“Gratefulness to God for 100 Years of Blessings” will be theme for Solemn Novena to Saint Ann this year

SCRANTON – The Very Reverend Richard Burke, C.P., Rector, Saint Ann’s Monastery, has announced the theme for the 100th Anniversary of the Saint Ann’s Solemn Novena: “Gratefulness to God for 100 Years of Blessings.”

This special time of preaching God’s Word and praying for Saint Ann’s intercession begins on Wednesday, July 17, and concludes on Friday, July 26, the Feast of Saint Ann.

The first Solemn Novena was held in 1924, when the newly appointed Novena director, Father John Joseph Endler, C.P., planned and initiated this special nine day period of preaching and praying in preparation for the celebration of Saint Ann’s feast day.

This spiritual event has taken place every year since.

It survived the roaring 20’s, the stock market crash followed by the Great Depression years and the subsequent World War II years. The annual time of intensified praying welcomed the rise of continuing prayerful concerns in the war reconstruction years, the Korean conflict, the rise of baby boomers and the social unrest of the 60’s and 70’s.

Our way of praying shifted along with the changes in Church life and practices of the 80’s and following decades. The Solemn Novena continued to be held through the pandemic years thanks to the outdoor capabilities on the West Scranton parish campus.

Through it all, world and church intentions were joined together with family and personal needs in the fervent prayers of all who attended and prayed the Solemn Novena prayers.

The guest Passionist preachers for this year’s novena are Father Luis Daniel Guivas Genera, C.P., and Father Justin Nelson Alphonse, C.P.

Father Daniel was born in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico. He graduated from the Universidad Central de Bayamon with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He joined the Passionist community and professed his vows on July 11, 2015, after four years of theology studies at Saint Vincent de Paul Reginal Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida.

Father Daniel was ordained to the Passionist priesthood in January 2023. He just completed his assignment as Parochial Vicar of Immaculate Conception Passionist Parish in New York City and has begun his new ministry as Administrator of Saint Gemma’s Passionist Parish and Collegio in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Father Nelson was born and raised on Trichy, Tamilnadu, India. He attended the Passionist Minor seminary in Cochim, Kerala, India, was professed as a Passionist religious in 1996 and was ordained a Passionist priest in 2000 after four years of theology study in Bangalore, India. Father Nelson has served as Pastor of parishes in India, Birmingham, Ala., and is currently Pastor of Saint Agnes Passionist Parish in Louisville, Kent.

In light of our 100th anniversary, our preachers have chosen “Gratefulness to God for 100 years of Blessings” as the theme of the 2024 Solemn Novena. Seeking Saint Ann’s intercession and favors is a personal and family tradition reaching back for generations.

Every family has memories of favors granted to them, to the world and to our church through Saint Ann’s watchful concern over us. Remembering these gifts, our hearts become filled with gratitude. Gratitude is the seed bed of lasting joy, of deepened faith, of shared compassion, of service to the needy, of faithful love. Our Passionist preachers will share God’s Word on all of these and more during our novena services.

For more information on the novena, please click on: https://stannsnovena.org/