In this month’s edition of the Bucktown Business Beat, I would like to shine a light on the community that makes it all possible. The amount of support that the Dunmoreans provide, not only to each other but also to our neighbors, is undeniable. 

I sat down with Toni Divizio to learn all about the late Monsignor Anthony C. Marra, whom many Dunmoreans can recall for his services to SS. Anthony and Rocco Parish, and the beautiful story of how his beloved community came together to keep his light shining and just how far it has shone.

Monsignor Anthony C. Marra served the Dunmore Community at SS. Anthony and Rocco Parish specifically from 1994 to 2006; however, his career spanned an incredible 60 years, still serving even after his retirement. His light spanned far and wide, serving communities from Hazleton and Scranton. Everywhere Monsignor Anthony C. Marra would go, he was loved and left his imprint. 

If you visit SS. Anthony and Rocco Parish today, you will be able to see the physical legacy that Msgr. Anthony C. Marra has left behind. During his time there, he renovated the church interior, commissioned paintings of modern-day saints before they were even canonized, including Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Saint Maximilian Kolbe, and Msgr. Marra made it his mission to make the church more handicap accessible by building a ramp. He also brought life into St. Anthony’s through a growing music ministry.

After Msgr. Marra’s passing in 2009, friends and family, along with Friends of The Poor, immediately rallied together.

“When he left, people were very, very sad to see him go, but he left a legacy, and we wanted to keep that legacy going. So, family and friends got together and said, how can we keep his generosity going, his compassion, his caring. And so, we established the Monsignor Anthony C. Marra Memorial Fund,” Toni explains.

The memorial fund was launched with a pasta dinner, just as Msgr. Marra used to host, in 2010 that was held in the most fitting of all places, the Monsignor Marra Auditorium at St. Francis of Assisi Church, where he served for almost 20 years. 

His people showed up for the cause from all over, and the pasta dinner raised a generous $15,000. For reference, tickets for the pasta dinner were $8 for adults and $5 for children. Toni reminds us, “He was noted for his homemade pasta dinners and meatballs. Thousands of people would come.” 

Other events planned for the memorial fund included an Applebee’s Flapjack breakfast and basket raffles. You can tell how many people’s lives he had touched just by observing the overwhelming outpour of support.

“Dunmore was very fortunate to have him,” exclaimed Toni.

The Msgr. Anthony C. Marra Memorial Fund has been years in the making, accumulating $60,000. Things were finally aligning when on the other end of this story, the city of Scranton received funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion federal economic stimulus bill. With this fund, the city was able to make improvements to Novembrino Park, located at 200 10th Ave., Scranton. Many kids were already enjoying a splash pad at Novembrino Park, but little did anyone know just how grand the improvements would be.

“We were holding onto that money for a while, and we designated it to do something for children,” explains Toni. “He wanted to see them (children) have a better life.”

When the founders of the memorial fund heard about the plans for the park behind St. Lucy’s, located at 949 Scranton St., where Msgr. Marra also served, they knew it was time.

“To give this grant, tells you that that’s a lot of people who demonstrated their generosity and tribute to him. It shows the footprint that he left on this earth.”

So, the Msgr. Anthony C. Marra Memorial Fund of Friends of the Poor donated $60,000 to benefit the improvements at Novembrino Park. Improvements included a towering new playground structure, swings, climbing features, safe play surfacing, and more, totaling approximately $375,000. The family of Msgr. Marra and directors from Friends of the Poor offered helpful input into the design and selection of park equipment through this true community park project and made sure it was as accessible as possible for all children of the community.

“He loved giving; he made everyone in the room feel special,” says Toni.

 I took a trip to check out the park myself and was filled with joy by it all, but one particular moment touched my heart. As I was walking in, I observed just how happy a child was playing with the outdoor musical instruments, filling the playground with music just as Msgr. Marra had done at St. Anthony’s. 

As kids ran around, playing on the swings and slides, I couldn’t help but think about the impact that our community of Dunmore truly has. Msgr. Marra would be humbled to know that his beloved community’s support has spanned beyond our town bounds.

Whether it is a local business or a local cause, the people of Dunmore always come together as a family to support as much as possible. Thanks to donations from the community, children now have a beautiful park that will stand for years to come.

The memorial fund is still ongoing, contributing to programs for children such as STEM programs, after-school programs, and summer camp. Anyone interested in contributing to the Marra Fund through memorial cards should call Friends of The Poor at (570) 340-6086.