Many people around the Mahoning Valley were filled with joy this past weekend as they celebrated a holiday that puts smiles on faces across the country, for several different reasons.

Some paraded through streets and local establishments celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with friends and family alike. However, parishioners of St. Patrick Church in Hubbard had a different reason for celebrating as they were able to enter their church for the first time since a devastating fire on Jan. 18, 2021.

Just over three years later, parishioners returned to their church and this newspaper is ecstatic they can do so as there is nothing like being forcibly removed from a place that is so familiar.

Our reporter who was in attendance Sunday, which was chosen on purpose to honor the church’s patron saint because St. Patrick’s Day this year was Sunday, said about 800 people were in attendance for a special Mass. Many of them entered the church with a bright smile on their face. We also commend the church for honoring the firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians who responded to the fire.

Plenty of work went into restoring St. Patrick to its original glory. The entire building was basically rebuilt, the sanctuary floor was rebuilt, the entire kitchen was rebuilt and brought up to code and marble floors and walls had to be replaced as well. Along with all of that, an elevator had to be replaced and the new Steinway piano and pipe organ had to be cleaned and rebuilt. However, that’s just part of what needed to be fixed.

All of the effort that went into making Sunday possible, made the reopening that much more special and it could be seen on the parishioners’ faces. The fire was a big blow, not just to the church but to the entire community.

One parishioner who entered the church described the moment as “monumental,” another said she looked forward to “being back home again” and one said while he was used to the temporary location, he was excited to be back.

There’s no place like home and after going through such a tragic incident, returning home is a special feeling. We hope parishioners of St. Patrick Church in Hubbard can thoroughly enjoy their rebuilt sanctuary for years to come and we wish them the greatest of fortunes as they become accustomed and familiar with their new church.