The 2026 Solemn Novena to St. Ann continues this week at St. Ann\u2019s Basilica on St. Ann Street in West Scranton.<\/p>\n
Photographer Aimee Dilger visited the basilica on Monday to capture people gathered to take part in the sacred tradition.<\/p>\n
What is a novena?<\/p>\n
Novena comes from the Latin word novem, which means nine. In Christian tradition, a novena is nine days of prayer, often to a saint in preparation for their feast day.<\/p>\n
Who was St. Ann?<\/p>\n
St. Ann (sometimes Anne) was the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus. In the Roman Catholic Church, her feast day is observed on July 26.<\/p>\n
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Tommy Killino leads the procession followed by Ronnie and Katie Kucharski during the Novena. <\/p>\n
Aimee Dilger \/ WVIA News<\/p>\n
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father Paul Fagan blesses and gives communion to those in cars during the St Ann’s Novena Monday. <\/p>\n
Aimee Dilger \/ WVIA News<\/p>\n
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Rev. Jack Conley is the featured preacher for the annual Solemn Novena at St Ann’s in Scranton.<\/p>\n
Aimee Dilger \/ WVIA News<\/p>\n
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Donna Adrian a long time parishioner kneels in prayer during the Mass on Monday. <\/p>\n
Aimee Dilger \/ WVIA News<\/p>\n
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Rev. Paul Fagan gives parishioners in vehicles communion and blesses them with a relic during St. Ann’s solemn Novena. <\/p>\n
Aimee Dilger \/ WVIA News<\/p>\n
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Prior to the Mass on Monday parishioners stopped at the Stations of the Cross park next to the Basilica to pray. <\/p>\n
Aimee Dilger \/ WVIA News <\/p>\n
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A woman touches the hand of St. Ann in the Grotto at the St Ann’s Basilica in Scranton. <\/p>\n
Aimee Dilger \/ WVIA News<\/p>\n
What happens at the basilica?<\/p>\n
Each year, the basilica hosts a novena in St. Ann’s honor, with nine days of prayer ending on her feast day. Thousands of worshippers visit the basilica to pray, light candles and leave their intentions.<\/p>\n
The basilica’s website<\/a> recounts the history of the novena, from its origins in the 1920s through today.<\/p>\n What is happening this year?<\/p>\n The Novena began July 17 and continues through July 26.<\/p>\n It includes public recitation of the rosary<\/a> each afternoon, daily Masses<\/a>, special Masses and Masses in other languages<\/a>, guest preachers<\/a> and more.<\/p>\n \n 1 of 7 Parishioners receive communion at St. Ann’s during Mass monday. <\/p>\n Aimee Dilger \/ WVIA News<\/p>\n \n 2 of 7 Rev. Michael Rowe leads the congregation during the Mass on Monday. <\/p>\n Aimee Dilger \/ WVIA News<\/p>\n \n 3 of 7 Rev. Michael Rowe leads the congregation during the Mass on Monday.<\/p>\n Aimee Dilger \/ WVIA News<\/p>\n \n 4 of 7 Parishioners stand in prayer during Mass on Monday. <\/p>\n Aimee Dilger \/ WVIA News<\/p>\n \n 5 of 7 A candle is lit in the grotto of St. Ann in Scranton.<\/p>\n Aimee Dilger \/ WVIA News<\/p>\n \n 6 of 7 Parishioners sit outside St. Ann’s Basilica for Mass on Monday. <\/p>\n Aimee Dilger \/ WVIA News<\/p>\n \n 7 of 7 A woman touches the statue of St. Ann in the grotto at St. Ann’s Basilica in Scranton.<\/p>\n Aimee Dilger \/ WVIA News<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2026 Solemn Novena to St. Ann continues this week at St. Ann\u2019s Basilica on St. Ann Street…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":248332,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[178,180,179],"class_list":["post-248331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-scranton","tag-scranton","tag-scranton-headlines","tag-scranton-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248331"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248331\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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