Photos: Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church dedication

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Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, Ca. conducts the Thyranoixia, a Holy Water Blessing Service, at the front doors before celebrants participate in a vespers service at the grand opening of the new Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church building on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014, in south Anchorage.

Congregants and guests celebrated the grand opening of the new Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church building on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014, in South Anchorage.

The Thyranoixia, a Holy Water Blessing Service, was celebrated at the front doors before celebrants participated in a vespers service led by Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, Ca.

The decades-long effort to build the church got underway with a groundbreaking in 2009, and Greek iconographer Konstantinos Theodorou and fellow Greek artist Alexios Pournatzis made numerous trips to Alaska to paint icons and create tile mosaics, chandeliers and marble work. Maria Baskous and Brian West oversaw the construction project, "a dream come true" since it was first visualized over 30 years ago, said Baskous.