Warren's Blessed Sacrament Church will reopen Sunday for Easter Vigil Mass after a December fire forced it to temporarily close.

The church's pastor, Father Christopher Cicero, says celebrating the resurrection Sunday will undoubtedly be a milestone for his parish.

"We had tragedy four months ago, and now we have the gift of rejoicing," he said.

It's the culmination of months of work to restore Blessed Sacrament, after a fire broke out near the front pulpit on Dec. 12.

Cicero said it was determined that the cause of the fire was a flame that spread from an Advent candle to other areas of the church.

He described the moment he first heard about the incident as shocking and surreal.

"We were expecting to come over [to the church] and have the third Sunday of Advent," Cicero said. "And, then to come over to see the entire environment was filled with black smoke, you know, you couldn't breathe."

Damage caused by the smoke forced Blessed Sacrament to undergo a $300,000 restoration project.

"The entire sanctuary was affected by smoke damage," Cicero said. "[Crews] had to take apart the organ, clean it and put it back."

Work crews also had to hand wash and repaint the church's 60-foot high ceilings, walls and install a new wooden platform in center of the church.

"It was a lot of work, but we were really blessed that it was handled well and professionally," Cicero said. "It took longer than we expected, but to come back on Easter Sunday is perfect." 

Father Cicero says there will be a special guest attending the reopening: the Most Rev. David Bonnar, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown.

Bishop Bonnar will be the principal celebrant and homilist at the 8:30 a.m. Easter Sunday service. 

"I think what I hope to encounter [Sunday] is what those first followers of Jesus encountered at the empty tomb—that the stone was removed and there was good news," Bonnar said. "And that the long darkness was over."  

Father Cicero says Easter's message of hope is one that will last long after Blessed Sacrament reopens.

"Even though we can't see it at the time—in the long run—we will see how God's hand was at work in [these] moments of suffering and tragedy," he said.