More Than a Festival: A Weekend Filled with Joy!!

SJE
Jul 17
5 min read

A festival built on faith, family, and gratitude

If you wanted to catch a glimpse of what parish life is supposed to look like, all you had to do was spend a few hours at this year's SJE Festival.

You could see it in the teenagers linking arms as they skipped from ride to ride. You could hear it in the laughter of friends reconnecting after months apart and in the music that drifted across the grounds. You could smell it in the burgers on the grill, fresh pizza, tacos, elephant ears, funnel cakes, roasted corn and more.

Most of all, you could feel it.

This wasn't simply a community festival. It was our parish family coming together to celebrate the joy of belonging to Christ and to one another.

Before anything else, we give thanks to God.

Thank You, Lord, for beautiful weather, for safety throughout the weekend, and for the countless moments of laughter, friendship, and wholesome family fun. Every smile, every conversation, every volunteer, every visitor, and every act of generosity was a reminder that God continues to bless our parish in extraordinary ways.

It is also impossible to say "thank you" enough to the hundreds and hundreds of volunteers who made the festival possible.

Events Coordinator Sydney Vega may have been at the helm, but she is the first to tell you that the festival belongs to an entire parish family. Behind every carnival ride, children's game, food booth, social media post, photograph, marketing effort, and cleanup crew stood volunteers who quietly gave their time and talents so others could simply enjoy the weekend.

Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the Core Fest leadership team, including Ryan Spangler, Stephanie Bracken, Dave Ribaldo, Christina Soto, Jenn Laurenti, Mary Whittenburg, Aileen Boyle, MJ Krucina, Ken Kolodziej, Joe Stefanko, Tiffany and Jack Chavez, Mickie and Tom Gore, Brian Pekny, Dan Lukas, Beth Michalesko, Chris Pinski, Lauren Jones, Twinkle Pingoy, Annie Pomranke, Alyssamay LaBlanca, and the countless volunteers who served in ways both seen and unseen.

Ryan Spangler and Brian Pekny also served as chairpersons along with William Doyle, Jackie Pekny, Ed Schnider, Edward Lopez, Ted Boczkowski, Joe Suppes, Ray and Erin Smutinak, Connie and Brett Jasik, Lorenzo Vega, Soumaya Adigbli, and Candace Derezinski.

And a special shout out to some many of our ministries: SJE Men’s Club, Lay Secular Franciscans, The OG's aka Connect Group #1, Illumin8 aka Connect Group #8, Connect Four aka Connect Group #4, Heavenly 13 aka Connect Group #13, the SJE Hispanic Ministry, and the SJE Young Adults group.

Whether you worked one shift or spent the entire weekend on your feet, you helped create something beautiful. You know who you are, and so does God!

Volunteer Coordinator Beth Michalesko perhaps summed it up best when she said the festival is about evangelizing through the gift of ourselves.

That may sound surprising to someone who has never attended a parish festival. How can selling burgers or directing parking become evangelization? The answer is simple.

Love looks like service.

Every smile offered at a food booth, every kind word spoken to a guest, every hamburger flipped, every trash bag carried, every child encouraged during a game is an opportunity to show someone the love of Christ.

The festival isn't just something we host. It is something we live. That is exactly what Booth Captain Erin Smutniak experiences each year while serving at the parish grill. "The sun was shining and the fest-goers seemed to be in great spirits," she said. "Our booth was busy, with people loving the burgers and fries."

But the food isn't her favorite part.

"My favorite part of the fest is meeting and talking to new people," Erin said. "I love helping people have a great experience and feel the light and joy of Jesus through all they meet."

She believes the festival strengthens the parish because volunteers who may never have met become teammates and friends.

"As a booth chair, I have the opportunity to meet new parish partners through their choice to volunteer with our booth, strengthening the relationships we have within our parish walls."

Then she said something that beautifully captures the heart of the festival. "I love being a part of sharing our joy and enthusiasm for Jesus with every community member we meet through our service and positive attitudes. I get a chance to represent our beautiful parish to the greater St. John and regional community."

That is evangelization.

Not with a sermon. But through joyful service. You could see that joy everywhere.

One young woman, Hannah, invited two friends she hadn't seen in months. They spent the evening catching up, laughing together, and learning the line dances.

A young mom laughed as her daughter eagerly tried to "win back" stuffed animals their family had donated as prizes for the children's games in Trinity Hall. Around them, children tossed bean bags, painted rocks, played Giant Lite N Brite, tried the football toss, and searched the Lollipop Tree for sweet surprises.

Outside, another family appreciated the self-guided children's activities that allowed parents to relax while little ones happily built with oversized blocks nearby. "It kept them busy," one mom laughed. "The evening was just perfect. We ate, drank, and had adult fun while the kids had their fun."

These moments may seem ordinary. In reality, they are sacred.

They are the kinds of moments that build strong families, deepen friendships, create lasting memories, and remind people that the Church is not simply where we go on Sunday—it is the family with whom we do life.

Of course, no SJE Festival would be complete without incredible food. Burgers, pizza, tacos, Italian favorites from Dal Santos, Latin cuisine from Froggie's Latin Grill, refreshing treats from Smoothie King and Dari-Ville, Ben's Pretzels, and options from Carpathia and Big Guy BBQ ensured that no one left hungry. Roasted corn, fries, elephant ears, and funnel cakes rounded out the cuisine.

Congratulations also to our Big Ticket Raffle winners, especially William (Bill) Hansen and wife Colleen who took home the $10,000 grand prize, along with Shannon and T. Vatter, Amy Sanderson, Frank Mravinac, and Jim Fowler. We hope you enjoy your winnings!

And we give a special nod at this time to William “Bill” Muller. Although he passed away in June, he will long be remembered as the top seller of tickets for this Big Ticket fundraiser.

Finally, we extend our deepest gratitude to our generous sponsors.

Your financial support helped make this year's festival possible, and your investment in our parish is an investment in faith, family, and community.

Thank you to our Premier, Eagle, Spirit, Fire, and Contributing Sponsors, including: People's Bank, Metropolitan Steel, SJE Alpha, Bartkowski strategic contracting, Centier Bank, ClearVue EyeCare, Puntillo and Crane Orthodontics, The Schoolhouse, Strack & Van Til, Theo's dining group, Town Planner NWI, Victory Honda Highland, Drain Kings, Edward Jones, Elmwood Funeral Chapel & Crematory, Insignia Stone, JMA Architects, KTS Chicago, Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute, NWI.com, Park Place of St. John, Powers Health, Providence Bank and Trust, Republic Services, State Farm agents Danny DiTola and Ryan Spangler, the Knights of Columbus Queen of Angels Council 12154, the Knights of Columbus St. Paul the Apostle Council 11232, the SJE Men's Club, Smoothie King, Weldstar, Maruszczak Appliance, R&B Fine Printing, Samco and Service All, and the Town of St. John.

Thank you for believing in our parish and helping us welcome thousands of families each year.

As another festival comes to a close, we're reminded that the greatest success wasn't measured by attendance, raffle sales, or food served. It was measured in smiles shared, friendships formed, volunteers inspired, families strengthened, and countless opportunities to reflect the love of Christ. That's what makes the SJE Festival so much more than a summer tradition.

For one joyful weekend, it becomes a living reminder of who we are called to be—disciples who make disciples by loving God, loving others, and serving with joyful hearts.