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GREENSBORO – After more than a year, church members at St. Pius the Tenth in Greensboro got to worship in their new sanctuary.

The church started construction on the building back in December 2008. Parishioners say they couldn't be happier with the final product.

"You've got a place that is welcoming with spacious tall ceilings, but you still have that feeling of togetherness, being close,” church member Tommy Lawrence said.

Officials say the move was in part to make room for more people to worship. The change allows more than 1,000 people to now worship in the sanctuary while before, space limited them to no more than 350 people.

“We now have the space for as many people in this community as want to be here, can be here,” Lawrence said.

"The idea [is] not to just create more space, more seats, but create an environment where people could encounter Christ, meet their Lord,” Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio said.

Saint Pius the Tenth parishioners dedicated the new church the same year they're celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the parish's founding.

Officials say it's causing a ripple effect.

“What’s been exciting is that since we’ve built the church, our ministries have expanded,” Marcaccio said. “Our schools are very vibrant, our ministry to our sister parish in Peru."

And with each hymn sung and each verse read, worshipers say they're getting used to their new church home.

“To have sort of gone from that to what we have now is really amazing,” Lawrence said.

Parishioners say they are very excited the new church is open just in time for this year's first communion class.