Just a week after the congregation of St. Symeon Orthodox Church moved into its new building, a driver crashed into their former building, causing significant damage.

"We had just finished moving things Thursday," said Nicholas Wells, a parish council member. "We just got the icons and bookcases out of it."

Church leaders received an alarm call around 11 p.m. Saturday. A driver had crashed an SUV into the old building, located at 3101 Clairmont Avenue in Birmingham's Lakeview District.

The driver plowed through three walls and barely missed a cherished mosaic on the building's front wall.

Birmingham police responded to the crash, which remains under investigation, spokesman Lt. Scott Thurmond said. It is unknown if drugs or alcohol were involved.

The incident will cause delays to the congregation's plan to convert the older building into a fellowship hall. Church members boarded up the building with plywood Sunday morning and had already begun clearing out the debris.

But Wells pointed out the good fortune they had - that no one was injured, that they are still able to worship in the new building, that the mosaic was unscathed.

"If the timing was different, this could have been much worse," he said.

About 20 years ago, a car crashed into the corner of the same building. Church leaders are already discussing moving the mural, which was commissioned years ago and created in Italy, Wells said.