St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (Manhattan)

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine

Company type	Nonprofit organization
Industry	Religious organization
Founded	1916
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Key people	Archbishop Elpidophoros (leader as of 2019)
Products	Greek Orthodox religious services, national shrine, community and educational programs
Parent	Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine is a Greek Orthodox place of worship and memorial situated within the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Overseen by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and developed through the efforts of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the church was designed by renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and officially consecrated on July 4, 2022.

This new St. Nicholas structure serves as the successor to the original church that was destroyed during the September 11, 2001 attacks—the sole house of worship and building outside the initial World Trade Center towers to be completely demolished. Positioned in Liberty Park with views over the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, its design incorporates Byzantine architectural elements inspired by landmarks such as Istanbul’s Church of the Savior and Hagia Sophia, alongside references to Athens' Parthenon. Beyond functioning as a Greek Orthodox parish, St. Nicholas also operates as a national shrine and community hub, featuring secular spaces for mourning, a social hall, and diverse educational and interfaith initiatives.

Although initially planned to open in 2016, the reconstruction encountered setbacks including delays, budget excesses, and financial disputes. In 2019, under Archbishop Elpidophoros’s leadership, the nonprofit organization Friends of St. Nicholas was formed to aid in completing the project. The church held a partial opening for a memorial event on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and was fully inaugurated on December 6, 2022, coinciding with the Feast of Saint Nicholas.

Early history

The congregation of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was established by Greek immigrants in 1916. Early worship services took place in a hotel dining room on Morris Street owned by Stamatis Kalamarides. By 1919, five families pooled $25,000 to acquire a three-story tavern at 155 Cedar Street—a building originally constructed in the 1830s as a private residence—which was transformed into a church with an additional fourth floor added by 1922.

The modest church measured approximately 22 feet in width, 56 feet in length, and stood 35 feet tall. Initially adhering to the old calendar tradition, it began offering Wednesday services aligned with the Gregorian calendar starting in 1993. Its notably small footprint and unique location amid towering modern buildings made it distinctive; following demolition of neighboring structures, it became bordered on three sides by parking lots.

Prior to the events of September 11, St. Nicholas served around seventy families under the pastoral care of Father John Romas. The church welcomed visitors every Wednesday, attracting not only local residents and Greek immigrants but also prominent figures from the Greek shipping industry visiting New York City.

September 11, 2001

The original church building was completely destroyed when the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed after being struck by United Airlines Flight 175 during the attacks on September 11. At that moment, no one was inside; both the church sexton and an electrician had evacuated just minutes earlier.

Bill Tarazonas, a parishioner aged fifty who was present that morning, recalled his experience:

Most of the church’s interior contents were lost in the destruction, including precious relics associated with St. Nicholas, St. Catherine of Alexandria, and St. Sabbas the Sanctified—items originally gifted by Nicholas II, last emperor of Imperial Russia. These sacred relics had been kept secured and only brought out for veneration on holy days. Archbishop Demetrios remarked that having these saints’ relics intermingled with remains from victims added an additional layer of sanctity to the site. Some damaged icons—such as those depicting St. Dionysios of Zakynthos and the Life-giving Spring—and a few other religious artifacts were salvaged. Plans are underway to exhibit these recovered items within the new church as a tribute to its predecessor.

Reconstruction Efforts

Following the destruction, the congregation and Father Romas temporarily moved to Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral located in Brooklyn. Reverend Father John Romas devoted significant effort to the church’s reconstruction before his passing on January 24, 2016.

On December 6, 2001, coinciding with the Feast Day of St. Nicholas, Archbishop Demetrios of America, accompanied by Archbishop Iakovos and other clergy members, conducted a memorial service near the church’s original location.

In the aftermath of the collapse, donations amounting to nearly $2 million were collected, alongside commitments for construction supplies. The city of Bari, Italy—where Saint Nicholas’ relics are housed—contributed $500,000. The Government of Greece provided $750,000, while the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople donated $50,000. Additional support came from prominent religious bodies, shipping enterprises, financial institutions such as Bank of Greece and Alpha Bank, as well as international diplomatic missions.

