The decision to cancel the parish carnival at St. Helena’s in Bellefonte was a difficult one that punishes the wrong people, according to the pastor, Msgr. Stanley Russell.
“It was difficult because I hate to see the kids and families … they’re the losers,” Msgr. Russell said. “It seems like we’re rewarding the troublemakers. It’s a shame.”
The parish carnival, a major social event and fundraiser, had been around since the 1960s. In recent years, it was the first carnival of the spring and summer season in the Diocese of Wilmington, taking place at the end of April and early May. The event that preceded the decision to eliminate it took place this year on May 6, the last night of the festival.
A group of young people who had entered the carnival without paying were escorted from the premises. They allegedly walked across Philadelphia Pike to a Wawa, ransacked the store and threw things at passing vehicles.
In August, the decision was made.
“It was a meeting of the carnival committee, all of the people who were kind of leaders in that effort,” Msgr. Russell said.
According to a post on the parish Facebook page on Nov. 9, Mgr. Russell wrote that the committee didn’t want to take a chance on an “undesirable” event at the carnival.
“We decided in view of the situation in our society, that we cannot sponsor this event again,” the post reads.
Many of the commenters on the Facebook post said they understood why the decision was made, and they thanked the committee and Msgr. Russell for all they had done over the years.
“I know this was a difficult decision and how much this impacts the church as well as our town and community,” wrote Joanne Fuglio.
In 2022, there were reports of a panic among carnival patrons after reports that someone with a gun was on the parish grounds. That proved to be untrue, but Msgr. Russell said people were still bringing it up online in reactions to the cancellation of the carnival. Security on the grounds was increased.
The longtime pastor, who has been at the parish just north of the city of Wilmington since 1994, said the carnival was a major stream of revenue. In recent years, profits from the six-day festival topped $100,000. It’s a tough source of income to replace.
“I’ve asked our people to try to come up with something,” Msgr. Russell said.
St. Helena’s does have weekly bingo that has been more successful than anticipated, he continued, and a Christmas bazaar in early November also brought in more than the parish expected. A monthly breakfast in the former school hall has been very popular.
Msgr. Russell said the parish will have a picnic in September, but there’s nothing like the carnival “without the possibility of some people in our society causing trouble.”
Some other suggestions have included activities geared toward adults, but the pastor doesn’t want to see children left out. Once parish leaders figure out all of the financial ramifications, they’ll see where they stand.
“We’ll have to eliminate some things,” he said.
The parish does rent out part of its school building to the Brandywine School District, and they have the former convent that they are looking to turn into an asset. The Sisters of St. Joseph left the facility in 2016.
Msgr. Russell has been pastor of a parish with a carnival for more than 50 years, with Holy Rosary in Claymont and Our Lady of Fatima in New Castle preceding St. Helena. Even with two wiped out by COVID, he oversaw more than 50 of them. The St. Helena carinval was great for more than just rides, food and games.
“There were friendships renewed and new friendships made, and all of that is being lost,” he said.
