Celebrating Italian heritage with Saint Ubaldo Day in Jessup

Yahoo

25-05-2025

JESSUP, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A local tradition that traces its roots half way across the world to the 12th century, the annual celebration of Saint Ubaldo Day pays homage to local Italian heritage.
The Race of the Saints has been happening for decades in Jessup.
Year after year, the spectacle draws thousands of people along the streets to watch, and this year was no different.
The celebration of Saint Ubaldo Baldassini, also known as Saint Ubaldo Day. Jessup natives look forward to it every year. The celebration traces its roots to the borough's sister city in Italy, where the tradition began nearly 800 years ago.
'A lot of people here in Jessup came from Gubbio, Italy, where the festival originated. And when they came here in 1909, they brought the festival with them,' Jessup resident Greg Santarelli said.
Santarelli has been running in the Race of the Saints for the last 25 years. His great-grandparents are from Gubbio.
Each year, the families of Saint Ubaldo, Saint Anthony, and Saint George run through the hilly streets of Jessup carrying six-foot-tall 500-pound statues of their respective saints.
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While this isn't his first rodeo, Santarelli says taking part in such a historic tradition never gets old.
'Just excitement, and gratitude for being a part of it. It really is a gift to be a part of,' Santarelli stated.
The borough's sister city held its celebration earlier this month. This year, many locals, including Santarelli, traveled there to experience it firsthand.
'It was great. It was great to be there, to see it again, and to be part of it,' Linda Anelli from Dunmore told 28/22 News.
'You go and meet somebody, and they have the same last name as people you've known here your whole life. So it was really, really, it was a really excellent experience to kind of see all of that happen,' Jessup resident Rick Scopelliti said.
While the scale of the celebration in Jessup is much smaller than the one in Gubbio, the passion of the participants and the spirit of the saints are just as strong.
'Viva Sant' Ubaldo, viva Sant' Giorgio, viva Sant' Antonio!' Santarelli exclaimed.
After the race, a procession with all artifacts used on Saturday made its way back to the Saint Ubaldo Society Cultural Center.
Those artifacts will remain there until Saint Ubaldo Day next year.
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