A special bell ringing and lighting ceremony was held Wednesday night to celebrate a new chapter in the history of a Bronx church.

More than 1,000 people packed the streets to celebrate the renovation of Our Lady of Mount Caramel in Belmont on East 187th Street.

The project cost around $1 million.

Father Jonathan Morris says the church will be lit up every night and hopes it will help make the community safer.

"This church was built 100 years ago and after years, there's wear and tear," he says. "What we've done is seal the church and make sure we're going to light the church up to make sure it's here for another 100 years."

Church representatives says the renovations were funded by community donations.