A memorial service for the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks is scheduled for today at the nearly completed Greek Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas at “Ground Zero”.
The Archbishop of America, His Eminence Elpidophoros, will lead the memorial service.
The small Orthodox church in Manhattan was completely destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001. After 20 years a new cathedral has been erected, and will be illuminated in blue on Saturday – the 20-year anniversary of the atrocious attacks – along with other buildings in honor of the memory of the victims.
Shortly after the attacks, New York City authorities pledged to rebuild the chapel, although efforts met with significant delays as many political issues had to be resolved, according to Michael Psarros, the vice president of the Friends of St. Nicholas Society, a non-profit organization established with the aim of raising donations for the cathedral’s completion.
St. Nicholas will also be designated as an American National Shrine.
The attacks by terrorists, who hijacked four commercial airliners, killed more than 3,000 people and injured many thousands.