Fire broke out yesterday (Friday) late afternoon inside the church of the Nativity in the Adelaide suburb of Port Adelaide causing extensive damage in the church's interior, especially the front part.
Although it remains unknown how the fire broke out, it is believed that a candle sparked the blaze.
The damage has not been assessed yet. According to Rev. Ioannis Horaits the damages are expected to exceed the 1 million mark.
The parish of the Nativity celebrated its 60th anniversary recently.
The church was built mostly due to funds collected by the Greek Orthodox parishioners who mounted a massive drive.
The parish's cultural center, situated next to the church, was untouched by the fire.
The Fire Brigade broke the door of the church to be able to access the fire. It brought it under control an hour later.
It remains doubtful, at this stage, if the Semaphore Festival, which is organised by the parish of Port Adelaide, will go ahead as planned in mid January.
