At a New York interfaith service marking the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the sister of a 9/11 victim described the transformation of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Lower Manhattan from a place of sadness to one of happiness.
Anthoula Katsimatides, sister of John Katsimatides, who died on 9/11 while working for Cantor Fitzgerald in the North Tower of the World Trade Center, recalled how her brother would visit the church on his way to or from work, and how close it is to where he ultimately died.
“This is where they left their souls,” she said of him and the other 9/11 victims.
“I believe that St. Nicholas interceded for these souls, which is why this icon is my favorite icon in this church,” she said, pointing to a representation on the low ceiling that depicts St. Nicholas guiding 9/11 victims away from Lower Manhattan and the World Trade Center toward heaven.
The Orthodox church, founded in 1916 by Greek immigrants, was the only house of worship destroyed in the 9/11 attacks, although others were damaged. No one was killed in the church itself when it was crushed by the collapse of the trade center’s South Tower. The new church opened fully at the end of 2022.
New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan joined a host of Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Jewish and other New York religious leaders at the church Sept. 11 to remember the victims of 9/11 on the 23rd anniversary of the attacks that killed more than 2,700 people at the World Trade Center.
Two of four planes hijacked by terrorists on the morning of Sept. 11 destroyed the trade center’s twin towers. The third smashed into the Pentagon in Washington and the fourth went down in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Altogether, nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks; more than 6,000 were injured, and thousands more suffered long-term, sometimes-fatal health consequences.
Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) of America of the Greek Orthodox Church presided over the solemn memorial service at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine. It was conducted mostly in English with some parts in Greek.
Along with Archbishop Elpidophoros and Cardinal Dolan, clergy in attendance included Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations; Bishop Robert J. Brennan of Brooklyn; Rabbi Noam E. Marans of the American Jewish Committee; and Catholic, Christian and Muslim chaplains from the Fire Department of New York and the New York Police Department.
Following a presentation by an NYPD color guard, guests were welcomed by the Rev. Propresbyter Andreas Vithoulkas and the singing of the U.S. national anthem.
This was followed by a multi-faith reading of Psalm 33, by Rabbi Marans and chaplains of the FDNY and NYPD, then a moment of silence and reflection.
Cardinal Dolan was then invited to read Psalm 23, after which the psalm was sung aloud in Greek, set to Byzantine music. Psalm 23 begins, “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green pastures He makes me lie down; to still waters He leads me; He restores my soul. He guides me along right paths for the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff comfort me.”
Katsimatides, introduced by Rev. Vithoulkas, spoke next.
“St. Nicholas isn’t just a pretty place made of marble from the Parthenon. It isn’t just a house of worship. And it isn’t just for Greek Orthodox Christians. Yes, it is a Greek Orthodox church. But St. Nicholas’ doors and arms are wide open for everyone,” she said.
The church was rebuilt with marble from the same vein as that used to build the Parthenon, ancient Greece’s best-known and recognized building in Athens.
“This location downtown, which has brought me so much sadness, for so long, is now a source of happiness for me. I got married here last year, which has created new happy memories for me,” she said.
Following Katsimatides’ testimony, Michael Arad, designer of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, gave remarks. “People of all faiths are united against senseless death at the hands of terrorists, terrorists who do not see our shared humanity. People who do not see us all as fellow beings created in God’s image,” he said.
After these reflections, the FDNY and NYPD chaplains presented Archbishop Elpidophoros with a 9/11 commemorative fire helmet and police cap, respectively.
“We have gathered here today to remember, to reconnect with those we love, and those we lost on September 11. The St. Nicholas National Shrine is grateful to welcome and embrace all of you,” said Archbishop Elpidophoros in his closing remarks.
Calling the shrine “a palace of memories,” Archbishop Elpidophoros said, “My friends, this is why we come here every year on 9/11, and why we will continue to do so. This is for everlasting memory. For eternal memory. So that the world might never forget what happens when the most evil and hate-filled act is faced with courage, with unity, with dignity, and above all, with love.”
Just across Liberty Street from the main World Trade Center area, the church’s location on a slight rise gives it a commanding view of the reflecting pools where the twin towers once stood, the rest of the World Trade Center plaza and the Freedom Tower.
Steven Schwankert is digital editor of The Good Newsroom, the online news platform of the Archdiocese of New York.
