In USA, Catholic school displays replica of Auschwitz gates for Halloween

A replica of the Auschwitz entrance gate on a festive float of a Catholic school. Photo: dailymail

The Catholic school of Saint Joseph in the American city of Hanover, Pennsylvania, found itself in a scandal by presenting a float at a Halloween parade with a replica of the Auschwitz concentration camp gate with the inscription Arbeit Macht Frei ("Work sets you free").

The incident occurred on October 30, 2025, during a community Halloween parade. About a dozen children walked alongside the float, which featured a replica of the infamous gates of the Nazi death camp.

The York Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg issued a joint statement condemning the use of Nazi symbolism.

"The depiction of these painful symbols, outside of an educational context, is never acceptable. This incident, unfortunately, reflects a disturbing rise in hatred, ignorance, and anti-Semitism in Pennsylvania and across the country," the joint statement said.

The RCC apologized for the incident. "I was shocked and appalled to learn that the Halloween float from Saint Joseph's Catholic School in Hanover included a replica of the Auschwitz concentration camp gate with the inscription Arbeit Macht Frei," stated Bishop Timothy Senior of Harrisburg in an official statement the following day.

"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," he said in the statement. the statement said. He continued: "On behalf of the Diocese of Harrisburg, I express my sincere apology to our Jewish brothers and sisters, and to all who were hurt or offended by this display."

Why the Catholic school participated in the Halloween parade at all, the bishop did not explain.

A Bucks County man left a threatening voicemail for the St. Joseph’s Catholic School principal after the school put Holocaust imagery on a Halloween float, police said. Joseph William Gilleo, 28, of Morrisville, was charged with terroristic threats, ethnic intimidation, harassment and disorderly conduct after his voicemail caused panic at the school, leading it to cancel two separate youth events. According to the charging documents, Gilleo proposed turning the school into a “concentration camp”, suggesting “it’s time to persecute you”. As a result of this threat, the parish canceled several events.

Earlier, the UOJ analyzed why the Church will never have an alternative to Halloween.

Read also