Expanded Greek Orthodox church opens in Lincolnshire

Members of the Greek Orthodox faith gathered Wednesday to celebrate the expansion of a church building in Lincolnshire.

A special service to mark the opening of the doors at Ascension of Our Lord Greek Orthodox Church was held in front of the building, 1207 Riverwoods Road.

Afterward, people were invited to celebrate the church's Feast Day with another service.

The $9 million construction and expansion project began in 2017. The 18,600-square-foot building includes a new church, chapel and adult baptistery.

The original church building has been turned into a fellowship hall.

"This has been a remarkable journey of faith and fulfills a dream held by the stewards of Ascension for a very long time," the Rev. Sotirios P. Malamis said in a news release.

Although some interior work still needs to be completed, the church received an occupancy permit Monday.

The church held its first service in 1998 at Stevenson High School. It moved into the Riverwoods Road facility in 2001.