The Connellsville Church of God and city residents on Sunday dedicated the Ten Commandments monument that was moved from Connellsville Junior High to church property.

The monument had been the subject of a lawsuit by those who opposed its presence on school district property.

Between verses of "Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art," a small crowd met around the monument, which now is near Connellsville Area Senior High School on Falcon Drive.

The crowd applauded as Connellsville Eagles President Angela Shipley presented paperwork donating the monument to the church. The Rev. Nelson Confer and church board members accepted the documents.

"This is a great day for Connellsville," said Confer, thanking the Eagles and a local businessman who helped make the transfer happen.

The monument was moved earlier this month.

In September, the Connellsville Area School Board voted to return the monument to the Eagles, which, in 1957, placed the monument at what was then Connellsville High School.

The monument was covered by wood in 2012 after the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of a student.

The legal battle ended in August after Senior U.S. District Judge Terrence McVerry ruled the monument's presence on school grounds to be in violation of the student's civil rights.

In the ruling, McVerry referred to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

According to the Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute:

"The First Amendment's Establishment Clause prohibits the government from making any law 'respecting an establishment of religion.' This clause not only forbids the government from establishing an official religion, but also prohibits government actions that unduly favor one religion over another. It also prohibits the government from unduly preferring religion over nonreligion, or nonreligion over religion." McVerry's ruling, however, did not force the district to move the monument.

However, the school board, wanting to avoid costly lawsuits, voted to return the monument to the Eagles.

Confer said Sunday he was proud of the Connellsville community, which pulled together three years ago when the effort began to keep the monument on school property.

Confer said churches from around the country, and even a Baptist church in Canada, called to congratulate the local parish.

As the battle waged, churches from across the nation offered to aid in the cause.

Confer said that without support and love from the Connellsville community "this (monument) would never have been here today."

"Look at what the Lord has done," said the Rev. Don Smith, president of the Connellsville Ministerial Association. "God has brought (the monument) to this place so that we can all see it. It's good to see what God is doing in Connellsville."

Smith said that three years ago, he didn't know the monument existed. He said it was in a secluded area. But now, it has been brought and "put up front for all to see."

Confer said the church wants to place benches around the monument to create a place for prayer and reflection. He hopes to have plaques placed on the benches "in honor of the Connellsville community."

Shipley and Eagles' trustee Mike Schroyer said the organization is happy the monument has found a home not far from its original location.

Shipley and Schroyer said the organization received correspondence from the school district explaining that it wanted to return the monument to the Eagles. The first step was for the Eagles to vote to accept the monument. The Eagles received phone calls from interested people and organizations seeking to purchase it, Schroyer said.

Pat Duncan, a former Eagles president, received one such call from a local businessman.

"I asked him what he wanted to do with it, and he told me he wanted to donate it to the Connellsville Church of God," Duncan said.

Duncan took the request to Eagles' officials, who liked the idea and approved the plan.

The Eagles and church officials thanked the businessman -- who has remained anonymous -- for his help in moving the monument to the church. They also thanked a number of businesses that helped to make the move possible.

"We wanted to keep it close. We wanted it to remain in Connellsville," Schroyer said.

"We're happy to see it here. This is where it belongs," Shipley said.

Roxanne Abramowitz is a Trib Total Media editor. She can be reached at rabramowitz@tribweb.com or 724-626-3530.

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