Saints Joachim & Anne Parish Community Festival 2025 is             August 7,8,9!

It is hard to believe that FESTIVAL 2024 has come and gone already. A year of planning and it is over in an instant. FESTIVAL 2025 is already in the making and that too will come and go quickly. Our festival would not be possible if we, as a family of God, did not come and work together as a family to make this years’ SAINTS JOACHIM AND ANNE PARISH COMMUNITY FESTIVAL another tremendous success. God blessed us mostly with good weather until the skies opened up on Saturday evening, but that did not deter the crowd from staying until the numbers were called. The crowds came from far and near to spend an evening with us to enjoy the food, entertainment, raffles, all of which were amazing, games, flea market and all the offerings our festival has. It was great to see children having fun eating their cotton candy, doing the dance contest for the little ones, the line dancing for the older kids as well as riding the rides and making memories that will be cherished for a lifetime. At this time, I would like to take this opportunity to THANK the entire Festival Team, the parishioners, businesses, parish ministries and organizations that donated and supported our parish financially, the volunteers and parish organizations that worked the booths, the volunteers that were on the festival grounds before, during and after the festival, the youth group, students from Elizabeth Forward and South Allegheny that came to assist with flea market drop off, set up, tear down and help out in the booths nightly, members of the community that came to assist us during festival week to help wherever needed, and to all who supported our festival in any way. We all came together to ensure OUR parish festival was an enormous success not only financially but as an event where everyone can enjoy food, fun and fellowship. I once again want to THANK the festival team, who have been working for months preparing and planning to make this successful! You have been wonderful to work with and it is impressive that all three churches are represented on the team! They are Romayne Abbott, Cookie Bonczek, Glenn Bonczek, Vickie Budd, Ed Camic, Rose Cindric, Carmel DiGiacomo, Lynley Doonan, Jo Ann Esack, Linda George, Bernadette Grese, Kevin Hopkins, Tony Hutskow, Darla Losteter, Monica Lyon, Janice Matyasovsky, Anita Niecgorski, Mari Anne Palestra, Sandy Palmer, Chris Peterson, Brian Phillips, Gina Picone, Chris Ponchak, Jamie Ponchak, Jeannie Premozic, Connie Ramsey, Donna Ruhl, Judy Shriane, Lisa Sinay, Patty Smith, Lisa Spyra, and Judy Zajicek. A special thank you to the Niecgorski, Ponchak, and Spyra families for all the assistance you gave to the festival. I cannot ask for a better group of folks!! You are the best! Lastly, thank you to Father Tom for your support and faith in this team. If you would like to be involved in the planning of the FESTIVAL 2025, please let me know. We welcome your ideas and input. REMEMBER THAT THIS IS YOUR CHURCH AND WE ARE HERE TO THRIVE AS MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST, THE CHURCH. SAVE THE DATE: AUGUST 7, 8 & 9, 2025!!!! Cathy Esack, Festival Facilitator