Students, faculty and staff gathered around a large Christmas tree adorned in Scranton’s purple and white colors in the lobby of McGurrin Hall on Dec. 1 for the Panuska College of Professional Studies third annual “blessing of the books.” Beneath the tree were more than a thousand new and gently used children’s books, each with a “wish” for the new owner.

Rev. Thomas Roach, S.J., performed the blessing, sprinkling the books with Holy Water and praying that “all who read the books be docile to the wisdom of God’s word.” 

John Sanko, Ed.D., associate professor and chair of the Physical Therapy Department was moved by a story Father Roach said at the ceremony.

“(Father Roach) told us when he was stationed as a Jesuit in the Congo, he looked out at night and saw hundreds of people, mostly children sitting in the driveway of the Jesuit Residence. When he went out to investigate, he discovered they were all sitting under the only street light in the area so they could read their books. That is how powerful the gift of a book to someone who can't afford to buy one can be,” said Dr. Sanko.

Father Roach finished the ceremony by blessing the audience and allowing the student coordinators of the event to share several “wishes” with the audience members.     

Michele Wall, Throop, and Colin Holmes, Scranton, both freshmen, were this year’s organizers of the event.  Wall read a wish from a book that stated “enjoy peace with yourself.” Holmes picked up a book with a wish that read, “Every Christmas Eve is so special: believe, hope, dream.”   

Debra Pellegrino, Ed.D., dean of the Panuska College of Professional Studies (PCPS), closed the ceremony by explaining that “Literacy is so important… Our students are lucky enough to realize they are blessed and want to give back.” 

Students in PCPS deliver the books to laundromats, shelters for displaced women and children, the Leahy Clinic for the Uninsured and other local agencies throughout the year.

In past years these books were also given to children in Native American Reservations in Arizona and South Dakota as well as Indonesia and Haiti.

In 2007 over 1,500 books were collected and in 2008 over 1,700 books were collected. This year’s book collection is expected to exceed 2,000 total books.