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Mount Carmel winter fest will satisfy summer cravings
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The Rev. John-Michael Lavelle, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Niles, stands next to a sign promoting the winter festival this weekend. The church’s summer festival, a tradition for more than 80 years, inspired the January event to satisfy those summer food cravings.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
NILES
If the recent frigid temperatures and lingering wintertime dreariness have prompted daydreams of balmy weather and the Valley’s summer fests, your tastebuds will be watering in anticipation of an upcoming food fest.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 381 Robbins Ave., will sponsor a winter festival this weekend.
The Rev. John-Michael Lavelle said the inaugural winter event came out of the success of the summer festival, a tradition for more than 80 years at the church.
“The biggest draw is the food. We tap into the ethnic heritage ... Italian ... of the parish,” the pastor said.
He added that church members thought a food festival would break up the monotony of days with limited activities and wintry weather.
“It’s so bleak and cold,” Father Lavelle said, the idea of a winter festival was warmly welcomed.
Though the winter festival won’t have the rides and games of the summer event, there will be a drawing for a 50-inch flat-screen television.
“That’s just in time to watch the Superbowl,” Father Lavelle said.
The pastor said two of the most popular fest foods are cheesepuffs and twists. Both use a soft Italian dough and are deep fried.
“At the summer festival, we’ve sold 20,000 cheesepuffs,” Father Lavelle said.
The cheesepuff resolved how to use the blocks of government-issued cheese at its former school cafeteria.
“The moms came up with this ... it’s kind of a deep-fried grilled cheese sandwich,” he said.
The twists are the same soft Italian dough that is formed into a twist, deep fried and dusted with confectioners’ sugar.
For pizza enthusiasts, there will be a Brier Hill version along with potato and spinach calzones, the ever-popular sausage sandwiches and cavetelli.
Father Lavelle said there also will be hot dogs and French fries.
Food will be available to eat in or takeout.
While the summer festival involves a couple hundred volunteers, the pastor said about 100 will handle the demands over the course of three days.
Everything is made fresh, Father Lavelle said. On the mornings of the three-day festival, volunteers will make the dough for cheesepuffs and twists and prepare the other foods.
Father Lavelle said the funds from the summer and winter festivals help parish finances.
The church has undergone a yearlong $1 million renovation in the sanctuary and hall. The hall is getting a new tile floor in addition to improvements in heating and cooling.
The church interior also was updated; previously covered stained glass windows are now visible.
The electrical system also was updated.
Part of the funds raised at the festival are earmarked for mission work done by students at John F. Kennedy High School in Warren.
The annual summer parish festival will start on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16 and continue through July 20.
“Some people plan their vacations around the festival and some travel from Florida and Californa” to attend, the pastor said.