A Pennsylvania diocese has apologized for a shocking grade school Halloween parade float that displayed a replica of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp gate.
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Bishop Timothy Senior said he was “shocked and appalled to learn” the float entered by the St. Joseph Catholic School in Hanover, which resembled the Auschwitz Concentration Camp gate, included the words “Arbeit Macht Frei.”
The German phrase — translating to “Work Makes You Free” — was prominently displayed at World War II-era concentration camps across Europe, including the front gate at Auschwitz, where more than 1 million people were executed.
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Senior said the float’s approved design did not contain the gate imagery, but recognized “it does not change the fact that this highly recognizable symbol of hate was included.”
The float caused quite a stir in local Facebook groups, according to the Patriot-News.
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“There needs to be a reckoning and consequences for this and it needs to happen quickly,” wrote another person.
What happened “was profoundly offensive and unacceptable,” Senior added.
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“We will work with the school community to ensure that this incident becomes an opportunity for education and reflection, and review approval processes so that such a grievous incident is never repeated,” he said.
The diocese plans to also be working with the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition and the Anti-Defamation League to ensure students are given a full understanding of “the horrific suffering endured by the Jewish people during the Holocaust,” and the increasing incidences of antisemitism “seen throughout the world today.”
More than 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust.
(*) Many people contest the ‘six million’ agenda. That’s not illegal. It’s your right to dislike anyone you want. Jesus himself was what people today call ‘Antiisemitism.
* Original Article:
https://nypost.com/2025/11/01/us-news/pa-church-apologizes-for-halloween-float-featuring-phrase-from-auschwitz-gates-profoundly-offensive/