OMAHA, Neb (KMTV) — For nearly two decades all Holy Spirit Greek Orthodox Church has worshiped in Omaha, and soon they will have a proper home in which to worship.
“Orthodox is growing around the United States; today, here in Omaha, it's the same thing. We are ecstatic to be putting up a church, doing what a lot of people find difficult to do nowadays,” said Father Alexander.
The new church won’t be completed until 2024 but its centerpiece, a 20,000-pound dome significant in orthodox architecture, was raised on Thursday with one of the church’s top officials on hand to bless the structure before its completed.
“We have invited our bishop from Denver to come. He will be blessing the dome and we will all watch together witnessing a building that’s half-naked be put on a beautiful dome and being completed,” said Alexander.
Domes are a staple of the iconic architecture of Orthodox Churches. They aren’t just visually stunning, but also an important reminder of God’s presence in the Orthodox tradition.
“The dome and the drum are symbols of gods interaction with human beings on earth. The dome at the top reflects light, that deals with the notion of eternity. Inside and in the glass, that is where light pierces into and focuses on people inside,” said John Birge, vice president of the parish council for All Holy Spirit.
The Church is just one part of an entirely new neighborhood popping up in West Omaha that Birge hopes will be able to meet all of the community's needs.
“We actually developed this neighborhood and designed it so we would have a church piece, a senior living piece and we would have an educational piece for young children and single-family homes,” said Birge.
There is still work to do before the church is completed, but All Holy Spirit hopes to have everything finished by March of 2024.
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