St. John the Baptist, Manayunk - Lead Church in Philly's Oldest Fourth of July Parade

God bless America! This is our prayer. Let us all hang together, share the patriotic spirit, and honor the men and women who gave birth to our country, the United States of America. Come dressed in your service uniform or your red, white, and blue, carry your Bible, ring your bells, wear your tin cup on a ribbon around your neck and march with us or watch our hometown Independence Day Parade of Churches and Sunday Schools on Monday, July 4, 2016!

In 2016, the 326th anniversary of old Roxborough Township and in an effort to bring more people to the parade, the 21st Ward Fourth of July Association has invited specific community groups to march in the community’s Independence Day Parade. Groups will include: Northwest Veterans, Jeanette’s School of Dance, and the Wissahickon Braves Cheerleaders.

Monday, July 4, 2016 will mark the 186th year of our community’s sacred Independence Day Parade of Sunday Schools and Churches. In our community, it is the 109th year Churches have joined the Sunday Schools in the combined parade march to honor Christ Jesus. Our hometown Independence Day Parade will begin at 9 am sharp at Manayunk Avenue at Lyceum Avenue. Participants will march up Lyceum Avenue to Ridge Avenue, before continuing with the post parade hometown picnic celebrations. The Association asks the residents of these streets to move their cars so the parade can be viewed obstructionless!

The 21st Ward Fourth of July Association is pleased to announce that St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Manayunk, [started in 1831 the same year as this parade] is celebrating its 185th Jubilee Anniversary of service to Christ and Community and will be the lead church in our hometown’s Independence Day Parade of Sunday Schools & Churches on Monday, July 4, 2016.

[www.stjohnmanayunk.org/; https://www.facebook.com/St-John-the-Baptist-Manayunk-135996366535033/?fref=ts]

According to the custom of the 21st Ward Fourth of July Association, it is the lead church's privilege to honor Samuel Lawson, founder of this community celebration, by parading with the bronze tablet dedicated to his memory and displaying it throughout the year. It is the honor of the lead church to choose the parade theme. St. John the Baptist, under the under the pastorate of the Rev. Msgr. Kevin C. Lawrence, has chosen: “If the Lord does not build the house, then in vain do the builders labor." Psalms 127:1, adapted from NAB.

Grand Parade Marshal the Rev. Michael I. Tally, Sr. (Pastor of Lighthouse Missionary Baptist and alumnus of Galilee Baptist) will be supported by Assistant Grand Marshal Carol Spangenberg (Leverington Presbyterian) and Assistant Parade Marshals: Joe and Renée D’Amore, Jack Craighead and friends (Leverington Presbyterian), Fran D’Amore Danowski (Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic and Roxborough Presbyterian), Ralph and Claire Morgan (St. Timothy’s Episcopal) and Richard Humphrey (Community bible Fellowship Roxborough).

The parade line of march with picnic locations includes:

Position Church Picnic Location

1 St John the Baptist, Manayunk The Woods, Port Royal Ave

2 Josie D. Heard A.M. E. NO picnic

3 St Timothy's Episcopal Church grounds

4 St Alban's Episcopal Church grounds

5 St Mary's Episcopal NO picnic

6 St David's Episcopal Church grounds

7 Epic Church NO picnic

8 Ridge Avenue United Methodist With Green Lane United Methodist

9 Wissahickon Presbyterian Church grounds

10 Church in the Yunk NO picnic

11 The Salvation Army NO picnic

12 Galilee Baptist Church grounds

13 Leverington Presbyterian Gorgas Park

14 Community Bible Fellowship NO picnic

15 Roxborough Presbyterian With Leverington Presbyterian

16 Pilgrim Presbyterian Private Residence

17 Green Lane United Methodist Church grounds