Canberra’s only Greek Orthodox church has received a $1 million makeover after hail ravaged the 50-year-old building in January.
As much as 80 percent of the roof of St Nicholas Church in Kingston was damaged in the unprecedented hailstorm.
Tiles and stained glass windows smashed during the storm led to flooding throughout the church.
“It was a big disaster,” St. Nicholas Parish priest, Father Petros Kipouros, told The Canberra Times.
“It was very sad for the Greek Orthodox community of Canberra.”
Church operations at St Nicholas only became stranger as COVID-19 restrictions led to reduced services, but this allowed for quick construction.
“We took coronavirus as an opportunity to proceed with our church restorations and ensure… St. Nicholas [is] restored to its former beauty and glory,” John Loukadellis, President of the Greek Orthodox Community & Church of Canberra (GOCCC), told The Greek Herald in May.