Arnold church reopening nearly 3 years after fire caused millions of dollars in damage

ARNOLD, Pa. — Nearly three years after a fire destroyed much of St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, the church is getting ready to reopen.

The fire broke out on Dec. 4, 2021. It’s a day Father Yaroslav Koval remembers vividly.

“All of us we were sad first, shocked. We didn’t know what to do,” Koval told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek.

That fire caused nearly $4 million in damage. Despite that, the congregation of about 40 had one goal.

“They told me, “Father, we plan to rebuild this church,’” Koval said.

Now, almost three years later, the $2.2 million rebuilding project is nearly finished.

“So, we’ve come back from the ashes,” Koval said.

They restored as much of the original church as they could.

The front facade is still in place, and crews are working to replace the stained glass windows.

The middle part of the church is gone, but in its place is a courtyard for outdoor gatherings.

Inside, the middle section of the original altar was recovered and used as part of the new altar.

The new church is smaller than the original, which helped keep costs down.

“Everything go up [sic],” Koval said. “I believe the price for everything doubled in the two years, three years ago. We figured if we rebuild this little church, we would proabably have enough money to do this.”

Next weekend, Sept. 14 and 15, the church will be celebrating its reopening with a consecration of the altar on Saturday followed by a pierogi dinner.

Then on Sunday, they will bless and anoint the walls of the church.

Father Koval hopes rebuilding helps the church community grow.

“A small seed, if you throw that seed in good soil, then that seed will bring some fruits,” Koval said.

If you’re interested in attending the dinner, you’re asked to call 724-681-3383 or email stvladsarnold@gmail.com by Sunday.

The dinner costs $50.

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