Parade Day in Scranton kicks off with the annual St. Patty’s Day mass, followed by Brian P. Kelly Memorial St. Patrick’s Parade Footrace.

SCRANTON, Pa. — The annual St. Patrick’s Parade Day Mass was held this morning at the Cathedral of Saint Peter along Wyoming Avenue in Scranton. 

Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, the bishop of Scranton, served as the principal celebrant of the Mass, an event open to all. 

“It’s such an important part of the day. It’s great to start your day honoring Saint Patrick in church with Bishop Bambara. He gave a great homily. We had a nice mass. It was a packed church, and that’s the way the day should start,” said Jude McDonough, St. Patrick’s Parade Association of Lackawanna County 2026 president.

The mass is held every year prior to the annual St Patrick’s parade.

Following the mass, the oldest running footrace in the Scranton area began at 11 am. 

200 people came out to run in the Brian P. Kelly Memorial Saint Patrick’s Parade Footrace.

The event was organized as a way to honor the former president of the parade association, who passed away from cancer in 2024. 

“I mean, it’s a good way to remember him, you know what I mean? His name lives on, and it’ll live on for years to come and again it is the kick off to the parade so,” said Tom Schuster, the Brian P. Kelly race organizer.

The two-mile footrace follows the parade route backwards and ends in front of the cultural center at the masonic temple.