Overview
- A St. Joseph Catholic School float in Thursday’s Hanover Halloween Parade displayed a replica of the Auschwitz gate with the phrase “Arbeit Macht Frei.”
- Bishop Timothy C. Senior said he was shocked and appalled, called the imagery profoundly offensive and unacceptable, and noted it was not in the float’s originally approved design.
- The Diocese of Harrisburg said it will review approval procedures and work with the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition and the Anti-Defamation League on Holocaust education.
- Designer Galen S. Shelly apologized, saying he added the gate at the last minute after a planned archway failed to arrive, describing the choice as a mistake without ill intent.
- Metcalf Cleaning LLC, which towed the float, apologized for not recognizing the symbol’s meaning, while Jewish groups condemned the display as never acceptable and offered to engage on education.