PARIS - Eight months after a serious fire destroyed the St. Joseph altar at St. Mary Church in Paris and did considerable other damage, extensive repair and restoration work is nearly finished. Liturgical services resumed in the over 100-year-old church when Bishop George J. Lucas celebrated the 8:45 a.m. Mass on Aug. 29, and gave a blessing for the church and its parishioners.

{mosimage}The fire was started by unattended candles in an Advent wreath, which were left burning on the St. Joseph altar after the school children's morning Mass on Dec. 13, 2006. The fire was not detected until late that afternoon.

The church underwent extensive renovations in 2002, when an addition including a large gathering space, parish office, meeting rooms and parish center was added to the complex. Liturgies were celebrated in the parish center during the restoration work.

The large statue of St. Joseph and two smaller statues of saints in the St. Joseph altar reredos were destroyed in the fire, and the remaining statues in the church, including the Stations of the Cross, needed to be taken down, repaired and painted. The entire church was repainted due to heavy smoke damage. The wood pews survived the fire, but had to be refinished. The carpeting melted, as did most of the ornate brass light fixtures, and was replaced.

The stained-glass window nearest the St. Joseph altar was blown out by firefighters in order to prevent the fire from spreading to the ceiling rafters. It is being replaced.

"We attempted to find an altar to replace the St. Joseph Altar, but ended up getting both a new St. Joseph Altar and a new St. Mary Altar so they would match," said Pat Catanzarti, parish secretary.

The two new altars arrived in the afternoon of Aug. 28, only one day before Bishop Lucas' visit to the parish.