St. Ann is revered in Catholic tradition as the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus.
                                 catholictradition.org

St. Ann is revered in Catholic tradition as the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus.

catholictradition.org

A long-standing tradition at the St. Aloysius worship site of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Wilkes-Barre will take place again this year, with the annual Novena to St. Ann set to begin Saturday, July 18, and conclude on her feast day, Sunday, July 26.

In the wake of the coronavirus, Luzerne County churches are allowed to hold one quarter of their total capacity, and the St. Aloysius site is able to accommodate about 100, parish business manager Cathy Swoboda said.

Because the novena typically has attracted 70 to 80 individuals in past years, Swoboda said, she expects there will be room for everyone who wants to attend.

The St. Ann Novena is a series of prayers devoted to St. Ann, whom Catholics honor as the mother of St. Mary and grandmother of Jesus.

“You pray to her, and who doesn’t listen to their grandmother?” Swoboda said, referring to the idea that if someone asks St. Ann for a favor, she will put in a good word for them, interceding on their behalf with her grandson.

“In this day and age, we need prayers,” Swoboda said.

The annual novena will begin at 7 p.m. each night, including with Mass, novena prayers and veneration of a relic in St. Aloysius Church, located at the corner of Barney and Division streets in Wilkes-Barre. The church is handicap-accessible, with a new elevator, and air-conditioned, Swoboda noted.

The Rev. Jim Price, who is a Passionist priest, will conduct the novena and be guest preacher. “He’s been here before,” Swoboda said. “Everyone loved him.”