BENWOOD — More than two years after a fire brought down St. John Catholic Church in Benwood, parishioners are ready for a new beginning.

That beginning is almost at hand, as services at the new church being built in its place are expected to begin in July. Contractors are putting the finishing touches on the new parish hall just across the street.

According to Tim Bishop, spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, the original plan was to have the church ready to open its doors by Friday. However, work on the new parish hall pushed the date into July.

“We are, right now, finishing up the parish hall, and some of the work outside,” Bishop said. “We don’t want to have any services until the parish hall is finished. That way the parishioners can celebrate after the first Mass.”

After the fire on March 30, 2015, the new church began construction last July, taking nearly a full year to complete. The building, Bishop said, incorporates many elements from the old St. John building.

“We were able to reuse the tabernacle, part of the high altar and the altar stone that hangs from the ceiling. That was the stone on the altar of the church that burned. You can even see some of the scorch marks,” Bishop said. “All of the stained-glass windows in the current church were refurbished, cleaned and rebuilt so we could use them in the new church.

“Outside, in the memorial garden, which is at the site of the entrance of the old church, there’s different limestone pieces, across from the former church, and a bell that used to hang in the bell tower,” Bishop continued. “When (St. John) burned, that bell collapsed through all the floors and broke into several pieces. So the large piece of that bell was restored, and will be the handicap entrance.”

The parish hall, Bishop said, will house other statues that were recovered and restored. The crucifix on the wall used to hang in the old St. John church’s basement.

Around noon Wednesday, members of the parish council were on hand to place some smaller remnants of the former church, as well as some documents of the council, in a time capsule to be buried beneath a statue of the Blessed Mother on the south wall of the building. The capsule contains pre- and post-fire photos of the old church, a key to the door of the old church, a 140th anniversary booklet and other documents.

Carmella Szymialis, chairwoman of the time capsule committee and a member of the parish council, was on site to pack the capsule into its containers. She said six generations of her family have walked through the doors of St. John.

“I was one of two of the first youth members to be on parish council,” Szymialis said. “I’m just thankful we got a (new) church.”

In addition to the time capsule set into the building, Szymialis said several parishioners returned to the church during construction to make their mark on he building a little earlier.

“They had an outdoor Mass at Wheeling Park,” she said. “When they were done, the parishioners came down and signed the altar floor before they placed the tiles.”

The new building is the church’s third in Benwood. The original church was founded in 1875 before being destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1892.

In the meantime, parishioners have attended services at St. Alfonsus and St. James churches, where the Rev. Bekeh Utietiang was holding Mass.

“They all shared a pastor, so it really made it a little easier for them, since they were still getting the same experience they were used to,” Bishop said.