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<p>NEWPORT TWP. &#8212; If there is one word to describe those attending St. Faustina&#8217;s Parish Festival, it would be committed.</p><p>Last year an unexpected downpour hit the event during a peak time and those waiting in line for potato pancakes and other food items didn&#8217;t budge.</p><p>Some popped open umbrellas and some just stood there, willing to get wet rather than lose their place in line.</p><p>It didn&#8217;t surprise the Rev. James Nash, parish pastor, who said members of his congregation had been making American and ethnic food items for weeks.</p><p>Volunteers he said range in age with the oldest being a 103-year-old who still comes out for food preparation the week of the festival.</p><p>Nash said he is especially blessed by the camaraderie that made the three-day event possible, because St. Faustina&#8217;s Church is the result of a consolidation of six Nanticoke area churches less than 10 years ago.</p><p>Several of the original churches had annual festivals, but when the churches merged, it was unclear if members could work together to hold a successful festival.</p><p>Not only has the event been a success for the last nine years, event chairman Dennis Morgis said, but it has grown every year in several areas.</p><p>&#8220;We didn&#8217;t have food from the Philippines until someone suggested it,&#8221; said Morgis. &#8220;We added a bounce house, first renting one and then buying.&#8221;</p><p>Morgis said he has come to Nash several times with some suggested changes to the festival, having done the research and with a specific plan.</p><p>&#8220;We get along well,&#8221; he said. &#8220;He trusts me. He usually says yes.&#8221;</p><p>This year&#8217;s change was to the setup of the festival, clearing room near the food stands and moving children&#8217;s rides a bit toward the back of the festival area.</p><p>&#8220;It provided more safety for the volunteers and it&#8217;s easier to get around,&#8221; Morgis said.</p><p>And though some things about the festival have changed a bit, most have stayed the same, with potato pancakes remaining the hands food offering.</p><p>When Morgis found out that people from as far away as Sunbury and Unityville were coming especially for the food, he announced to his board that he believed that the festival didn&#8217;t only have the best food in the area, but in the state.</p><p>&#8220;We had a couple of here from Florida last year,&#8221; said Nash. &#8220;They were staying at a local hotel and heard about it and came out.&#8221;</p><p>A favorite part of Saturday&#8217;s activities was is a polka Mass that combines music with message.</p><p>Nash&#8217;s sermon was about importance of the &#8220;Body of Christ,&#8221; which he said went behind simply a theological concept.</p><p>&#8220;The volunteers here today, working together,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That&#8217;s all about working together as one body.&#8221;</p><p>Sherry Kinsey, Nanticoke, said coming to the event was an annual tradition for her family, always on a Saturday.</p><p>&#8220;We can come and hang out and we don&#8217;t have work in the morning,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Her son Hudson was enjoying getting his face painted as a raccoon and would be soon on his way to the bounce house.</p><p>&#8220;He loved playing and running around,&#8221; she said. &#8220;The bounce house is his favorite.&#8221;</p><p>Justin and Caressa Davis, West Wyoming, said they came out every year, but this year brought their 2&#189;-month-old daughter Teagan with them.</p><p>Justin Davis, whose favorite is potato pancakes, said he had been waiting for the potato pancake line to thin.</p><p>&#8220;But that doesn&#8217;t seem to be happening this year,&#8221; he said, laughing.</p><p>This year&#8217;s festival had the benefit of good weather, though storms earlier in the week did limit parking and necessitate a shuttle from an offsite parking lot.</p><p>The festivities will continue on Sunday with entertainment by 40 LB Head.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Hunter Kinse has his face painted as a raccoon on Saturday night by Ruth Casey from Just Plain Crazy Face Art at the St. Faustina Festival. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_festival1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Hunter Kinse has his face painted as a raccoon on Saturday night by Ruth Casey from Just Plain Crazy Face Art at the St. Faustina Festival. </caption0><photoCredit0>Geri Gibbons| For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_festival2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Shawn Alagrati enjoys a pony ride on Saturday night with the assistance of Olivia Bogert, Unityville. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_festival2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Shawn Alagrati enjoys a pony ride on Saturday night with the assistance of Olivia Bogert, Unityville. </caption1><photoCredit1>Geri Gibbons| For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_festival3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Bill Kishbaugh, stops to enjoy a bit of conversation and laughter with St. Faustina volunteers Joan Prestash, Kim Charney and Rachel Jeffries. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_festival3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Bill Kishbaugh, stops to enjoy a bit of conversation and laughter with St. Faustina volunteers Joan Prestash, Kim Charney and Rachel Jeffries. </caption2><photoCredit2>Geri Gibbons| For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Geri Gibbons</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div>

St. Faustina’s Festival draws crowds for a second day