Saint George Melkite Greek Catholic Church has an Expanded Church.

On Fri., March 20 2015, Sayedna George Bacouni reconsecrated the expanded St. George Church.
On Pascha 2015, the expanded church was full and a tent holding about 200 people was also full. Abouna Firas gave over 200 Holy Communions.
Abouna Firas plans to purchase a closed circuit TV to place on the outside of the Church so that the people outside the expanded church can see the Liturgical Service.

After Saint George Parish was established in the 1880’s, (over 120 years ago), the decision was to first build a priest house with the “big room” as the church and to later build the church. The priest house was built with the “big room” “temporarily” as the Church. The “big room” of the priest house is still the Church. This “temporary” Church did not have items associated with a Melkite church, such as an ikonostatis and ikons.

During most Sundays in 2011, St. George Church is overflowing. During the Christmas Day Divine Liturgy, St. George Church was overflowing with many people outside. Later, Abouna Firas learned that some people did not come to the Nativity Divine Liturgy because they thought that that they would probably have to stand outside in the cold and they did not want to stand outside or were physically unable to stand outside.

To enable all the people to be inside the Church building, Abouna Firas received permission in 2011 from Sayedna Elias Chachour to build a church. This church will be the first church for St. George Parish.

Additionally, in Dec. 2011, Abouna Firas discussed this planned church with the Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine and Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Cyprus, Archbishop Antonio Franco. Furthermore, in Jan. 2012, Abouna Firas discussed this planned church with the Bishops of the Holy Land Coordination during their visit to the HolyLand.

In 2011 and in 2012, Abouna Firas has discussed this planned church with a local architect who builds Greek Catholic / Byzantine Churches.

Meanwhile, Sayedna Elias Chachour appealed to Aid to the Church in Need to build a new church. Aid to the Church in Need studied the situation. In Oct. 2014, Aid to the Church in Need decided that the better plan was to expand the “temporary” Church to hold 120 people. That number was the usual Sunday attendance. In Jan. 2015, construction began to expand the “temporary" Church.