St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (Manhattan)

This article is about the New York church. For the Florida church, see St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (Tarpon Springs, Florida). For the Pennsylvania cathedral, see Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral (Pittsburgh).

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox National Shrine
The Church and National Shrine in August 2023
Map
Location130 Liberty Street,
Manhattan, New York City, New York
CountryUnited States
DenominationGreek Orthodox
Websitestnicholaswtc.org
History
Former name(s)St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
StatusCompleted
Founded1916
Founder(s)Greek immigrants
ConsecratedJuly 4, 2022
Architecture
Architect(s)Santiago Calatrava, Koutsomitis Architects PC
Architectural typeModern
StyleEastern Orthodox
Groundbreaking2015
CompletedDecember 6, 2022
Specifications
Length56 ft (17 m)
Width22 ft (6.7 m)
Height35 ft (11 m)
Administration
ArchdioceseGreek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Clergy
Priest(s)Father Andreas Vithoulkas
World Trade Center
Towers
Other elements
Artwork
History

The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, officially the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine,[1] is a church and shrine in the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is administered by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and has been developed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, based upon the design of Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The church was consecrated on July 4, 2022.[2]

St. Nicholas replaced the original church of the same name that was destroyed during the September 11 attacks in 2001—the only house of worship, and only building outside the original World Trade Center complex, to be completely destroyed.[3][note 1] The new church is located in Liberty Park, overlooking the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Its architecture draws from Byzantine influences, namely the Church of the Savior and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, as well as from the Parthenon in Athens.[4][5] In addition to serving as a Greek Orthodox parish, St. Nicholas acts as a "House of Prayer for all people" that functions as a national shrine and community center, incorporating a secular bereavement space, social hall, and various educational and interfaith programs.[6]

Initially scheduled to open in 2016, St. Nicholas' rebuilding effort was beset by delays, cost overruns, and claims of financial impropriety.[7] In 2019, the nonprofit Friends of St. Nicholas was founded to help complete the project, which continued under the auspices of the newly elected Archbishop Elpidophoros. The church was partially opened for a memorial service commemorating the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.[8][9] The church fully opened on December 6, 2022, the Feast of Saint Nicholas.[10]

  1. ^ St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine Archived April 11, 2019, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  2. ^ "Consecration Held for Newly Rebuilt Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Destroyed on 9/11". CBS News. July 4, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  3. ^ Greek Orthodox Parishes of New York State – a Photo Tour Vol. 1. Lulu.com. May 2010. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-4303-2861-2.
  4. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  5. ^ "9/11 20 Years Later: A Look Inside Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church As It Rebuilds From Rubble". September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  6. ^ "Why Saint Nicholas Matters". Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  7. ^ "How a Church Destroyed on 9/11 Became Mired in Controversy". New York Post. April 22, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  8. ^ "St. Nicholas Shrine Illuminated on 20th Anniversary of 9/11". GreekReporter.com. September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  9. ^ Cooney, Dan (September 9, 2021). "This Church Was Destroyed on 9/11. Now It's Reopening as a Shrine to Victims". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved September 10, 2021. Now, two decades later, the church is embarking on a resurrection of sorts. It will reopen not only as a functioning church for Orthodox Christians, but also as a shrine to those who died in the attacks. Most of the exterior of the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center will be finished for the anniversary on Saturday.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference CBS News 2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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