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Happening ... in the Local Church
Sharing food, fun and fellowship at St. Maria Goretti's Italian festival
"That's evangelization. And who doesn't like gelato?"
 Conor
Madden, 8, enjoys a slice of pizza at the July 11 event. (Photos by Katy
Harrison Troxell) |
||
 |
Left: Andy
BeNardo and Carla Erickson work at the spaghetti and meatballs station.
Organizers expected between 2,000 and 2,500 hungry festival-goers this
year. Right: Matt Fallin prepares elephant ears. The Holy Name Men’s Club anticipated serving up 500 of the carnival delicacies |
 |
 One
of the hottest games at this year’s festival was a modified cake walk. |
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By Katy Harrison Troxell
For
The
Catholic Moment
WESTFIELD — One local parish has found a way to honor its patroness, reach out and share with the community, and enjoy food, fun and family the Italian way.
St. Maria Goretti held its first Italian festival in July 1997, while the faith community was still a mission of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Carmel.
Organizers hoped for 400 attendees and were shocked when more than 900 showed up. First, they ran out of tomato sauce (a “mortal sin” for any Italian festival, according to pastor Father Kevin Haines). A quick trip to a local grocery store fixed that, but not for long. Next, they ran out of breadsticks, then cannoli and, finally, pasta ... not good when the Westfield Fire Department had just showed up as the honored guests. A pizza run to Domino’s saved the day.
After 12 years, St. Maria Goretti’s Italian festival — staged July 11 this year — is a fine-tuned machine.
Planning begins a year in advance — basically when the last breadstick is served.
According to Kara Clarke, public relations chair, “Father Kevin asks a school family and a non-school family to chair ...”
Greg and Kim Stanley served as this year’s chairs. Their co-chairs, Kevin and Abby Kovacs, will lead the 2010 festival.
“We’re very involved with the school,” said Kim Stanley, “so Father Kevin knew we would say yes.”
She estimated that she spent at least 300 hours planning and executing the event. “People show up and do what they need to do with no complaining,” she said.
On the day of this year’s Italian festival, the weather in St. Maria Goretti’s hometown of Corinaldo, Ancona, Italy, was 70 degrees and partly cloudy, with zero precipitation.
Unfortunately, the skies in Westfield produced rain, rain and more rain.
Since last year’s forecast was identical, the Stanleys and others were prepared and set up much of the festival indoors. But the weather was breaking, and with little time before the event was to begin, Kim Stanley had to decide whether the band should set up inside or out. “Everyone prayed really hard in church,” she said. From 5 o’clock on, skies were clear.
Organizers expected between 2,000 and 2,500 hungry attendees. They canvassed Westfield by hanging signs, stuffing mailboxes and by word-of-mouth. Clarke said that everyone was welcome. “It’s fellowship of the community,” she said.
The Italian festival is not a fund-raiser; the event is purely for fellowship and evangelization. With donations, food vendors, and the sale of tickets and T-shirts, the event pays for itself. Each food station or game was clearly marked with the “price” in tickets. Ten tickets cost $5, which would cover a meal for most. Wrist bands also were sold for $14, enabling kids unlimited play and games.
Such a large event takes many volunteers — 437 this year — organized and managed by Angie Weas, event volunteer coordinator. Weas signed people up after Mass and encouraged older school kids to volunteer and fulfill service hours.
She insisted that coordinating was easier than it sounded, and credited tradition, along with computers and spreadsheets, for easing the task.
“Certain ministries have certain booths that they cover year after year,” she explained. For example, the activity booth for the Altar Rosary Society allows kids to make a “Good Deed Rosary.”
The main attraction was the food, most pre-purchased to heat and serve. Stations set up around the room challenged the hungry to choose from lasagna, salad, breadsticks (2,800 were ordered to cover the event), meatball subs, sausage subs, spaghetti and meatballs, pizza, cannoli, tiramisu, gelato, Italian ice … even elephant ears.
Volunteer Matt Fallin assured skeptics that the carnival delicacies were made out of pizza dough, and were therefore Italian. Fallin’s group, Holy Name Men’s Club, expected to pass out 500 elephant ears.
As a first-timer, Connie McCorkle of Westfield was pleased. “The food was awesome,” she said after finishing her lasagna. “They’ve got some good cooks.”
She attended with Augustus Ferrell, who just moved up from Florida. “I saw an advertisement and decided to come,” he said. “It’s been very nice. I’m Catholic, and thinking about joining (the parish).”
Most adults chose to eat first, while the kids were all about the games and entertainment.
Kaelyn Bock, 11, was trying her hand at “Michelangelo’s Eyes,” a game she admittedly knew little about.
“I don’t know if I won, but I got candy,” said Kaelyn, who has attended the festival since becoming a parishioner of St. Maria Goretti.
“I love gelato,” she exclaimed before rushing off to join her friends.
One of the hottest games was a modified cake walk. Jeff Bowen attracted players by yelling, “Get over here; don’t be shy!” Kids were given numbered sticks and the wheel was spun, while 15 or more players pounded the sticks on the counter as if their efforts would influence the wheel. Cakes, pies and other treats were awarded.
“We’re encouraging kids to wait an hour after winning before coming back,” Bowen said with a smile.
Kelly and Ron Karn and their three children have attended for three years and also volunteer.
“It’s nice for the kids and nice to get together with everyone from the parish during summer,” Kelly said.
Father Haines called the Italian festival his favorite evening of the entire year.
In the bulletin he stated, “I think I enjoy it so much because all of us work together to accomplish something fun for the entire community. Everybody helps out. The Italian Festival has taught all of us a lot about being Church. What we found out is that putting on a big Italian Festival is a whole lot like building the Kingdom of God. We’ve all got to help out. There’s a lot of work to be done. The Church is a lot bigger than what we might first think and everybody’s invited. Everybody’s got to get their hands dirty at some point. And maybe the most important thing we learned is how much fun it is to work together as God’s people. Invite your neighbors to Italian Fest. Friends, neighbors, co-workers, fallen-away Catholics, anybody and everybody are all welcome to come and join us. For many people, it is their only exposure all year long to the Catholic Church. That’s evangelization. And who doesn’t like gelato?”
Hours into the evening, Kim Stanley reported that everything was running smoothly. “I woke up to one of my favorite songs this morning (U2’s ‘Beautiful Day’) and I thought that was a good sign.”
With her husband and two sons, she planned to help tear down and finally return home after 1 a.m.
Grabbing the lanyard around her neck that declared “I (Heart) Italy,” she said, “I’ll be passing this and the keys, but we’ll be here to help next year.”