Hundreds of people gathered for a special "pillar raising" ceremony on Thursday to mark the one-year anniversary of the deadly gas explosion that rocked Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis.
It was also the first time since the blast that such a large crowd returned to the heavily damaged high school site that carried painful yet fond memories of the 105-year-old school community.
Many of the 200 people who attended the event came adorned in the school's red and white colors and stood together, singing and praying for a new beginning that would resurrect the private school.
"We have been using the phrase 'Together We Rise' since the tragedy and the first pillar rising from the ground is very symbolic and a very visible indication that we're rebuilding and looking forward," said Minnehaha Academy President Donna Harris, who placed a memorial plaque on the pillar that will be visible from inside the new school.
On Aug. 2, a gas explosion ravaged the upper campus, killing receptionist Ruth Berg, 47, and janitor John F. Carlson, 82. Nine people were also injured, one critically.
Upper School Principal Jason Wenschlag said the tragedy had a significant impact on students, but halfway into the school year the students' emotions began to stabilize.
"We reached a point where kids looked back a lot," Wenschlag said. Now "they are ready to move forward. We tried to respect that and balance that."
Despite the distress students faced, enrollment has remained solid and the school even added some new students, including those from families who were inspired by the community's resilience. There are a growing number of students in every grade level who are interested in joining the school, Harris said.