As Catholics around the world mark the beginning of the holiest week of the year, parishioners at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Adams, Mass. celebrated the rebirth of their church.
St. Stan's held its first mass on Palm Sunday three years after it was ordered shut down by the diocese.
Hundreds of parishioners packed the church, overjoyed to hear voices singing, the organ playing and the priest saying mass once again.
They came from all over the Bay State to be a part of the re-opening of St. Stan's.
The church was ordered closed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in 2008 because of declining attendance.
But some parishioners never left, keeping a prayer vigil 24/7 at the church for the past three years, hoping the diocese would change the order.
The church was finally able to resume masses after a ruling by the Vatican's highest appeals court.
It's one of several American Roman Catholic churches where that decision was reversed, ending the 1,150 day vigil.
Friends, family members and those who weren't able to keep vigil are appreciative.
They gathered for some refreshments after mass, saying this celebration on Palm Sunday makes it even more special.
It's been a long journey, but a journey they hope will bring the community together.