As the 48th annual Italian Mass concluded on Sept. 1, 2024, a new tradition was born. For the first time, a procession of faithful led a statue of Saint Lucy from the Cathedral of Saint Peter about a block away to Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton, to kick off the third day of La Festa Italiana.

“We’re all about tradition,” Chris DiMattio, La Festa Committee President, explained as the Mass concluded. The procession was a way to publicly introduce the Scranton area to the ‘Italian Colony of Saint Lucy,’ a newly formed non-profit organization. Last year, members of Saint Lucy’s Church in Scranton came together to form the new group.