Pennsylvania

Three years after conducting a wedding ceremony for a lesbian couple, the Rev. Janet Edwards was acquitted Thursday on charges of violating Scripture and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s constitution.

The Permanent Judicial Commission (PJC) of the Pittsburgh Presbytery ruled unanimously 9-0 to clear the minister on the grounds that she could not have performed the ceremony since the church and state define marriage as between a man and a woman.

"It can't be an offense to the constitution to attempt to do the impossible," stated the decision, read by the Rev. Stewart Pollock, chairman of the regional church court, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. more >>

Two ministers have drafted an open theological declaration to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with the intention of confronting the denomination for its "deviation from orthodox Christian faith."

The Rev. Albert Rhodes Stuart of Highland Presbyterian Church in Slippery Rock, Pa., and Patrick McElroy of Park United Presbyterian Church in Zelienople, Pa., are taking action to discern what they believe to be "multiple errors" coming from the denomination's 218th General Assembly, a biennial meeting that took place in June.

"These errors must be labeled and opposed lest we be guilty of failing to raise alarm or of leading 'the least of His little ones astray,'" the declaration reads. "We cry out with fervent voices that the flock is under attack and we, individually and collectively, must return to the shepherd immediately." more >>

PHILADELPHIA - Memorial Hall, one of the jewels of the Centennial Exposition of 1876, had lost its luster many years ago.

Rain poured inside through the magnificent but neglected glass dome, soaking elaborate plasterwork and pooling on the marble floors where buckets failed to catch the water. The granite facade was damaged and covered with grime. The east gallery was turned into an indoor swimming pool and basketball courts were installed. A police station complete with jail cells took up residence.

After decades of deterioration, the breathtaking Beaux Arts building is regaining its luster in anticipation of a new role as home of the popular Please Touch Museum. more >>

Before the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh discusses changes toward a formal split from the denomination at an annual meeting later this year, some members of the diocese have planned a gathering to talk about "an alternative solution."

Parishes, clergy and laypeople who do not agree with disaffiliating with The Episcopal Church are holding a Sept. 13 event called "A Hopeful Future for the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh: An Alternative Solution," with the intent of promoting unity and staying in the U.S. denomination. Organizers do not believe a withdrawal from the national church is a "helpful response to the current controversies within the Episcopal Church."

"This diocesan-wide gathering will explore why we believe that staying in The Episcopal Church is the right thing to do," according to the event description. "In addition we will lay out what an ongoing Episcopal presence in Southwestern Pennsylvania will look like should the vote for realignment pass." more >>

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - This city best known to tourists for its historical sites and museums has a surprise new high-tech hit that is developing into a must-see attraction: a huge atrium wall in Philadelphia's newest and tallest skyscraper where a cast of dancers and acrobats seem to come to life.

"At first it looks like a mural," said Marilyn Overton, who traveled with her husband from the suburbs just to see the wall. "And then all of a sudden it's moving."

It's a 25-foot-tall, 2,000-square-foot high-definition LED screen which at times mimics the wood-paneled wall of the main lobby of the Comcast Center, which opened in June. more >>

SHANKSVILLE, Pa. - As hundreds of firefighters bowed their heads in prayer, a cross made out of steel from the World Trade Center was dedicated Sunday near where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into the ground on Sept. 11.

The 2-ton, 14-foot high cross sits on a concrete base shaped like the Pentagon at the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Co., just a few miles from where the plane crashed into a field. The cross made a 311-mile journey from Brooklyn on Saturday, accompanied by hundreds of motorcyclists, many of them current or retired New York firefighters.

"We wanted to find a home for this steel," said Paddy Concannon, a retired lieutenant from the Fire Department of New York. "This is an effort on our part to tie the three events together: the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville." more >>