St. Nicholas Shrine Holds 9/11 Memorial Service 25 Years After Attacks

NEW YORK — St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at Ground Zero held a memorial service on Friday, marking the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and honoring those who lost their lives.

As reported by the Orthodox Observer, the service brought together clergy, interfaith leaders, public officials, first responders, survivors, relatives of victims, chaplains, and faithful. Among those attending were New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York Ronald Hicks, Consul General of Greece in New York Iphigenia Kanara, Consul General of Cyprus in New York Kyriakos Pogiatzis, and Consul General of Romania in New York Mihaela-Simon Florea.

St. Nicholas was the only house of worship destroyed in the September 11 attacks. The memorial service took place near the World Trade Center Memorial and reflected on the church’s rebuilding as a symbol of resilience, remembrance, and hope.

Presiding over the service, Abp. Elpidophoros called on those gathered to reject division and uphold the values represented by the National Shrine:

Never again shall intolerance and hatred bring harm to this Hallowed Ground, nor to our City, which was so grievously wounded twenty-five years ago. Never again shall we allow anyone to exploit our differences, in order to divide us; but rather, we shall celebrate the diversity that makes New York City a magnificent and glorious mosaic of the one human family. 

He described the Shrine as a place where “mutual respect, dialogue, and understanding” are upheld and emphasized the growing responsibility to preserve the memory of September 11 for future generations.

“Twenty-five years after 9/11, the fact is that a full twenty-five percent of our fellow citizens have been born after September 11,” Abp. Elpidophoros said. “Our collective responsibility of being a living memory will only grow as the years go on.”

The Archbishop also reflected on the rebuilding of St. Nicholas, saying that the church could not restore those who perished but could preserve their “nobility, their heroism, their courage, and ultimately their humanity” in a sacred space open to all.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani likewise highlighted the compassion and resilience displayed following the attacks. He said St. Nicholas provides a tangible reminder of the city’s ability to recover from tragedy.

“When this building was little more than a crater filled with rubble, you dug deep, in every conceivable way,” Mamdani said. “You found the strength to rebuild, you found the strength to renew, you found the strength to recover.”

He also recalled first responders carefully recovering Bibles, candlesticks, and other treasured items from the site, saying that the response demonstrated a desire to honor those lost “by treating one another with dignity, with love.”

The service began with the Presentation of Colors and the National Anthem, followed by remarks from St. Nicholas parish priest Fr. Andreas Vithoulkas and a moment of silence and reflection.

Abp. Hicks offered a funerary hymn and Psalm 22 (23), while first-responder chaplains also participated in the readings. Anthoula Katsimatides and Fr. Panteleimon Papadopoulos shared personal testimonies about their experiences of September 11 and its continuing impact on their lives. Fr. Panteleimon served as the deacon for retired Abp. Demetrios for a number of years and was at Ground Zero to pray and offer comfort in the days following the attacks.

Concluding the service, Abp. Elpidophoros prayed that those who perished would receive eternal repose and reaffirmed the Shrine’s mission as a place of solace, healing, and remembrance.

“May their memory be eternal!” he said. “Αἰωνία ἡ μνήμη αὐτῶν!”

Previously, the UOJ reported that Abp. Elpidophoros joined civic leaders for a 9/11 memorial dedication in New York.