Community
of New York City
The
Rebuilding of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Christian Church.
NEW
YORK - As is well known, on September 11, 2001 our city and nation
suffered a terrorist attack of unparalleled proportions. In addition
to the tragic and horrific loss of almost 3,000 innocent victims, a number
of whom were members of our own community, the world witnessed the
unimaginable collapse of the Twin Towers. When the second Tower
fell, it landed on and erased all traces of the Greek Orthodox Christian
Church of St. Nicholas, the only house of worship destroyed that day.
Opened in 1916 by a group of Greek immigrants, the church not only served
the spiritual needs of its parishioners but was also a sacred space in
which people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds working in the
surrounding area would often stop, light a candle and spend a few moments
in prayer and reflection.
Following
the events of 9/11, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the St.
Nicholas parish fully cooperated and worked closely with the relevant
authorities. Former Governor George Pataki pledged without reservation his
support for rebuilding in the belief that it was a necessary part of the
healing of New York City and of our nation. Early on, as plans were being
formulated for the reconstruction of the area, the Church agreed to
relocate and rebuild its house of worship at a new locale to facilitate
the envisioned design for the overall site. In 2004, the authorities
proposed that the new edifice be built at 130 Liberty Street, a parcel on
the same block as the original site, and an agreement was reached between
the Archdiocese and the Port Authority. Four successive LMDC/Port
Authority administrations honored this mutual agreement which entailed
extensive on-going work and planning on the part of all parties. All
site plans for the area which the LMDC/Port Authority released to the
public show St. Nicholas at this new locale. Regrettably, the latest
Port Authority administration in 2009 unexpectedly and arbitrarily reneged
on this agreement and as a result, the Archdiocese and St. Nicholas parish
are suddenly offered no viable option. LMDC/Port Authority has refused to
meet with us. In the meantime the LMDC/Port Authority has excavated the
original site without our consent, rendering it unusable, in flagrant
violation of our legal rights.
The
Archdiocese and parish leadership remain firmly committed to the
rebuilding of the church honoring the long standing agreement with LMDC/Port
Authority. Confident that we have acted in good faith and trusting
in Almighty God, we expect that justice will prevail and that we will be
successful in this sacred endeavor.
