By Constantinos E. Scaros and Constantine S. Sirigos
NEW YORK – The images of the ground blessing service of the new St. Nicholas Shrine at Ground Zero on October 18, presided over by Archbishop Demetrios of America, will become iconic for the Greek-American community.
First and foremost, since it was a day to mourn the loss of those Greek-Americans who perished on 9/11, there was the moving scene of their relatives bearing vessels filed with water from the pools of the nearby 9/11 Memorial, which they poured into the crystal bowl on the on the altar.
Second, but no less importantly, because of the scene of harmony and unity among the leaders and members of the community: Seven Metropolitans traveled from across the country to be present, and four busloads of parishioners followed Fr. Nektarios Papazafiropoulos, Dean of St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria to Ground Zero.
Each of the estimated 3000 people who attended were deemed VIPs, received commemorative candles, and were thanked by the archbishop and Anthoula Katsimatides, who served as Emcee for the internationally-broadcast event, and for whom the day had especial significance.
Anthoula’s mother, Kalliope, participated in the water procession to honor the memory of her son and Anthoula’s brother John, one of the victims. She expressed the universal feeling that “It was a special and important day that will go down in history and remain in our souls…I am very touched. May God grant all of the departed peace and health to everyone.”
UNITY, THEN AND NOW
In the aftermath of one of the most horrific tragedies to devastate the United States, the nation came together in unity right away: then-President George W. Bush, a Republican, and then-Senate Majority Leader, Democrat Tom Daschle, at odds with one another nearly constantly since Bush’s inauguration only eight months earlier, set the tone for the entire country with a heartfelt embrace inside the U.S. Capitol.
Though the names and faces were different at Ground Zero 13 years later, that same spirit of unity and cooperation resonated, and was necessary for the first steps the ceremony constituted, and will be required moving forward to raise the $38 million needed to complete the Church. Designed by Santiago Calatrava and evocative of the Hagia Sophia and other Byzantine monuments, the Shrine will literally glow in the evening and become an instant New York landmark.
The procession led by altar boys included the Archdiocesan Byzantine choir, local Orthodox clergy and representatives of numerous denominations. It followed a brief video that presented the Calatrava design and the parish’s history.
Fr. John Romas, the longtime pastor of St. Nicholas participated in the service, which had an ecumenical dimension. The Old Testament reading was offered by Harriet Schleifer of the American Jewish Committee and NYPD police Sgt. Steven Jerome read the epistle. Demetrios read the Gospel, and Metropolitan Methodios of Boston read a message from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. “May your labors, perseverance, dedication and faith manifest in the construction of this sacred temple. We pray it will truly become a haven of the tempest-tossed, a comfort for mourning , a healing of passion, a refuge of the weak, a sign of victory over evil, and a pouring of the heavens on the Earth,” wrote the patriarch.
Thanking all who made this historic rebuilding and ground blessing possible, Demetrios said “this resurrected St. Nicholas Church will be a monument declaring the victory of good over evil, of love over hate, of the ultimate power of life over death and destruction.” Quoting Psalm 118, he said “this is the day the Lord has made, let us give thanks.”
LOCAL AND COMMUNITY LEADERS
One of the day’s highlights was the construction of two memorial cairns symbolizing the Twin Towers, consisting of blocks of stone that will be incorporated into the new church.
Benefactors and representatives of major community organizations were called upon to place the stones, including John Papajohn, Michael Psaros, Peter J. Pappas, Sr., Peggy Sotirhos representing the Jaharis Family Foundation, George S. Tsandikos representing Leadership 100, Dr. Anthony Limberakis – National Commander of the Archons, Andrew Liveris, Dennis Mehiel representing the Faith endowment, Aphrodite Skeadas – Philoptochos National Philoptochos President, Louis Koumoutsos – Chief of the Port Authority (PA) Police Department, who honored the memory of the 37 officers who died on 9/11, and Regina Katopodis, whose family were among the parish’s founders, representing the community of St. Nicholas.
Liveris, Chairman of The Hellenic Initiative (THI) told TNH “hundreds of years from now people will look back at the resilience of humanity and the importance of the monument we have created for those who died, and those who lived.”
Dennis Mehiel, was praised for being instrumental in the resolution of the dispute with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that threatened to exclude the historic parish from the new World Trade Center, as was New York State Senator Dean Skellos, who was accompanied by New York State Senator Nicole Malliotakis, structural engineer Emanuel Velivasakis, and the late Emanuel Demos.
