You’re to the point where you can sit down and say, ‘That’s good.’ ”
By the way, Hansell isn’t shy in using superlatives to describe the fried chicken that will be served on July 14-15 during the festival at the southeastern Indiana parish. In fact, her description may raise more than a few eyebrows and challenges in a part of the state where many people take pride in their fried chicken.
“It’s the best chicken you’ll ever taste,” Hansel says matter-of-factly. “I guarantee it. Come on down and try it. Our fryers are great. I guess they have a special recipe.”
The dedication of the ‘Grill Master’
While some festivals have special recipes, some festival volunteers have special titles.
After 25 years of volunteering at the “Summer Festival” at St. Jude Parish in Indianapolis—held this year on June 21-23—Don Striegel has claimed the title of “Grill Master.”
“I take pride in serving quality products to customers—juicy not burnt burgers, child-friendly hot dogs, crispy not charred brats, moist chicken breasts, tender rib-eyes, and juicy, silk-free
corn-on-the-cob,” says Striegel, who deserves some kind of ribbon for his choice of adjectives to describe his cooking.
He’s also been willing to go the extra mile as the Grill Master.
“It’s a hot, dirty job, but very rewarding to realize how many meals were prepared—and, of course, the funds raised for parish and school projects,” he says.
“One of the fears of grillers is losing charcoal heat that would require 20 to 30 minutes to restart. One Saturday evening at the height of business, a thunderstorm rolled in, threatening our exposed grills. I grabbed my golf umbrella from my truck and stood over the grills, blocking as much rain as possible. Although some brics were snuffed out, we were able to continue to meet demand.”
‘Everyone is welcome’
The bakers frost their cupcakes and bake their cookies to perfection. They pack their desserts neatly into Tupperware containers and place them gently into their cars. As soon as the treats arrive at St. Mary-of-the-Knobs Parish in Floyd County, they are displayed artfully on tables that stretch across the gymnasium.
Yet, the dessert extravaganza is just part of the fun at the parish’s annual dessert and card party on Sept. 19. As everyone stuffs their stomachs with homemade desserts, the cards are dealt and the games begin.
For more than 40 years, parishioners have been enjoying this fundraiser and social event. But it isn’t just for parishioners.
“We want people from the community to come, too, not just Catholics,” says Karen Riddle, chairperson of the festival. “We want everyone to feel welcome.”
‘The music is the best part’
Lights are strung around the grounds of the festival on a summer night. A cool breeze sweeps through the tables filled with friends and families talking and laughing. Then comes the first chord from a band that soon has people smiling, dancing and tapping their feet.
“The music is the best part,” says Patti Grote, festival chairperson for the “Summer Festival” on the grounds of Prince of Peace Catholic Schools in Madison on Aug. 24-25. “And the funnel cakes are really good, too.”
The music starts on Friday night with the Blues Devils, a band that plays blues, jazz and country, and whose lead singer is Leah Koehler Pruett, a Prince of Peace parishioner. The sound builds on Saturday evening when more than 2,000 people fill the festival grounds to hear The Rumors, a popular band in the Louisville area.
“They’re a really big dance group that plays music from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and now,” Grote says. “Everyone loves to dance to them. It’s such a good time.”
Dancing in the streets
Children smile as they hand-jive. Teenagers laugh as they do the “sprinkler,” a dance that mimics the actions of, what else, a water sprinkler. And people of all ages flap their arms and bob their heads for the “chicken dance.”
The feeling seems new every year, but the “Street Dance Weekend” festival at St. Mary Parish in New Albany has been an enduring tradition for 28 years.
The event is split into two different, exciting days this year on June 22-23. Friday is a family-oriented festival that includes sidewalk games, a dunking booth and cake walk.
“Friday’s draw is the family atmosphere with a chicken dinner and a big yard sale. We’re adding a Splash Water Ball where kids get in a ball and walk on the water, and we have a swing dance, too,” says Michelle Braden, a parishioner who has been involved with the festival for eight years.
The second day is just as jam packed with fun activities, but is geared toward the older generation with a beer garden and casino night.
“It’s fun to see the families that start with young kids, and see them grow up and become involved, too,” Braden says. “The satisfying part is to see the festival continue on.”
(Alison Graham, a senior at Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis, is a summer intern at The Criterion.) †
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