The Diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, apologized after a Catholic grade school’s Halloween parade float featured imagery resembling the entrance gate of the Auschwitz concentration camp.
The float, which Saint Joseph Catholic School in Hanover submitted for the town’s Oct. 30 Halloween parade, displayed an archway reading “Arbeit Macht Frei” — German for “Work Makes You Free,” according to Penn Live. The outlet said that the slogan appeared over several Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, where millions of people were murdered.
Bishop Timothy Senior said in a Nov. 1 apology that he was “shocked and appalled” to learn about the float.
“The inclusion of this image — one that represents the horrific suffering and murder of millions of innocent people, including six million Jews during the Holocaust — is profoundly offensive and unacceptable,” the bishop added.
Bishop Senior noted that the original, approved design did not include the imagery but said that “does not change the fact that this highly recognizable symbol of hate was included.” He apologized to the Jewish community on behalf of the diocese and anyone “hurt or offended by this display.”
“As Catholics, we stand firmly against all forms of antisemitism, hatred, and prejudice, which are rampant in our society,” he continued. “The Church’s relationship with the Jewish community is one of deep respect, friendship, and shared faith in the one true God.”
The diocese said it will work with the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition and the Anti-Defamation League to expand Holocaust education and resources against “the continued antisemitism seen throughout our world today.”
The float’s designer, Galen Shelly from Adams County, later told PennLive he was “deeply sorry” for the mistake and had “no ill intent,” adding that he didn’t realize the impact of the phrase. He said it was not part of his original design but was added after a decorative archway he ordered failed to arrive on time.
Shelly said he improvised after researching cemetery images online, intending to convey the “idea none of us get out of this life alive.”
“I never intended anything to be like this,” he told PennLive. “I couldn’t have anticipated it. I made a mistake and I ask everyone’s forgiveness.”
Metcalf Cleaning, the Hanover-based company that pulled the float during the parade, said on Facebook that it had no role in the design and was unaware of its meaning.
“Our company volunteered to pull a float for a local community group; however, we were not involved in the creation of its decorations or messaging,” the company said. “At the time, we were unaware of its meaning and significance. We recognize that we should have taken a closer look at the float prior to the parade, and we are truly sorry for that oversight.”
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