Reconstruction plans for the World Trade Center complex included a new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church positioned close to its original site on elevated Liberty Park, diagonally across from One World Trade Center.

2008–2011: Planning Challenges and Negotiation Breakdown

On July 23, 2008, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey agreed to purchase the church’s lot for $20 million, with costs shared equally between the Port Authority and JPMorgan Chase & Co.. This arrangement also allocated up to $20 million for rebuilding the church at a new site and up to $40 million for constructing a blast-resistant platform beneath it.

By March 2009, however, the Port Authority ceased negotiations and abandoned plans to rebuild St. Nicholas, citing excessive requests from church representatives and concerns about potential setbacks to the World Trade Center project timeline. Despite this, the Archdiocese remained committed to reconstruction, proposing that one-third of the building be dedicated as a 9/11 memorial and an interfaith prayer area.

In July 2010, former SEC attorney and Republican candidate George Demos publicly condemned the Port Authority’s apparent disregard for rebuilding St. Nicholas. He initiated a petition demanding that the agency resume efforts, labeling their position as "disingenuous and disrespectful." In August 2010, former New York Governor George Pataki joined Demos in urging renewed discussions with church leaders.

During a vespers service in December 2010, Archbishop Demetrios reaffirmed the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese’s unwavering dedication to restoring the church.

On February 14, 2011, the Archdiocese filed a $20 million lawsuit against the Port Authority under Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act (42 U.S.C. § 1983), seeking a grand jury trial due to failure in rebuilding efforts.

2011: Reaching a Reconstruction Agreement

After mediation facilitated by New York State’s Governor office, both the Port Authority and Archdiocese consented to an independent engineering evaluation regarding siting the church within Liberty Park. This four-month study was conducted pro bono by construction specialist Peter Lehrer alongside World Trade Center Construction Director Steven Plate and engineering firms Gorton & Partners and McNamara/Salvia, Inc. The assessment concluded that structural challenges could be overcome to place the Church at 130 Liberty Street at a substantially lower cost than initially projected without delaying World Trade Center development.

On October 14, 2011—ten years after its destruction—a settlement was reached that resolved all pending litigation. Governor Andrew Cuomo, Archbishop Demetrios, and Port Authority Executive Director Christopher O. Ward jointly announced that the new church would be constructed at Liberty and Greenwich Streets within Liberty Park on a 4,100-square-foot parcel—approximately two-thirds smaller than earlier plans—and would feature an adjoining nonsectarian bereavement center.

The chosen site at 130 Liberty Street lies less than 50 yards east of the original address at 155 Cedar Street but offers more than triple its size. The church will be rebuilt on land owned by the Port Authority atop a platform above the spiral underground ramp of the Vehicular Security Center that services World Trade Center parking and loading facilities. The Port Authority estimated investing around $25 million for platform construction and utility connections; meanwhile, all above-ground building expenses will be financed by the church. Archbishop Demetrios underscored their resolve to make St. Nicholas a lasting emblem of religious freedom and conscience for New Yorkers.

2014–2017: building phase and additional fundraising efforts

The new St. Nicholas was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, who envisioned it as a "human-scaled presence amid towering giants." Its architectural form includes a circular dome accompanied by four towers, drawing inspiration from Byzantine masterpieces such as Hagia Sophia and the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora located in Istanbul. Collaborating closely with Archbishop Demetrios to address liturgical and iconographic requirements, Calatrava specified a construction method utilizing steel and concrete with a double-wall stone cladding technique. The exterior is sheathed in slender Pentelic marble panels, which are illuminated nightly through LED lighting. Although the interior adheres to traditional Greek Orthodox spatial arrangements, St. Nicholas is conceived as an inclusive, open communal environment accessible to the broader public beyond religious services.

The project’s groundbreaking blessing and cornerstone placement took place on October 18, 2014, attended by representatives from both government and church authorities; initial projections aimed for completion within two years. By September 2015, a live webcam feed was introduced to provide real-time updates on construction progress.

