Festival Volunteers Needed

1. 1. MOS Festival - Volunteers needed. Pre- setup, Tuesday July 28th, Wednesday, July 29th, and Thursday, July 30th from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. In addition, volunteers needed for the days of the festival in various positions, see sign-up sheets via QR Code. Lastly, volunteers needed for Saturday, August 1st at 9:00 PM till completed for teardown and cleanup. If interested, contact Don Merola (donjoann1025@gmail.com) or sign up via QR Code in the parish bulletin.

1. 2. For the days of the festival July 31^st and August 1^st, Robert Heinle will be running the Taste of Murrysville and will need a few helpers.  One more helper for the 5-7 shift, and 4 guys for the 7-9 shift both days.  These guys to help with either the pierogi lady or help keep the area clean and replenish condiments as the night goes on.  So, nothing very rigorous but please help if you can.  Contact Robert at RobertHeinle2@worldinsurance.com

Star Council News Update

Great news, it is official we have been congratulated by our new State Deputy, John Fitzpatrick for the Star Award, See his correspondence below. Also, good news I was congratulated as Diocesan Membership Chairman for the Greensburg Diocese having more Star Councils than any other Diocese, which contributed to the State Council winning Circle of Honor from Supreme.

Don Granata

Grand Knight, 4226

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Worthy Grand Knight,                                       Acknowledgment  letter for Star Council

Congratulations on achieving Star Council during fraternal year 2025-26! This award is reserved for the best and brightest councils in our Order and you should be justly proud.  Pennsylvania would not have achieved Circle of Honor without your success in meeting/exceeding your membership goal and so many councils you helped in achieving Star Council.  I appreciate the hard work your council put into membership growth and programs last year.  Nothing of value is easy. I am asking your council to make achieving Star Council again a top priority this new fraternal year.

I have attached this year's award criteria.  Your district deputy will go into more detail at your next district meeting.

We cannot afford to take the summer off. It is critical that we get off to a great start.  Leverage your summer programs into great recruiting opportunities. Now is the time to build your team for another successful year.  Our parishes and communities are counting on us.

We have developed a solid membership incentive plan to reward high performing individuals and councils. Please see the attached incentives for the 1st quarter.  I hope to see your council in the running.

If you have any questions, please let me know.  I look forward to working with you!

Fraternally,

John Fitzpatrick

State Deputy

Food Bank Donations

The KofC will be collecting dish detergent for the September MOS Westmoreland County Food Bank. All donations can be placed in the deck boxes outside MOS social hall or drop off at the hall. All donations to be received by August 24th. The goal is to provide 250 dish detergent bottles to MOS Westmoreland County Food Bank for distribution. Please bring your dish detergent donations to the next council meeting on August 12th. If dropping off at the council hall please notify Don Merola (donjoann1025@gmail.com)

Special Olympics Awardee

Adam was awarded the Gold Metal for the 100 Meter walk.

Congratulations Adam!!

COR News 

Because COR is more than another Knights meeting.

Sunday Mass is where we worship God together.

COR is where men help one another live their faith every day.

In COR, you’ll find:

• A stronger relationship with Jesus Christ.

• Honest conversations with other Catholic men.

• Prayer, Scripture, and practical faith for everyday life.

• Encouragement to become a better husband, father, grandfather, and disciple

• Brothers who will walk with you through life’s challenges

If you want your faith to grow beyond Sunday, COR is for you!

Come once. No Pressure. Just open you heart and let Christ do the rest.

For more information contact Don Granata at granms@outlook.com

Diocesan Men's Ministry Team

MIY (That Man is You) - A new Men’s ministry has been approved by Msgr and Chuck Bell will be helping to kick this off in the fall of 2026 for MOS/STJ/STM. TMIY is a proven Catholic men's ministry sponsored by Paradisus Dei (paradisusdei.org/that-man-is-you), designed to draw men into a deeper relationship with Christ while equipping them to lead their families and parishes. The format is will more than likely be a weekday before men go to work, at MOS, light breakfast/coffee, 30 min video, then small group discussion. I will be looking for men to help lead and of course attend. More information will be provided as we begin to kick this off.

St. John/St. Mary

Catholic Men's Fellowship Group

St. John/St. Mary’s CMF meets weekly (Saturdays 7am at the St. Mary’s Social Hall in Export & via Zoom). More info or to get on mailing list can be found. Current topic: Catechism. All are invited.  here: https://StJohnStMaryParishes.flocknote.com/CMF

Habitat for Humanity

• Work is continuing on the home started several months ago. Progress photos will be shown here are the various milestones are reached.

For those who may be interested a group of volunteers meet every other Wednesday to assist several other volunteer groups in this very important project. Please contact Jim Snitger at jsnitger@hotmail.com or at 412-334-4932 for more details.

Thank You

Jim

Happy Independence day – History/facts

The Declaration of Independence

On July 2nd, the Continental Congress declared that the thirteen colonies were now officially independent of British Rule. They were no longer subject to regulations and laws under the British Crown. They were united, free and independent states.

Two days later, the delegates from the colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence. The resolution had first been proposed by Richard Lee in June of that same year. The Lee Resolution, named after Richard Henry Lee, was formally passed by the Second Continental Congress on July 2, 1776. News of the development was published that same evening in the Pennsylvania Evening Post and the following day in the Pennsylvania Gazette.

The Declaration is written and signed

The Second Continental Congress meeting was held at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia on July 4th, 1776. Authored by Thomas Jefferson, the declaration clearly stated that the Thirteen Colonies were at war with the Kingdom of Britain. These new states then took a step forward and formed the United States of America.

The Declaration of Independence was signed by representatives from New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

The date of the Independence Day

From the very beginning, Americans celebrated Independence Day on July 4th every year. Historians have long disputed whether the Declaration was signed on the second or the fourth day of July in 1776. However, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all later wrote that they had signed it on July 4th.

There are also some reports that the Declaration was in fact signed a month after its adoption, on August 2nd, 1776.

The first celebrations of Independence Day

It was in the year 1781 that the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration. Two years later, in 1783, the town of Salem held the first public event celebrating the fourth of July.

It was a challenging musical event with the program, entitled The Psalm of Joy, assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter. It was carefully documented by the Moravian Church. There are no other government records of any previous Independence Day events.

Declaration as a federal holiday

In 1780, the United States Congress made July 4th an unpaid holiday for federal employees. In 1983, Congress officially declared it a paid holiday for federal employees. This is why non-essential federal institutions are closed on that day each year (including the postal service and federal courts).

The Independence Day today

Today, Americans celebrate their Day of Independence with their families, friends and loved ones. They host barbeque’s or attend picnics. Homes are decorated with the national colors of the American flag: red, white and blue a night before. On the morning of Fourth of July, public parades are often held before family get-together take place while fireworks displays occur in the evening after dark at many family public and tourist spots, including parks, fairgrounds or town squares.

Article Reference: https://american-history.net/american-celebrations-overview