Celebrating the past, present and future of The City of Scranton
From left, front row; Glynis Johns, founder, Black Scranton Project; former Scranton Mayor Gene Peters; former Scranton Mayor David J. Wenzel; Scranton Mayor Wayne E. Evans; former Scranton Mayor James P. Connors; and Natalie Gelb, former vice-president, Scranton Tomorrow.
Standing; Joshua Mast, president, Scranton Tomorrow; Tammy Jackson, chairperson, Mayors’ Prayer Breakfast Committee; Maureen McGuigan, deputy director, Arts & Culture, Lackawanna County; Larry West, regional director, Senator John Blake’s Office; Keynote Speaker Sondra Myers, founder of Interdependence Day; Imam Riaz Hussain, PhD, Professor Emeritus, The University of Scranton; Nancy Evans; Judge Thomas Munley; Judge Andrew Jarbola; and Beth Burkhauser, director, The Interdependence Hexagon Project. Photo from 2019 celebration.
A Fall Tradition in the Electric City
Under the direction of Scranton Tomorrow, community volunteers organize the annual Mayors' Prayer Breakfast in October. The mission of this event is to bring together a broad cross-section of members of the community, in harmony, at an interfaith gathering. The event is apolitical, providing community leaders and citizens from all walks of life the opportunity for reflection and spiritual renewal. This long-standing tradition reminds us that people of all faiths contribute to the spirit of our region. While the 2020 event has been cancelled due to COVID-19, we'll pay tribute to past celebrations via social media during the month of October to ensure the event's message of goodwill and harmony is not forgotten. We look forward to resuming this special tradition in 2021.
A tribute to past, present & future of Scranton
Patterned after the Mayors' Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., Scranton’s breakfast dates back to 1963. Founding members included Mr. Claude Martin, Atty. John Lenahan, Atty. Emmanuel Laster, Mr. Harry Gordon and the Honorable William T. Schmidt, the Mayor of the City of Scranton in 1963.
Each year, the breakfast embraces a new theme based on significant local and national topics. The inaugural event was dedicated to The Meaning of the Pursuit of Happiness. The 1975 breakfast celebrated the United States Bicentennial. Most recently, themes focused on the importance of higher education, the value of philanthropy, and the changing world of healthcare. Regardless of the theme, a sense of community pride, vision and hope are always prevalent as we pay tribute to the past, present and future of The City of Scranton.
The 57th Mayors’ Prayer Breakfast was held on Wednesday, October 23, 2019, at 8 a.m., at the Radisson at Lackawanna Station, 700 Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton. The theme focused on the critical connection between the arts and a vibrant community.
Click here to watch a video of the 2019 event.