BENWOOD, W.Va. — There will soon be a new church in Marshall County.
The first sketches of a new building were presented to parishioners at St. John Catholic Church in Benwood on Monday.
The new structure, which would replace the original church that was destroyed in a March fire, will feature seating for about 160 parishioners, items recovered from the old building and a design friendly to the environment.
“Christmas has even more meaning to us this year. We celebrate not only the birth of Jesus Christ but the birth of our new church in Benwood,” said Rev. Bekeh Utietiang, pastor of St. John’s in a news release.
The church will be built in the same location as the old church. Demolition and site preparation ended this summer.
Salvaged items being considered in the new design include stained glass windows, statues and icons from the old church. Also, a memorial garden will be located where the entry to the former church once stood.
Plans also include work on an adaptive reuse of a four-room building across the street from the new church, which will become a parish hall and available for social events.
A final decision on the initial design was reached last week.
The project is expected to be complete by spring 2017.