This article talks about the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Lower Manhattan. It references its history and the history of the area such as Lower Manhattan in the early 1900s being a lively immigrant community. The residents worked together to gather the finances to buy a building on Cedar Street that was turned into an Orthodox Church. The churchgoers, who had come to the US via boat, named their new church after the 'patron saint of seafarers'. Time passed and the area developed into the financial district, many mega towers being built including the World Trade Center. The area was much changed, its inhabitants over the years had moved to different neighborhoods' or further, but the St. Nicholas church remained. But on the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center the church was annihilated, it was the only place of worship to be destroyed on 9/11. The approximately 70 families who were churchgoers had wanted to rebuild on the same land, they held meetings and fundraised money. The process was complicated by the rebuilding of the area. It was decided by church officials of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to be rebuilt as a spiritual refuge for all denominations. There were delays and issues with the rebuilding, and 21 years after 9/11 St. Nicholas church eventually reopened as 'St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church & National Shrine'. There is a bereavement center that is open to meditation and prayer for people of any faith. It cost 85 million USD.

Type of Data Point - News or Reportage

St. Nicholas (the Church) Has Come to Town

Visit page of the element - St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church & National Shrine

Inserted: 31-12-2022 08:12:05