COLUMBUS, Ohio (LifeSiteNews) — A Catholic parish in Columbus, Ohio, was forced to shut down one of its primary fundraising events last week after a large group of teenagers disrupted the festival, sparking a major disturbance.
St. Catharine Catholic Church’s annual “FunFest” ended Friday night with 11 arrests after an estimated 500 to 800 teens overwhelmed the event, leading to fights, thefts, and vandalism.
In a statement on the parish website, church pastor Father Bob Penhallurick announced that, to ensure the safety of parishioners, its high-grossing festival had to be canceled.
“It is with great disappointment that we announce the cancellation of the remainder of FunFest 2026,” Fr. Penhallurick wrote. “The safety and well-being of our parishioners and surrounding community must always remain our highest priority.”
According to NBC 4, a large fight broke out at around 7 p.m. Friday night, prompting over 100 police cruisers to rush to the scene to act as crowd control. Police said that while attempting to control the large crowd, some of the teens vandalized a nearby grocery store, and there were also reports of a robbery at a local CVS Pharmacy.
“We also apologize for any inconvenience or disturbance this situation may have caused our neighbors and the surrounding community,” said Penhallurick. “FunFest has been a cherished part of our parish community for many years, and we are already looking ahead.”
In a separate Facebook post, the St. Catharine parish emphasized relief that no one was seriously injured while also noting the financial burden caused by the event’s cancellation.
“While we are heartbroken to have canceled FunFest, we are deeply grateful for the incredible outpouring of support, prayers, and encouragement from our parish family and community,” the post read. “Most importantly, we thank God that no one was seriously injured.”
“As FunFest is our largest annual fundraiser, this cancellation represents a significant loss of operating revenue that supports the mission and ministries of St. Catharine.”
Penhallurick reiterated his intention to bring back the festival next year, entrusting the matter to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary.
“We remain committed to bringing this tradition back stronger than ever with increased safety measures, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back next year for an even better FunFest experience,” he stated. “Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!”