( CNN ) -- Boston is a land of memory . After all , it 's the capital of a commonwealth , not just a state , evoking the colonial era . And when it comes to baseball , well , how many times have we heard the yarn about how the antique Fenway Park endured nearly a century of pain without a World Series championship ? Now the Boston Red Sox have won their third title in nine years -- at Fenway , no less -- but this victory seems to hold deeper meaning than just winning a sporting crown . It 's being compared to a divine balm to heal one of the darkest recent memories in America : the terror bombings at the Boston Marathon last April . On Saturday morning , a victory parade will make a symbolic gesture to confirm the restoration of a great city : the procession will cross over the marathon 's finish line -- still marked on the street -- where the explosions occurred . The parade will follow the same route used to celebrate the team 's championship in 2004 , when it broke the streak for not winning a World Series , the team said . The team 's last championship was in 2007 . `` It lifts the spirit back up after the marathon , '' one woman told CNN in Boston during a post-game street celebration this week so loud that it was n't possible to get her name . `` They obviously deserve it . I feel like I knew it was going to happen . '' 5 things you need to know about the World Series . Many mused about the supernatural being at work . `` First the Boston Bombing and now the World Series ... , '' said Michael David Reel on the Red Sox Facebook page , `` it was given to you . '' It was as if Boston rose again after a trial of the spirit . `` This was not just about winning a Championship . It was about a group of regular guys that believed in themselves and this city , and this country , and through their unbelievable efforts it helped relieve the pain of the Boston Marathon bombing in April , '' wrote Dave Hornoff on the same social media page . `` They dedicated their season to the victims and the entire country embraced them , and they embraced Boston and the entire country . What we witnessed was a real life movie in the making and for me this was more than just sports . More championships will be won every year but the story of the 2013 Boston Red Sox will never be repeated . '' Fans like Hornoff also repeated all or part of slogan that has since become a mantra in the marathon tragedy 's aftermath : `` Boston Strong 617 . '' The terror explosions disturbed the nation because they occurred in such a public place : the attacks killed three people , wounded more than 260 others , and put the city in a five-day lockdown until a manhunt finally captured the sole surviving terror suspect . `` This World Series was so much more than just a baseball game for the city of Boston , '' Derek Lemieux wrote on the team 's Facebook page . Then , signing off in a shorthand of the digital era , he wrote : `` # BostonStrong . '' Immediately after the victory , some fans ran to Boylston Street , where the finish line of the Boston Marathon is still painted on the street . The April bombings occurred near this line -- which still says `` Finish '' -- and fans kneeled and kissed it . Jane Richard , 7 , Boston bombing survivor , sings anthem at Red Sox game . Wednesday 's win over the St. Louis Cardinals also marked the first time that the Red Sox won a championship while at home since 1918 -- the year that began the team 's infamous 86-year World Series drought . Mysticism was behind that punishment , fans cried . It was the Curse of the Bambino -- the hex imposed on the team because it sold legendary player Babe `` Bambino '' Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1920 . Indeed , 97-year-old Helen McGonagle of Boston was 2 years old when the team won that 1918 championship at home . `` I never thought I 'd live to see this , '' she said of the 2013 championship . No story on the Red Sox would be complete without interviewing a Bostonian with such a long memory like McGonagle 's . She now lives in a nursing home , still peppy enough to talk with reporters . `` I would go down and see the Red Sox a lot , '' McGonagle said of her childhood years at Fenway . Back then , a hot dog cost 15 cents , she said . Opinion : I 'm a Red Sox fanboy . She explained the enthusiasm of fans . `` They 're a great team , '' she said . `` I do n't think as good as they were in Ted Williams ' time , but I think they 're doing a great job and I 'm rooting for them all the time . '' Batting legend Williams played for the Red Sox from 1939 to 1960 . This year 's team was also noteworthy for how players cultivated beards out of a superstition since spring training : The team kept winning as more players grew one , despite early predictions that this would n't their season . The season indeed ended as theirs . But one fan on Facebook now wonders : . `` Now can they shave ? '' Robin Gilliam said .
NEW : Saturday 's victory parade for team will pass site of the marathon 's April bombings . The long memory of Bostonians easily reaches 1918 , when their team last won a title at home . The more recent memory of the Boston Marathon attacks is painful . A 97-year-old fan savors this year 's victory : `` I never thought I 'd live to see this ''