Consecration held for rebuilt Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, destroyed on 9/11
NEW YORK -- It's fitting that on a day when the country marked its independence that Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church officially celebrated its reopening.
The church, which was the only house of worship demolished on 9/11, held an emotional consecration service Monday, CBS2's Aundrea Cline-Thomas reported.
In the shadow of the 9/11 Memorial came a day more than two decades in the making. Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church officially reopened one block away from its original location. This time as a national shrine.
Little more than faith could be salvaged, but ballooning budgets and scandal almost put this day in jeopardy. Construction stalled as private donations dried up.
In 2019, the Friends of Saint Nicholas was established to raise and better manage funds to complete the project.
"I was here yesterday. Everybody who came in started crying, literally bawling," said Mark Arey. "We've waited for this for a really long time. I'm getting emotional thinking about it."
Every ornate detail holds a special meaning, from the marble gifted from the Greek government to the vestements that pay homage to the lives lost.
A monument honors the first soldiers who entered Afghanistan, starting the war in response to 9/11. It also physically marks the location where the church once stood.
Consecrating the church on July 4 only adds to the sentiment from clergy to those passing by.
"We have clergy and laity from all over America and even all over the world and they're all here praying together. So it's really a beautiful symbol of what we're all about," said Fr. Philip Zymaris from Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
The prominent white dome is now a symbol of renewal.
"I feel this tremendous sense of peace for the souls," said Anna Yallourakis, president of St. Sophia Cathedral Los Angeles.
The church is open to people of all faith practices and will soon include an audio tour.
