SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A religious pilgrimage that attracts the faithful from near and far is underway in Scranton. The nine-day novena to Saint Ann began Thursday with masses and novena services at the basilica on the city's west side.
People from near and far prayed on the first day of Saint Ann's Solemn Novena in Scranton. This is the 101st year of the novena and church leaders are expecting a good turnout.
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"The crowds are fantastic, we usually fill the tents, and we have a great weekend coming up, the weekend looks like it's going to be pretty nice. So, we're hopeful that people will make the trip up," said Brian Hallock, a coordinator at the novena.
Those in attendance may have specific prayers in mind and one Saint Ann's parishioner tells us this year's novena is special for her.
"Normally, we just come here and pray in general, but this year, my mother actually just recently passed away, so I'm coming in her honor, and I know she loved the novena, so, yeah, this year I'm doing this for her," said Julia Cicco.
For the past century, some families have made it a tradition to attend this annual novena, passing down their faith pilgrimage through generations.
"You know, since 1924 is when the novena started, so you have great grandparents, the grandparents, the parents, now with kids, and even the grandkids which is really, really good," Brian Hallock explained.
"It's so nice seeing all these people here, I know there's some faces I recognize, some that I don't, but it's just nice to see everyone come out and just celebrate," Julia Cicco stated.
The novena's rich history began in the 20th century with miners who would do their walk at night. Saint Ann's carries on that tradition to remember those who walked before them.
"You know, this takes tradition from when the miners had to go to work, they had a novena service for them, a mass and novena early in the morning on the feast day, so they can participate as well. We kind of do it as a tribute still and a remembrance of that. Again, we're at a hundred and one years this year, so we want to keep some of the old traditions going and that's one of them that we've kept very well over the years," Brian Hallock continued.
The event will include masses for infants, children and grandparents, masses in Spanish, and more until the final feast day.
The novena to Saint Ann concludes Saturday, July 26 with the feast day of Saint Ann and a final mass that night celebrated by the Diocese of Scranton's bishop Joseph Bambera.
