Ground Zero Greek Orthodox Church Celebrates Vespers

Ground Zero, New York, NY (December 5, 2010) – At 2 pm today, a rare religious ceremony was held at the site of the former Greek Orthodox Church at Ground Zero. The ‘vespers’ rite is in itself not rare, but the fact that it was conducted on the site of a church that no longer existed, was the rarity.

The ceremony was marked with the appearance of ‘precious artifacts’ that miraculously survived the destruction of the World Trade Center area on September 11, 2001: the splintered wood icon of the Life-Giving Spring (Zoodohos Peghe); a tattered altar cloth, a crushed silver bowl used to hold the blessed bread; twisted gold-plated candelabra; bent brass bell; mangle candles and a liturgical book. These symbols were prominently held by children during the service.

The Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, spoke of the destruction of the church and the resolved for its ‘resurrection’ and said, “On the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas, I take this opportunity to warmly greet and gratefully thank all those who especially today have witnessed their devotion to Saint Nicholas but also expressed in very tangible ways, despite the adversities, their wholesale support and steadfast resolve for the rebuilding of the Church of Saint Nicholas on this most hallowed ground.” He added that, “Almost 10 years ago, 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”.

In attendance were several political figures including newly-minted State Senator Anthony Avella and New York City Comptroller John Liu.

The church was built by Greek immigrants and opened in 1916 and served three generations until it was destroyed on 9-11.
 
In published reports subsequent to the vespers, the church sued the Port Authority over rebuilding issues at Ground Zero. This story's final chapter hasn't been written.