Demetrios shared his thoughts about Sept. 12, 2001, when he and clergy visited the spot where St. Nicholas was crushed in the collapse of the Twin Towers. “We stood there frozen, paralyzed,” said Archbishop Demetrios. “There was a big hole instead of a church. It left a terrible kind of impression.”
George Pataki, who was governor of New York in 2001, recounted reassuring His Eminence, saying “Do not worry. You have my word,” about its rebuilding. Pataki acknowledged “it was easy to say but hard to do,” but praised the efforts of the “influential and powerful Greek-American community, including George Demos, who shined a national media spotlight during his Congressional campaign on the PA for reneging on its agreement with the Church.
Patrick J. Foye, the PA’s current Executive Director, representing Governor Cuomo, whose election in 2011 gave him the opportunity to ensure the final agreement, alluded to the conflict that added insult to the tragedy of 9/11: “thirteen years ago the church lay in ruins – today, we will witness the reversal of that sacrilege. Five years ago, sadly and unimaginably, the Church had no choice but to sue a then-recalcitrant Port Authority to assure the rebuilding of St. Nicholas…our governor and the entire state of New York looks forward to the future consecration of what will be an iconic house of worship.”
Pataki noted that the Church was an important addition to what has been rebuilt so far. “We had remembrance, we had commerce, but without St. Nicholas, we did not have faith,” he said.
Calatrava revealed to the gathering that he was in Greece working on his Greek Olympics projects on 9/11, among the reasons that made him very much want to design the new church. He called the Hagia Sophia of Constantinople the Parthenon of Byzantine architecture, and made a poignant connection with St. Nicholas: the original Parthenon was destroyed in a wanton act of state terror by the Persians, and the devotion of the people of Athens to its resurrection shaped the City’s destiny.
The renowned architect asked for God to bless his hands and those of his colleagues and all the workers who will build the new shrine, which he designed as “a place of prayer, love, peace and reconciliation.”
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer began his address by noting the presence of his distinguished colleague, retired U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes, and then declared that “Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, this church will show the resilience and fortitude of St. Nicholas and of all New Yorkers.”
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney was also present, as was NY State Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas, who told TNH “today is important for Orthodox Christians and all New Yorkers…we are filling a hole that was left in our hearts and all New York.”
New York State Senator Michael Gianaris echoed Simotas’ words and added St. Nicholas’ had significance for all America and the whole world. “People will come, say a prayer, and remember those we lost and make it part of the experience of visiting Ground Zero.”
For Effie Lekas, like make members of the community, it was an emotional day filled with memories and hope. She was baptized at Sts. Constantine and Helen in Brooklyn, which under its pastor Fr. John Lardas has been the home of the St. Nicholas parish since 9/11, and she and her husband, journalist Panikos Panagiotou, spent every good Friday at St. Nicholas. “It was very special to us. We loved the humility of the church and its message…today is a new beginning.”
Philip Frangos, the Supreme President of AHEPA said “it is impossible to put in just a few words what this day means for the Hellenic community and AHEPA. I am delighted and humbled to be here on behalf of AHEPA, which has contributed and will continue to contribute to the resurrection on this magnificent Church. “
Zoe Kousoulis lost her daughter, Danielle who worked with John Katsimatides. “The people who organized this event did a fabulous job.” Her daughter Eleni is very happy that the families were included in the ceremony.
MISSING MAYORS
The only symbolic shadow cast on the glorious Indian Summer day was disappointment over the absence of notables, including Governor Andrew Cuomo. David Dinkins, who left office more than 20 years ago, was the only former mayor present, and guests thanked him for his attendance. Mayor de Blasio was represented by Greek-American Emma Wolfe, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Marco Carion, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs. The presence of Rudy Giuliani, who was mayor on the day of 9/11, would have been particularly fitting: his leadership in calming the city that day – the entire country, actually, as he was dubbed “America’s mayor” – was particularly well-received, and in his short-lived 2008 presidential bid, his actions that day eclipsed his achievements in bringing down the city’s crime rate as his most electable aspect on a national scale.
INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
The media presence was extraordinary, a tribute both to the significance of the day and the work of the organizers, including Fr. Alexander Karloutsos, Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The story was the international lead on the Associated Press website that afternoon. Georgia Linaris’ beautiful rendition of Bless America was the perfect ending for the special event, which can be viewed at http://www.stnicholaswtc.org/video and at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UOo8R5DX5g.
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