Luminary tradition returns to the streets of North Charleroi

Councilman Joe Duche was a driving force in bringing back the lighted path for Santa Claus.

For the first time in years, Christmas Eve in North Charleroi looked the way many longtime residents remember it.

Luminaries lined stretches of the borough once again this holiday season, reviving a tradition that dates back decades but had been absent in recent years.

As Santa passed in a fire truck, sidewalks were softly lit with paper bags.

It was the re-start of a tradition, with neighbors and passersby pausing to take it all in.

On Fourth Street, both sides of the road glowed just as planned, while families throughout the borough placed their luminaries infront of their homes before Santa made his way through town on the fire truck.

The effort was spearheaded by Councilman Joe Duche, who said the idea came from memories of helping assemble luminaries as a kid.

“When I was a kid, we did this every year,” Duche said earlier this season. “We’d all gather in Joanne Pireaux’s garage with the heaters running, and the whole neighborhood helped. It was truly a community effort.”

Residents purchased luminaries for $1 and placed them along sidewalks to “light the way for Santa,” just as they did years ago when the tradition was started by Joanne Pireaux and her late husband, Richard “Frenchy” Pireaux Sr.

“I am just so, so excited,” Duche said. “It’s so heartwarming to see who bought them and to see that people remember it like I did.”

Beyond the visual impact, the project also carried a charitable mission.

Proceeds beyond the cost of supplies were donated to a local charity chosen by a senior citizen in the borough, which is a part of the tradition organizers hope will continue.

This year, Pireaux selected Meals on Wheels as the beneficiary.

Of the 1,200 luminaries sold, $720 was donated to Meals on Wheels.

Duche wrote a letter on behalf of the borough to inform them of the donation ahead of the holiday.

“We are honored to contribute to the important work that they do,” Duche said. “We are proud to partner with (them) in making a difference and look forward to continuing this tradition of giving for years to come.”

Duche said the borough intentionally kept the project small in its first year back, but the turnout and response have already sparked ideas for the future.

With a simple light inside a paper bag, North Charleroi honored its past, supported a meaningful cause and brought neighbors together.

It’s a spark lit that will likely spread to neighboring communities next year as outreach continues beyond borough limits.

“I am just so, so excited. It’s so heartwarming to see who bought them and to see that people remember it like I did.”

JOE DUCHE

NORTH CHARLEROI COUNCILMAN