WHAT’S NEWS IN CANON-MAC
CANONSBURG
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
WINS NATIONAL
RECOGNITION
The U.S. National Episcopal Historians
and Archivists (NEHA) group
recognized St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church
this summer during the Tri-History
Conference held at the University of
Toronto, Canada.
In 2016, parishioner Samuel J. Richards
wrote “The Middle Holds: A History
of St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church,
Canonsburg and the Community it
Serves” published by Closson Press.
The NEHA awards committee
recognized the Canonsburg book with its
silver 2019 Laurence D. Fish Outstanding
Parish History Award. The NEHA prize is
awarded during odd-numbered years.
The prize committee consisted of five
members, including distinguished Miami
University of Ohio professor Peter W.
Williams.
“The Middle Holds” was written to
coincide with St. Thomas’ Episcopal
Church’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
It chronicles the struggles and triumphs
of the Jefferson Avenue congregation
as it wrestled with questions of finance,
leadership, theology, and mission.
The book’s title, “The Middle Holds,”
pays homage to the congregation’s
long-held “Broad Church” tradition.
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St. Thomas’ continues to provide a
Broad Church via media (the middle
way) between Protestant and Catholic
Christianity where parishioners can live
out their Baptismal Covenants to gather
for worship, resist evil, proclaim by word
and example the Good News of God
in Christ, serve Christ in all persons
by loving our neighbors as ourselves,
and striving for justice and peace
among all people while making sense
of our world using Anglican theologian
Richard Hooker’s “three-legged stool” of
Scripture, Tradition, and Reason.
Richards’ work drew from local
church records, archives of the Episcopal
Diocese of Pittsburgh, and interviews
with past and present clergy and
members of the congregation.
In addition to details about
Episcopalians, including the 25-year
tenure of David Kinsey as lay leader and
rector, chapters include background
about early Canonsburg, including
Scotch-Irish dominance, the Rev.
John McMillan, and the importance
of Jefferson College. The text includes
photographs and appendices with
sermon examples ranging from 1947
to 2013 and membership rosters and
baptismal records useful to genealogists.
A Bentleyville native, Richards teaches
history at Shanghai American School in
China. He earned degrees from Indiana
University of Pennsylvania (B.S.Ed., cum
laude), Salisbury University in Maryland
(M.A.), and the University of Scranton
(M.S.Ed.).
Copies of “The Middle Holds”
are available from Closson Press,
clossonpress.com.
CANONSBURG’S
OLD FASHIONED
CHRISTMAS
CELEBRATION
RETURNS
Despite torrential downpours, more
than 2,000 visitors along with the
Hallmark Channel came out to support
Canonsburg’s first Old Fashioned
Christmas Celebration last year. This
year’s event will take place over two days
icmags.com
and two blocks of the downtown business
district. Plans include:
• Lighting of all downtown businesses
along the roof/awning lines, trees and
town entry bridge
• Macy’s-worthy window displays
• Christmas parade
• Candy Cane Land featuring photos
with Santa
• Christmas market
• Food court
• Lighting of community tree
• Center stage featuring local choirs and
children’s performances
• Christmas tree sale (For every tree
sold, a tree, lights, ornaments and
stand are delivered to a local family in
need, thanks to Bluestar, USA.)
• Kids Corner featuring games, face
painting, etc.
The celebration will take place Friday,
Dec. 6, from 4 to 9 p.m., and Saturday,
Dec. 7, from noon to 9 p.m.
More information can be found on the
website at canonsburgchristmas.com and
facebook.com/Canonsburgchristmas.
CELEBRATE MCFALL
FEST!
Celebrate fall with an amazing day filled
with lots of family fun. Join us for our sixth
annual McFall Fest at the McDonald
Presbyterian Church, 119 Station Street in
McDonald, Saturday, Oct. 12, from 11 a.m.
to 4 p.m.
Enjoy homemade food, Treasure Chest
Resale Shoppe, baked goods, pumpkins
and mums, Chinese Auction, craft and
vendor sale, live music, and children’s fun
area. Great Fun for a Great Cause - every
dollar that is raised will go towards
supporting mission and ministry work in
our community and beyond. For more
information, go to mcdonaldpres.org. n