The tower at St. Ann’s Shrine Basilica in Scranton is seen after a recent storm. St. Ann’s will be receiving a $1,000 donation at the request of Ed Yablonski, the latest winner in our TL Cares program.
Courtesy St. Ann’s
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SCRANTON — The Very Rev. Richard Burke, Rector of St. Ann’s Shrine Basilica, notes that the basilica and its grounds have been a place of pilgrimage and prayer for generations of Catholics from Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond.
So it has been for Ed and Cathy Yablonski of Avoca.
When Ed Yablonski learned last Friday that he had been selected as Week 10 winner in the TL Cares program, he opted to do something no other winner has done so far: He chose to donate $1,000 to St. Joseph’s Center as his charitable cause, but Yablonski also chose to give away the $1,000 in cash that would have been his.
And he chose to donate it to St. Ann’s.
When the Times Leader called the Yablonskis, Ed and Cathy had just returned from attending the Solemn Novena in Honor of St. Ann at the basilica, so it was certainly fresh on their minds.
Even so, as Ed pointed out, Cathy has been attending the Novena since she was a baby, so that pilgrimage is a lifetime tradition.
Father Burke was delighted to learn of their generosity, and stressed how it will help the basilica.
“The basilica holds over 1,000 people. It’s a very large church,” Burke said. It also has a shrine center attached, and a monastery that is home to 13 priests and brothers.
“Contributions like this help to keep the place maintained … as a special place of faith and devotion,” Father Burke said.
He has been rector for eight years, and previously served there from 1992 to 1998.
According to its website, “St. Ann’s has been a beacon of light and a place prayer, reconciliation and solidarity for well over 90 years.”
“Devotion to St. Ann and the Novena is truly an important part of the spiritual life of so very many people in this area and beyond. On the Feast of St. Ann, there are groups of pilgrims that come from surrounding towns on foot,” the website adds.
Saint Ann (sometimes spelled Anne) is revered as the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus. Each year, a Novena, or nine successive days of prayer, is held in her honor during the summer to coincide with her feast day, which is observed on July 26 in the Roman Catholic Church. This year’s Solemn Novena in Honor of St. Ann concluded Monday, but of course Masses and Novenas are held at the basilica year-round.
For more information on the basilica, see below. Watch for more on the Yablonskis and their other charity, St. Joseph’s Center, this week in the Times Leader.
Each week through Nov. 12, the Times Leader will pick one lucky winner to receive $1,000. That winner will then pick a charity of their choice and the Times Leader will present the charity with an additional $1,000. On Nov. 26, The Times Leader will pick one lucky award winner to receive $25,000. For more information on the TL Cares program, go to timesleader.com/enter.
St. Ann’s Shrine Basilica
Location: 1233 St. Ann St., Scranton
Mission: A basilica and shrine dedicated to St. Ann that serves as a place of pilgrimage and prayer
To donate: Visit https://www.stannsmonasterybasilica.org/ or call 570-347-5691.