Grace Elliot pitches to Maddie Punda as she prepares to swing during a softball game while Ryan Kraft looks on as parishioners from south suburban parishes gathered for a World Meeting of Families celebration in Crestwood on Sept. 27. (Karen Callaway/Catholic New World)
About 500 people, mostly members at Incarnation Parish in Palos Heights, gathered at Standard Bank Stadium in Crestwood to celebrate families on Sept. 27. The afternoon event was sponsored by the parish and the Village of Crestwood, and included activities from a beanbag tournament and pony rides to a softball game played in the stadium while Pope Francis’ Mass in Philadelphia was broadcast on the jumbotron. Father Arek Falana, Incarnation’s pastor, said the parish planned the event to coincide with the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. “God is a family,” Falana said. “The pope is here to celebrate the gift of the family. I know it is impossible for all of us to join the pope. That’s why we, a family friendly Incarnation Parish with our family-friendly school and religious education program, invited everyone to this very special event.” Carrie Roca-Dawson, a former youth minister, and Jen Punda both came to the event with their children and caught up with one another while their children played in the playground. Roca-Dawson said she had been feeling a little guilty for not finding a way to participate Pope Francis’ visit to the United States. “This makes me feel like I’m doing something to be part of it,” she said. Roca-Dawson and Punda said the day was arranged well for families. The entrance fee of $20 per family included all of the entertainment and activities, including a DJ, face painting and a chance to see and touch reptiles. Proceeds from food sales benefitted parish groups and activities. In addition, because most people came from the parish and school and already knew each other, parents felt comfortable allowing their children to roam a bit more than they would in other situations, Punda said. “Everyone is watching all the kids,” she said. For his part, Incarnation School kindergartner Aidan Mirabella, 6, said the best part was the opportunity to spend the day playing outside with his friends. His father, Jason Mirabella, said the event offered all the parish and school families an opportunity to socialize. “It’s been really good,” he said. Annie and Jim Canner came with three of their four daughters, with the oldest expected to join them later in the day. “We wanted to do something to celebrate for the World Meeting of Families,” Annie Canner said, as she watched daughter Emma, 10, get her face painted as Minnie Mouse. Sanjani Guttierrez enjoyed the afternoon with her family while daughter Crystal played with the Shepard High School band on the field. “I didn’t even know this was going on,” said Guttierrez, whose family goes to Our Lady of the Ridge Parish in Chicago Ridge. “We were just going to drop her off, and we saw everything, so we stayed.” Following the band performance, members Incarnation’s TRAIN youth group teamed up with police officers in softball to take on Incarnation alumni, who were teamed with local firefighters. While they played, the video screen in the scoreboard showed a broadcast of Pope Francis’ last Mass in Philadelphia. “One of the local media who called me asked if that was sacrilegious,” said Kathy McNicholas, pastoral associate at Incarnation and one of the event’s main organizers. “But watching Mass is not like going to Mass. I think the pope would be happy to see all the families together.”