At 10:23 a.m. Monday, Plum paused to remember those who died in a house explosion in the borough’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood exactly one year ago.

Church bells at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church were among those that began chiming at the precise moment Paul and Heather Oravitz’s home exploded Aug. 12, 2023. In all, six people died as a result of the blast.

The chimes Monday lasted six minutes.

It was part of a day of remembrance in the community that concluded with a memorial Mass at Holy Family Parish’s St. Januarius Catholic Church, and the announcement of a new memorial.

Sunlight streamed through the tall, narrow stained glass windows along one side of St. Januarius as about 200 people gathered to remember husband and wife Paul and Heather Oravitz, father and son Casey and Keegan Clontz, and neighbors Mike Thomas and Kevin Sebunia, who all died in the blast.

The Rev. Kevin Poecking’s message was one of comfort and that it’s OK for the affected families to go forward as they pray for their lost loved ones, Deacon Frank Bursic said.

“It was about comfort and it’s also about being here with each other and being able to pray with each other,” Bursic said. “One of the things that we share in the Catholic community and with Christians around the world is that we believe in Jesus Christ, we believe in everlasting life, we believe in eternal life. So when we think about where they’ve gone from here, we pray that they’re in heaven now at this point in time.”

In his remarks, Poecking spoke of finding joy past grief, hope out of sadness, and the blessings that come out of tragedies, such as how the Plum community pulled together after the explosion.

“What we remember from a year ago was just awful, especially for those who are very close to the situation, those who lost loved ones, those who lost friends and neighbors,” he said. “It’s hard to go through that year without those people at their birthdays, at the holidays we used to celebrate with them and them not being there. It’s hard for any of us who lost any loved one to go through that year of being without them through all those special moments when they were present with us in much happier ways before. To not have them there is sad.”

Poecking spoke of being at a prayer service in Rustic Ridge Saturday morning, and learning a family had moved into the neighborhood within the last year.

“There was new life and new people living in that area,” he said. “People were talking about recent weddings they went to and other festive celebrations they had experienced in the last several months. While there were tragedies a year ago and that entire community and our entire community were mourning, there have been hopeful moments throughout this past year full of grief.”

A moment of silence was observed at the start of Plum Council’s regular meeting Monday night, where plans for a memorial gazebo behind the municipal center on Mike Thomas Way were unveiled.

KU Resources donated its services to design it, borough Manager David Soboslay said. A plaque may list the victims names and other information, but details are not yet finalized.

“We hope to use our own manpower to build most of this,” Soboslay said. “We just don’t know how that’s going to happen yet. I think it’s a very quiet and simple thing to honor the people who passed away.”

The gazebo would be surrounded by flowers, shrubbery and flowering trees.

Councilman Jerry Purcell said he supports the idea and likes the design.

“To think that we have an engineering company donate their time and expertise to put that together and give us an idea, it’s a great idea,” Purcell said. “(The gazebo) is going to be lasting and it could be used by anyone.”

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, according the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office. A statement released Monday morning, attributed to the Fire Marshal’s Office, said evidence still is being tested and that “another joint evidence exam” would take place “in the near future.” No specifics were offered.

“This investigation has been extensive and thorough, and there is no time frame for when it will be complete,” the statement read.

The fire marshal’s office announced Monday afternoon that it will host a news conference Tuesday morning in Moon, where emergency services Chief Matt Brown will answer questions about the explosion.

Sue Caldwell, a parishioner in the Holy Family Parish in Plum, attended St. John and prayed while the bells chimed. She knew Thomas, a longtime Plum Borough manager, from her days as a Plum School Board member.

She said she’s still heartbroken for the families affected and called the ordeal a tragedy for the entire community.

“I think it’s been very difficult for them in the individual neighborhood,” Caldwell said.

Many people who call Rustic Ridge home are parishioners at Holy Family, she said.

“It’s a strong faith community,” she said. “Our faith is getting us through.”

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