CLEVELAND — There will be no greasy pole climb at St. Rocco’s this year, but at least there will be zeppoli. The 106th St. Rocco Church Festival has been canceled, due to COVID-19 concerns.
“After long and serious prayer and consultation with officials from the city and the Diocese, as well as listening to many of you, it should not be a surprise that it is not possible to sponsor our annual Labor Day - St. Rocco Festival this year. It would be both imprudent and impractical,” shared the church Facebook page earlier this summer. “With the uncertainty of continued contagion, I personally cannot invite or expect people to come and enjoy themselves at our festival when individuals and families have been severely and adversely impacted by this pandemic.”
However, that doesn’t mean the community won’t celebrate their patron saint. St. Rocco, 3205 Fulton Road in Cleveland, will hold a drive-thru festival with many of their favorites from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. September 4 - 7. They will be serving their famous sausage sandwiches, meatballs, cannoli, lasagna, spaghetti, limoncello cake — and, of course, their beloved zeppoli (fried dough balls covered in powdered sugar.
“Our festival, as you are aware, is the premier social gathering of our community each year. It is a homecoming for many and an opportunity to celebrate our amazing parish family, ancestry and Italian heritage. Not being able to come together this year for the festival weighs heavily upon me,” continued the Facebook post. “This is a moment in our history for us to refocus, recommit, and have new vision for tomorrow and future festivals. “
Interestingly, St. Rocco, a 14th-century French saint who was miraculously cured of the plague, is the patron saint of plagues. St. Rocco pastor Rev. James Mayer is calling for believers to unite in praying to St. Rocco for assistance at this time, saying “Faced with such a dangerous situation, where the fear of a possible epidemic is always lurking, we take refuge in faith.”
Call 216-961-8331 for more information on the drive thru festival.
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