St. Hubert celebrates Mass in renovated church

After waiting for months for their church to be renovated, parishioners of St. Hubert Catholic Church in Hoffman Estates had to wait just a little longer on Saturday before they were allowed inside.

The crowd built steadily - it would number more than 850 before it was over - as parishioners stood outside the front doors, until Pastor Robert Rizzo completed a ceremonial blessing of the keys.

Rizzo took back the church's keys from the contractors with the Frederick Quinn Corp., before he unlocked the doors and let parishioners inside the brand new narthex.

The audible sounds of oohs and ahs could be heard, as worshippers filed in through a new entrance, and got their first look at some of the improvements, including the new lighting, sound system, ceramic tile flooring, and enhanced ceiling beams.

As Mass started, Rizzo encouraged parishioners to process down the center aisle of the church, and venerate the altar as a way of blessing the new sanctuary, before finding their place in the new church pews.

Joining Rizzo on the altar were the former pastor, the Rev. Eugene Nowak, and the Rev. Robert Tonelli, pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Streamwood.

Right from the start, parishioners knew they weren't in the old church.

"I would ask you to consider sitting in a different place," Rizzo told the crowd. "I know this is difficult. Even I will be sitting in a different place, but it is a time for a new beginning."

Even as worshippers took their seats, they looked around to see the new space. The renovation features a radial design, with rounded edged pews and kneelers, which they did have before; as well as canned lights, and marble edged altar and tabernacle.

"We've waited so long for this," said Pat Ashchom of Hanover Park. "It's beyond our grandest expectations."

Parishioner Caroline Morici of Hoffman Estates agreed, adding that the excitement to see the new space had been building over the last few weeks.

"It's all new," Morici said. "We're bursting with joy."

For nearly one year, parish members had been holding Masses in the church's multipurpose room. While Rizzo cautioned that much needs to be done to finish the project, including completing the baptismal font and more wood carvings near the altar, as well as commissioning religious statues, the time to move in had come.

"The renovation is like our faith journey," Rizzo said. "It's constantly growing."