Diocese 'appalled' after Catholic school Halloween float had 'replica' of Auschwitz gate

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: WHP, CBS channel 21 in Harrisburg

Diocese 'appalled' after Catholic school Halloween float had 'replica' of Auschwitz gate

by Austin Winkler
Sat, November 1, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Updated Sat, November 1, 2025 at 12:52 PM


Photo of the St. Joseph's Catholic School Parade float that shows the words "Arbeit Macht Frei". (Credit: Nicole Sellers)

YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) -- The Harrisburg Diocese is condemning a float that was used by a local Catholic school in the Hanover Halloween parade which showed "a replica of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp gate."

Parade-goers first noticed the disturbing imagery as the many floats made their way through Hanover Thursday night.

In a statement issued to the public, the diocese said the parade float belonged to Saint Joseph Catholic School in Hanover and had the words "Arbeit Macht Frei"--a German phrase meaning "work makes you free" which was used at Nazi concentration camps.

The parade was livestreamed in full by Community Media of South Central PA and the float can be seen passing by at 1:38:30.

https://youtube.com/watch?vsM7w4gmwEQE

While a reason was not provided as to why or how the float made it into the parade, the diocese apologized and confirmed the initial approved float design did not contain this "highly recognizable symbol of hate."

{snip}

Read more: https://local21news.com/news/local/halloween-float-auschwitz-gate-replica-catholic-school-arbeit-macht-frei-nazi-harrisburg-diocese-appaled-hanover-york-county-pennsylvania

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OK. On a local Facebook page a dude is claiming to the ”artist” behind a series of floats and giving a long word salad explanation for his artistic vision. Seems either ill or very neurodivergent. Still doesn’t explain how nobody else caught it.

— Stone Cold “Crazy” Hat (@kenwhite.bsky.social) 2025-11-01T17:22:16.778Z

*******
Stone Cold "Crazy" Hat
https://bsky.app/profile/kenwhite.bsky.social

OK. On a local Facebook page a dude is claiming to the "artist" behind a series of floats and giving a long word salad explanation for his artistic vision. Seems either ill or very neurodivergent. Still doesn't explain how nobody else caught it.

‪Stone Cold "Crazy" Hat‬
https://bsky.app/profile/kenwhite.bsky.social

· 38m
The students of Saint Joseph Catholic school in Hanover apologized, saying they didn't realize the significance of the float and that it won't be used again in part because they now understand it is inappropriate and in part because it is running third for the Democratic Senate nomination in Maine
November 1, 2025 at 1:22 PM
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Just a bit of it.

— Stone Cold “Crazy” Hat (@kenwhite.bsky.social) 2025-11-01T17:23:45.291Z

******
Stone Cold "Crazy" Hat
https://bsky.app/profile/kenwhite.bsky.social

Follow
Just a bit of it.

November 1, 2025 at 1:23 PM
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[sinkingfeeling]

1. How did the company involved not 'know the meaning' nor 'significance' of it? US education failures?

[AZLD4Candidate]

2. No, not education failures. Bigotry masked by fake ignorance. They knew, but they didn't care

In the US, antisemitism is the only bigotry that gets either explained as unintentional or dismissed as not real.

[Tetrachloride]

5. the only??

[AZLD4Candidate]

9. When people were protesting Israel and attacking/targeting Jewish students, antisemitism was dismissed

by saying people were taking it out of context. Racism and sexism do not get the "out of context" treatment.

When a temple is vandalized, the news of it lasts a day or two and then disappears. The outrage against the anti-Asian violence that happened a few years ago was broadcast daily.

Jews have been targeted for years to little or no fanfare against it, yet we are not considered a protected class.

The Holocaust is denied by many people. Slavery is not.

"The Jews won't replace us." No place did I see or hear "homosexuals won't replace us." Because we have always been a convenient, easy target.

"Arbeit Macht Frei" can be put on a float and it seems no one at this parade stopped it, mentioned anything, or did anything to prevent. If these little Nazis went blackface, the outrage would spread throughout the country.

The right wing hates us. The left wing hates us.

I could go on about this, but I want to keep this short. If I went on, this post would be pages long.

[Tetrachloride]

11. my view is that most discriminating actions are dismissed

even in blue areas

as for my work, i deal with elderly and disabled people.

i get to drive past homeless a lot.

so, i am usually of the feeling that most discriminating behavior is whitewashed

[oldmanlynn]

12. I still believe Israel is evil. I am talking about the country

What they did in Gaza was way over the top

[AZJonnie]

13. I would bet that every marginalized group strongly feels exactly the same way about their own group

And I'll leave it at that, friend, other than to say all hatred of this kind sucks

[Irish_Dem]

3. Pretend stupidity.

[Behind the Aegis]

8. That seems to be a common refrain when it comes to things related to "The Holocaust".

I have seen it some surprising places; well, maybe I wasn't all that surprised! When it comes to the Holocaust, many, including many Jews, are woefully UNDEREDUCATED (if at all) about the topic.

[Tetrachloride]

4. Appalachia

[twodogsbarking]

10. Harrisburg. East of appalachia. I grew up in appalachia.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. I'm guessing the concept of "vetting process" is non-existent there

Rigid minds, grounded in dogma

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. 1) Auschwitz was definitely a horror, 2) We must not forget, though in appropriate venues,

3) "in part because it is running third for the Democratic Senate nomination in Maine": that makes no sense at all. The float is running third? A student is running third? The school / diocese is running third?

The parade was in Pennsylvania, not Maine.

[AZJonnie]

14. It's some idiot trying to be clever and failing miserably

Referring to the "Democrat" in Maine running for Senate with the Nazi tattoo and the history of anti-LGTBQ comments, I forget his name because I don't want to know it.

[Paladin]

15. Absolutely inexcusable.

Those who are responsible for this travesty need to be publicly exposed and then punished---firings, expulsions, whatever is the most effective.

The significance of "Arbeit Mach Frei" isn't some obscure fact that requires a background in WWII history to recognize. The term has appeared in well-known books and films dealing with The Holocaust for many years. Imagine being someone who lost relatives in those death camps, seeing those words at a religious school's holiday parade. Just inexcusable.

[intheflow]

16. "You know what's scary?"

"Auschwitz. Let's put it on a float." I can totally see how people might have justified it, but that still doesn't mean it was right.

[Crowman2009]

17. The principal is probably a member of Opus Dei and gave this float the green light.

Or probably some other far-right religious order.

[Timeflyer]

18. If that happened in FL, taxpayer dollars could be funding that Catholic school tuition through "Step Up for Students,"

"Students, regardless of household income, who are residents of Florida and eligible to enroll in a K-12 public school, can receive a scholarship worth an average of $8,000 to attend a private school." That's right, regardless of household income. It may take a decade, but FL under DeSantis and GOP will bankrupt FL public education.