Parishioners, church officials return to Assumption Church after five years

After five years, the doors of Assumption Church reopened for Sunday mass this weekend — a moment that parishioners say feels like "coming home."

"As soon as I walked in, I had tears in my eyes," said Evangelista Bose, who's been part of Assumption Parish for the past 10 years. "I couldn't stop crying. It's just a great joy to be here. God heard my prayers."

The church has been closed since 2014 after safety problems closed its doors. Since then, Assumption Parish has been conducting mass at the Holy Name of Mary Church on McEwan Street.

But following the installation of a new roof and the cleanup of asbestos, consultants determined Assumption Church was safe enough to be back in use.

"I think it's the history. It's 250 years old. That's why [Assumption Church] is important to us," Bose added.

Fellow congregation member Carmen Archibald, who has been with Assumption Parish for about eight years, said she "fell in love" with Assumption Church again when she helped moved things back into the space Wednesday.

During Sunday mass, the church was beyond capacity. Archibald had a view of the crowd from the upper balcony, where she lead the congregation in singing a psalm.

"When I was standing up there looking out into the crowd and seeing the people that I know ... and so many people that are new to the parish or have come to just celebrate with us, my heart was overjoyed. I was really happy."

Nick Schuurman said it's "great" to be back at Assumption Church because it's far more accessible for him, compared to the Holy Name of Mary Church.

"They had an elevator inside, but it was very hard for me to open up the doors. Over here [at Assumption], they just have a wheelchair ramp and the doors are already open," said Schuurman.

Father Maurice Restivo was "overwhelmed" by the number of people who attended Sunday's mass. He said returning to the space after five years gave him a feeling of "rightness."

"[Other parishioners] have been saying how happy they are, how they've been waiting for this day, how they've been praying for this day," said Restivo.

"A church building is the home for a church congregation. For many, many people throughout many years, Assumption has been their home."

A hot water system still needs to be installed, which the church said will be completed before the weather gets cold, and other exterior repairs still need to be completed in future phases of the renovation.