NEW YORK, NY – Greek News USA [Photos: GANP/ Dimitrios Panagos]
Nearly three years after presiding over its Door-Opening ceremony, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew returned to the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan on the morning of September 18. The visit marked the beginning of the second leg of his 11-day apostolic journey to the United States.
Upon arrival, His All-Holiness was greeted by dozens of children waving flags adorned with the emblem of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, adding a special and heartfelt touch to the occasion.
The children were students from the “Blue Ribbon” A. Fantis Parochial Day School of Saints Constantine and Helen in Brooklyn, accompanied by their teachers, parents, and parish priest Fr. Evagoras Constantinides. A small group of them presented His All-Holiness with bouquets of flowers.
It is worth noting that in the years after the September 11, 2001 attacks and the destruction of the original Saint Nicholas Church, this historic community in Brooklyn became a safe harbor for the parishioners of St. Nicholas and for their beloved late priest, Fr. Nikolaos Romas.
His All-Holiness then laid a wreath at the memorial honoring the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, located beside the main entrance of the marble-clad church. As he entered the Shrine, he was warmly greeted by Mike Pence, former Vice President of the United States.
The Patriarch then presided over a Doxology service, attended by hierarchs, clergy, and a large gathering of faithful. He was formally addressed by Fr. Andreas Vithoulkas, Archepiscopal Vicar, and Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, who offered words of reverence and welcome. His All-Holiness responded in both Greek and English.
In his address, the Patriarch spoke of the “eternal” mission of the Church of Saint Nicholas, emphasizing that the multitude of faithful and visitors who find solace there is a testament to the shared human spirit: “From the Bosphorus to the Hudson River, we are all citizens… of one earth that is home to all of us.”
He also recalled his visit to Ground Zero in the aftermath of 9/11: “When we first came to Ground Zero on March 9, 2002, with the then Archbishop Demetrios, when the devastation was ubiquitous and we were strangled in prayer for those who had perished, it was nearly unimaginable that such a glorious rebuilding of the World Trade Center site would be possible. But the resilience, determination, and fortitude of the American people is a marvelous thing to behold. You have excelled every expectation and every hope for new beginnings”.
This was followed by an exchange of gifts: the leadership of the Shrine presented His All-Holiness with a set of hierarchical vestments and a reliquary case for the sacred relics of Saint Nicholas. In return, the Patriarch offered a Cross to the Church and a pectoral Cross to Fr. Andreas.
At the conclusion of the service, His All-Holiness presented an icon to Steven Plate, the Chief of Major Capital Projects at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and his wife Nancy, “for the exceptional cooperation and coordination which has made the St. Nicholas National Shrine an integral element of this amazing resurrection”.
His All-Holiness was accompanied by Archbishop Elpidophoros, Metropolitan Theodoritos of Laodicea, Metropolitan Maximos of Sylivria, Grand Ecclesiarch Aetios, and Patriarchal Deacon Barnabas. Upon arrival at the church, he was warmly welcomed by Archiepiscopal Vicar Fr. Andreas Vithoulkas, along with “Friends of St. Nicholas” President, Michael Psaros, clergy and faithful from the communities of the Direct Archdiocesan District (DAD), as well as hierarchs of the Eparchial Synod.
Ifigenia Kanara, Consul General of the Hellenic Republic, was also in attendance.
As attendees filled the church in anticipation of the Ecumenical Patriarch’s arrival, welcoming remarks were offered by Demetri Papacostas, President of St. Nicholas WTC Parish Council who spoke movingly of a “miracle of the heart” unfolding at St. Nicholas”.
RP
