St. Casimir "Homecoming" celebration

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) -

Barely a dry eye in the church as close to a thousand came together for St. Casimir’s first mass since being closed by the Bishop in 2009.

For the church, it was a special “Homecoming” mass Sunday morning. 

“I was baptized here, First communion, married, and I want to be buried from here,” said life-long parishioner Stanley Krysiak.

“I’m not as excited as I was on my wedding day, but it’s very close to it! It’s a happy day. It’s a new beginning,” said Margaret Feckanin.

The job of re-opening St. Casimir’s is Father Eric Orzak’s.  He’s already the pastor not too far away at St. Stan’s.  He’ll be very busy because now he’ll also say a mass a week at St. Casimir’s.

The parishes that are reopening will face many of the challenges that led to their being closed.

The Bishop has weighed in on these churches reopening, letting parishioners know that their memberships must remain strong and that the churches must be able to sustain themselves.

But Sunday morning the church was so packed, there was barely any room to stand.

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