In 2015, chapters of the AHEPA across the nation launched a fundraising campaign seeking to raise $500,000 over two years to support the estimated $38 million project cost, supplementing private gifts and donations from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese’s 525 parishes. During spring 2016, $100,000 generated from selling assets of St. Nicholas Church in Appleton, Wisconsin was pledged toward rebuilding; in recognition, the Appleton parish was honored as a benefactor with its history featured within the new shrine. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation also contributed $5 million in September 2016 to aid reconstruction efforts.

On November 29, 2016, construction reached a milestone with a ceremonial topping out event where a temporary cross was installed; this would later be replaced by a permanent cross once the dome was completed.

On August 21, 2017, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church finalized a lease and purchase agreement with the Port Authority for The Saint Nicholas National Shrine at the World Trade Center site. The agreement established a 198-year lease—extendable by an additional 99 years—with an option to purchase for a nominal fee of $1. This contract was completed shortly after Rick Cotton assumed his role as Port Authority executive director.

2017–2021: work suspension and subsequent restart

The reopening of the church was initially anticipated in November 2018. However, in December 2017, construction by Skanska U.S.A., responsible for rebuilding the Calatrava-designed shrine at Liberty Park, stopped due to unpaid invoices owed by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, despite donations totaling $37 million. By that time, $48.99 million had been pledged overall, with $37.4 million collected and over $11 million outstanding. This funding gap triggered inquiries from both the US Attorney's Office and New York State Attorney General into financial management related to the project and Archdiocese.

On May 16, 2018, Phase I of a PricewaterhouseCoopers report concerning the shrine’s reconstruction was published by the Archdiocese. It disclosed that as of December 31, 2017, there was an outstanding debt of $3.5 million owed by the Archdiocese to the project; a payment of $1 million made in May reduced this amount. In July 2018, to replenish funds, the Archdiocese secured a $5.5 million mortgage over ten years from Alma Bank; however, this financing was insufficient to cover completion costs which had increased to approximately $80 million.

Phase II of the PwC report was released in October 2018 by the Special Investigative Committee (SIC). It found no indications of fraud or misuse of funds related to St. Nicholas finances; instead, cost overruns were linked to approved change orders involving architectural enhancements authorized by Archdiocese leadership. The SIC recommended forming an independent organization named "Friends of St. Nicholas" tasked with overseeing fundraising and governance.

In April 2019, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that a group of affluent donors had committed resources to ensure project completion. Archbishop Elpidophoros urged immediate resumption of construction aiming for an opening on September 11, 2021—coinciding with both the twentieth anniversary of the attacks and the centennial year of the Archdiocese. Officials predicted that upon completion, St. Nicholas would become one of the most frequented churches in the United States.

Fundraising and building activities recommenced in January 2020 through a nonprofit entity that raised $41.5 million within eight months. Although briefly interrupted due to COVID-19 restrictions, work officially resumed on August 3, 2020, marked by a ceremony attended by Governor Cuomo and Archbishop Elpidophoros. By February 2021, installation of the marble facade had been finalized.

2022: Inauguration

On July 4, 2022, the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine was formally dedicated during a ceremony officiated by Archbishop Elpidophoros Lambriniadis, Metropolitan Nicholas Pissare, and Metropolitan Savas Zembillas. The altar received signatures from prominent Greek Orthodox Archdiocese leaders, including former Archbishops Spyridon Papageorge and Demetrios Trakatellis, Protopresbyter Alexander Karloutsos, as well as Metropolitans Emmanuel Adamakis and Prodromos Xenakes representing the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Regular worship services commenced on December 6, 2022, aligning with the celebration of the Feast of Saint Nicholas.

Architecture critic Justin Davidson characterized the church as "a sophisticated small-scale project," especially when contrasted with Santiago Calatrava's much larger World Trade Center Transportation Hub. Davidson highlighted that the church "commands the memorial plaza from an elevated position," indicating that Calatrava’s design expertise effectively extends into sacred architecture.

External links

• Official website
• Wired New York article and forum thread on the church, including pictures