By: centraljersey.com
Although its been a Manville congregation for 76 years, the 80-family parish of Holy Ghost Orthodox Church sometimes feels a bit .. . overlooked.
So the church, located at 249 So. Seventh Ave., is hosting a two-day community food festival that the Rev. Matthew Moriak said could become an annual event. The Rev. Moriak said the event is intended as part-outreach to invite more local residents to learn about the church and its history, and part fundraiser.
"We had 8 1/2 feet of water in our basement (following the April 2007 nor-easter) and it’s been an uphill battle along the way," the Rev. Moriak said.
He added the event will include an area for kids to play, games, face painting and other activities, along with a variety of foods.
"This is all food we’re preparing ourselves; a lot of ethnic foods – pierogies, holupki and holushki, as well as more typical picnic fare like hamburgers and hot dogs," the Rev. Moriak said.
The Rev. Moriak will also offer tours of the building, showcasing the work done in restoring it after the flooding as well as other notable features of the church.
He notes the food items will help raise funds for church activities, but the event is being planned to accomplish more than fundraising.
"Certainly, we’re hoping to raise funds, but it’s bigger than that," he said. "We’ve been talking about it for years."
The festival opens at 11 a.m. Saturday at the church and continues until 5 p.m. Sunday’s hours are noon to 4 p.m.

