Park United Presbyterian Church's sanctuary reopened to churchgoers in February, about 18 months after a dump truck crashed into it. The church will commemorate the reopening with a special service at 2 p.m. May 15. The set of stairs seen above is still in need of repair.

ZELIENOPLE — A special commemoration service for Park United Presbyterian Church is planned for next month.

The Rev. Paul Merrill, pastor, said the service will be at 2 p.m. May 15 to celebrate the reopening of the church's sanctuary, 115 E. Grandview Ave.

“It's wonderful to be back in the space that God has set aside for us to gather his people,” Merrill said.

The sanctuary reopened in February, about a year and a half after a triaxle dump truck crashed into it.

Services had to be relocated to Park Hall, which now is being used for fellowship events and some Sunday school classes.

Classes that were normally in the sanctuary's basement were taught in a trailer the church rented, which has since been removed.

New stained-glass windows have been installed since the sanctuary's reopening. However, outside protective pieces for the windows have yet to be installed.

And one side of the limestone stairs leading to the sanctuary has yet to be replaced. The stairs collapsed in December.

But the congregation was permitted to occupy the sanctuary because the other side of the stairs and the door on that side were still usable.

Merrill said insurance will pay the church for repairs, although it is not known when the repairs will be done.

“Initially, we were looking at just a six-foot replacement piece instead of using a solid, 12-foot piece of granite,” he said of the 12-foot-wide stairs. “We've had to work with insurance to get the proper quote for what they would pay us.”

He said while the cause of the stair collapse has not been determined, he believes it was caused by heavy equipment entering and exiting the church for repairs. Along with that, the stairs had been in use since the church opened in 1897.

Merrill said attendance in church services “have been about the same” as in the past.

“It seems less, but only because it's in a bigger space,” he said about service attendance.

The church also is planning some minor landscaping work, including planting bushes and putting up a new sign.

Merrill said the church wanted to use its old sign, but is not allowed due to the borough's sign ordinance.