Two years after the Greek community lost a beloved church to fire, the rebuilt house of worship is set to reopen on Monday, but only temporarily.

As Aug. 15 marks the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, a Greek Orthodox holiday, the leaders of the Koimisis Tis Theotokou church said they felt it was important to open the doors to the community for a service.

Parishioners began streaming into the church at 5:00 p.m.

“It’s quite emotional, I would say, for parishioners to be part of this historic moment,” said Hellenic Community of Montreal Executive Vice-President Andreas Crilis. “It’s very nice to see the local members and parishioners coming to the service tonight. As a community we are excited and happy about that.”

However, there are still finishing touches being done to the structure before it officially opens sometime in September.