Faithful Return to Scranton for St. Ann's Novena

The 93rd solemn novena to St. Ann began Monday.

Masses and novena services are held every day at St. Ann's Basilica in west Scranton from now until St. Ann's feast day on July 26.

It was a quiet morning here for the first day of the 93rd solemn novena as people came out to pray to Jesus' grandmother.

Mass and novena services will be held every day at 8 a.m. and 11:45 a m., and 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p m. Novena service only will be every afternoon at 3:30 p.m.

There will also be various special services held throughout the next 10 days including the mass of anointing the sick this Thursday at 1:30 p.m.

Thousands are expected to attend masses each day and the feast day services on July 26 are expected to bring 15,000 people from all over, including people from northeastern and central Pennsylvania who have come every year for decades.

"This is a place of peace and prayer, and so many times we think there isn't any faith left in the world, and you come here and know that there is," said Rita Ives of Nanticoke.

Many we spoke to already say it wouldn't be the solemn novena without the heat and humidity and of course summer storms. Paramedics will be on hand throughout the week and organizers say they will move any mass inside if need be because of the weather.