Bishop Michael Hoban invited the Passionists into the diocese of Scranton
and even chose, the Roundwoods section in southwest Scranton as the best
place for them to build a residence and church. He said emphatically, "The
Round woods is the place for you." At that time the area formed a heavily
wooded plateau high above the city. It was a favorite place for picnics and
evening strolls in the cool mountain air. Diagrams of underlying coal mines
with affidavits by competent engineers assured beyond any reasonable doubt
there would be no subsidence due to the mines.
So Bishop Hoban and Passionist Father Fidelis Kent Stone came to West
Scranton on September 8th, 1902 to look at the plot. It was the day the
Church celebrated St. Ann giving birth to her daughter Holy Mary. In a few
weeks the Passionists purchased a ten acre plot from the Lackawanna Railroad.
The Superior of the Passionists said the new monastery to be built should
be called "St Andrew's Monastery", but one of his advisors suggested naming
the retreat in honor of St Ann as a delicate compliment to Mary and her
mother. "Saint Ann will take care of her own", he prophesied.
And "Saint Ann" became the name of the new retreat.
A little more than a month later, on October 22nd, the Passionists moved
into a rented cottage on Sloan Street near Main Ave. On all souls day,
November 2, 1902 the people came to Mass for the first time at St. Ann's
cottage chapel. A temporary Church was built, just in time for Christmas,
at the corner of South Main avenue and Sloan Street.
About a year after first coming to the Roundwoods area, on September 6,
1903, the Passionists laid the corner stone for their new retreat of St Ann.
A year and a half later, in March, 1905 nine Passionists moved into their
new home.(March 25-7,1905)
Six years passed, when on the morning of August 15, 1911 the Passionists
suddenly noticed signs of serious disturbance underneath the property caused
by subsidence of the underlying coal mines. A huge slide seriously damaged
the entire building. The disastrous movement continued for a week and the
monastery had to be evacuated. Experts feared the total destruction of Saint
Ann's. The conviction grew that nothing but the special protection of "good
Saint Ann" could save the building. Some people said, "If the Fathers don't
have a saint in heaven able to save the monastery, they should give up".
The Fathers replied: "Saint Ann will take care of her own". Engineers
inspected the situation and reported that the subsidence was over and every-
thing secure and safe.
Less than 2 years later, and two days after the feast of Saint Ann, on
July 28th 1913, came another scare. A mining expert called the Monastery
saying the worst squeeze known in local mining history had just taken place
and that it was not safe for anyone to stay in the building. A great slide
was carrying the entire Round Woods area to the east. The whole hill was
going and nothing on earth could save the monastery. It was doomed to
collapse. The next morning mining experts were shocked to discover that the
mighty slide had suddenly stopped, turned back, and actually settled solidly
directly under the monastery. The great fissures were closed by the impact
of the slide which actually saved Saint Ann's. One expert, Mr James Reagan,
said it was a miracle: "The Lord Almighty through the prayer of Saint Ann
had done more that night for the monastery than all the engineers in the
world could ever do!"
A generous group of citizens got together to help repair Saint Ann's
which was rededicated on Sunday July, 22, 1916, in a magnificent citywide
outdoor celebration on the monastery grounds.
Father Nicholas Ward, was an intelligent, holy priest with an exceptional
devotion to Saint Ann. Often he predicted that Saint Ann's monastery would
in time be a place of public pilgrimage, a Shrine, to which people would
flock. He died at Saint Ann's in 1922. After his death, devotion to Saint
Ann greatly increased. Some of the priests felt he had interceded before
the throne of God for the people of Scranton.
On Nov.3, 1924 the first public devotions in honor of Saint Ann were
begun in the little chapel on the first floor of the monastery. Week after
week larger congregations came to the services. By the spring of 1925 novena
devotions had to be held outdoors in a tent. Father John Joseph Endler was
the priest raised up by God at this time to establish Saint Ann's monastery
as a place of public pilgrimage and devotion to Saint Ann. Finally, on April
2nd, 1929 the faithful novena supporters rejoiced to see the dedication of
the present-day Saint Ann's monastery Church.
The history of the monastery and novena shows that the hand of God has
made Saint Ann's a holy place where prayers are heard and answered. During
that very first year, novena advocates wrote close to four thousand letters
of thanksgiving for favors granted by the prayers of Saint Ann.
1902 September 8 plot chosen
October 22 Passionists move to Sloan Street
November 2 People come to first Mass at residence
Christmas Temporary church ready.
1903 September 6 Corner stone laid for new retreat
1905 March 27 Passionists move into new monastery
1911 August 15 sudden mine subsidence lasting a week
1913 July 28 mine "squeeze" threatens Round Woods hill
1916 July 22 rededication of Saint Ann's
death of Nicholas Ward. increased devotion.
1924 Nov.3 first public novena
1929 April 2 dedication of present Church
1939 July 26 Bishop William Hafey's Novena Mass on radio station WGBI.
1955 February 13 Fr Norbert Herman on first televised Mass program in Scranton.
1957 July 26 WGBI-TV's first "live" tv broadcast of the feast of Saint Ann
1991 July 17-26 CTV & Fox-38 broadcast the entire Solemn Novena
1991 October 6 Sunday TV Mass made its debut on national cable tv.
1993 May 9 CTV and Fox-38 broadcast the weekly novena.
1994 April 4 The Odyssey Channel broadcasts "The Daily Mass" nationwide.
1996 April 7 St Ann's Media launches two websites on the Internet.
1996 August 29 Pope John Paul II makes Saint Ann's a Basilica.
1997 May 20 First Annual St Ann's Media Mass and Awards Dinner
1997 July 17-26 First "live" broadcast of entire novena on WEJL-WBAX
1997 October 18 Official Dedication of Saint Ann's Basilica
1998 July 22 Groundbreaking for new residence
1999 June Mrs Vera Kowal Krewsun named Marketing Director for St Ann's Media
1999 July 75th Anniversary of Saint Ann's Novena
1999 October Mr Sid Michaels named General Manager of St Ann's Media
2000 March 20-26 Papal Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Televised Masses
2000 July 19-28 Oberammergau Pilgrimage. Televised Masses
2000 Sept 15-17 Masses videotaped in Diocese of Buffalo. Bp Mansell
2000 Nov 13-14 Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy receives St Ann's Media Award.
2001 Jan 11-15 St Peter's Church, Greenville, St Catherine's, Tarboro, North Carolina. Televised Masses
2003 July 1 Fr Michael Salvagna, C.P. named Director of St. Ann's media
The first novena to St Ann of Scranton began in the small monastery chapel back in 1905. On Nov. 3, 1924 the novena was open to the public for
the first time. Six months later 17,000 pilgrims were coming to the novena.
Since then hundreds of thousands of people have come to be blessed with the
relic of Saint Ann.
At the present time there is not a shrine of Saint Ann in the world that
receives as many pilgrims on her feast-day as Saint Ann of Scranton.
Saint Ann's Media * PO Box 111 * Scranton, PA
18504-0111
Ph: 800-THE-MASS * Fax: 570-941-0185
Copyright © 2004. St Ann's Media. All Rights
Reserved.
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