Plains Township\u2019s Cathie Jescavage came to the event with her granddaughters, 6-year-old Charlotte Ruch and 4-year-old Magnolia Ruch of Wyoming, who \u201chave been coming since they were babies.\u201d Most likely, the youngsters didn\u2019t initially appreciate the connection, but now they are old enough to get it. \u201cSt. Ann is Jesus\u2019 GiGi,\u201d Jescavage explained to the girls, using the same nickname they use for her.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom brought me every year when I was a little girl,\u201d Jennifer Soy said, explaining she is happy to continue the tradition by bringing her own children to the Novena. \u201cI think it brings them closer to the church.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the Catholic Church, St. Ann has come to play the role often stereotypical of grandma: Intercessor when the parents are too busy or too set in their opinions to give a child a fair shake (or just give a child what they want). Yes, grandparents may dote on their child\u2019s children, but there is a sound logic in letting them weigh in: First-generation parents may make mistakes that grandparents learned (from experience) not to make. True, grands may prove meddlesome and quick to spoil, but they may also have a wisdom that only comes with age.<\/p>\n
This is part of why the Novena seems such a powerful draw for more than a century. And that secular component has a spirituality independent of the religion. As the story noted, the ritual is so old that it has spawned traditions within traditions. Some people travel long distances to participate. Some even make it a pilgrimage on foot, walking from Pittston (or further) to Scranton for one service.<\/p>\n
Children often grow up remembering their parents or grandparents making the daily trip to pray. Many may have participated. Some continue to show up, bringing their own children. You can even find three generations of one family sitting in the folding chairs.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the kind of connection that religion can inspire. But it is also the kind that can transcend religion, infusing our lives and our communities with a sense of history, making bonds that make the world work. <\/p>\n
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