Less than 48 hours after the fire, St. Demetrios held Sunday-morning services under a tent canopy in the church’s north parking lot. Congregants sat in folding chairs, and faced an altar adorned with a number of sacred objects that firefighters had rescued from the church.

Archbishop Demetrios, the highest-ranking Greek Orthodox Church official in North America, visited St. Demetrios on Sunday afternoon to inspect the fire damage. He also offered his blessing and words of encouragement, Fakinos said.

Members of the church’s youth group started a website, www.saintdemetriosrelief.com, to accept donations for the church’s rebuilding efforts. It had raised $3,490 at press time.