New Year’s First Day-First People’s Walk

SCRANTON — The Lackawanna River Heritage Trail will host a “First Day-First People’s” Walk to usher in the New Year with the Rev. Rebecca A. Barnes, Rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Scranton.

The January 1st journey of renewal begins at noon from the Elm Street trailhead in South Scranton and continues to the Six Nations Amphitheater. The two-mile, ADA-accessible stretch of trail pays tribute to local Native American history with a sculpture of a Haudenosaunee fisherman-chief and stone carvings of animals. Most of the trail’s surface is paved and well-suited for a moderately paced two-hour round trip. The event will include a service to honor the indigenous peoples who came to Scranton before it became Scranton.

“The beauty of nature is awe-inspiring and found in abundance along the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail,’ said Owen Worozbyt, director of operations for the Lackawanna Valley Heritage Valley Authority. “This is a terrific way to start the New Year by getting outside, enjoying nature — and with the help of Mother Barnes — gaining a greater appreciation of nature’s gifts and a stronger sense of gratitude for our local heritage.”

Mother Barnes is a graduate of the General Theological Seminary, New York City, where she earned a Master of Divinity (Cum Laude) and a Master of Sacred Theology. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and German from Hartwick College, Oneonta, New York, and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. She is particularly drawn to social justice ministry, outreach, pastoral care, contemplative spirituality, and prayer.