Rebuilding a Church Destroyed on 9/11
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was destroyed in the collapse of the South Tower on Sept. 11, 2001. But as reported by The New York Times, the little parish on Cedar Street is rising again as the St. Nicholas National Shrine, and has gained a temporary 6-foot-3-inch Justinian cross.
Situated on the one-acre elevated Liberty Park overlooking the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the parish on Monday held a ceremony attended by Archbishop Demetrios, Archdeacon Panteleimon Papadopoulos, Deacon Eleftherios Constanti and officials of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that oversees reconstruction of the site.
“We welcome on this site all denominations, all creeds, all walks of life and all religions,” said Steven Plate, the chief of capital projects at the Port Authority.
Port Authority executive director Patrick J. Foye welcomed the reconstruction of the church at the site and noted that the shrine would include contemplative space for the general public.
The temporary cross will be replaced with a permanent fixture when the shrine opens in 2018.
By 9/11 Memorial Staff
The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is a popular New York tradition. Known for its line-up of oversized balloons that float above Central Park West to Herald Square, the event marks the beginning of the holiday season for many Americans.
Throughout the nine-month rescue and recovery effort at Ground Zero, workers covered a 36-foot steel beam with mementos, memorial inscriptions and missing posters.