Thousands revel in St. Ubaldo Day and its legendary Race of the Saints in Jessup

May 27—JESSUP — Chet and Mary Beth Innamorati got front-row seats Saturday at the annual St. Ubaldo Day and its legendary Race of the Saints.

The Wright Twp. couple previously toured Gubbio, Italy, where St. Ubaldo Day and the Race of the Saints began, but they went to visit family, not to see the race there.

So, Jessup was their introduction to the colorful, unusual event.

"We're first-timers. We're really looking forward to it," Mary Beth said. Chet added, "We know that they're going to be running around with some statues."

That puts it mildly.

The race features frenzied running by three teams of men carrying large, heavy wooden pillars representing candles and topped with small statues of their patron saints — St. Ubaldo, St. George (Giorgio) and St. Anthony (Antonio).

"La Corsa dei Ceri," or Race of the Candles, resembles organized chaos. The three teams each have 40 to 50 members called ceraioli and garbed in their team's colors — yellow for team Ubaldo, blue for George and black for Anthony.

The teams charge through Jessup's winding, hilly streets in a stop-and-go fashion and end at Jessup Memorial Field Park.

The Innamoratis loved it — not only the race, but also how the entire town embraces the revered annual tradition. Replete throughout the borough, colorful banners and decorations of the teams and their saint's colors adorn porches and homes. Jessup also transforms into a townwide block party, with generations of families and friends gathering at homes and in yards for daylong parties.

"It's such a nice town," Mary Beth said. "I love to see how the whole town is involved in this."

The ceraioli do the heavy lifting by providing the muscle, arms, shoulders and legs that carry the saints. Several runners said they love carrying on a long tradition.

"It's family. It's bigger than just yourself. It's nice," said John Chesson, 23, of Olyphant, who ran for the St. Anthony team on Saturday for the third time.

Team Ubaldo first-time runner John Grippi, 37, of Scranton, never saw the race before but always heard about it and that it was a good time.

"First Ubaldo and I'm running in it," Grippi said. "You can feel the energy. People really take it seriously and are really proud to do this. It's definitely good to see stuff like this. It's definitely an event."

Italian immigrants from the medieval town of Gubbio in central Italy brought the St. Ubaldo Day celebration to their new hometown of Jessup in 1909, where they came to work in the coal mines of Lackawanna County.

Jessup's St. Ubaldo Day race is a scaled-down version of the original in Gubbio, where the celebration of St. Ubaldo Baldassini began in the 12th century.

Palmer Denisco, 30, of Exeter, first ran for the St. George team in 2015.

"My mom's family grew up in Jessup, so the tradition has been handed down," Denisco said. He loves "the camaraderie, the brotherhood and just doing something for the tradition that only happens in two places in the world."

The event drew thousands of spectators jamming the race route.

The celebration continues Sunday with Ceri Piccoli — a child-sized race for kids that began in 1977.

For information, see saintubaldosociety.org.

Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185; @jlockwoodTT on Twitter.

Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.

If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.

User Legend: iconModeratoriconTrusted User