St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine

The Greek Orthodox Church of Agios Nikolaos, officially St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, is a church in the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York.

It is managed by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and was built by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, based on the design of the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

The church is expected to be completed in April 2022, which coincides with Orthodox Holy Week, and will be consecrated on July 4, 2022.

St. Nicholas will replace the original church of the same name that was destroyed during the attacks of September 11, 2001. It was the only church and the only building outside of the original World Trade Center complex, which was completely destroyed.

The new church is located in Liberty Park, overlooking the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

Its architecture derives from Byzantine influences, namely the Church of the Savior and Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, as well as the Parthenon in Athens.

In addition to being a Greek Orthodox parish, St. Nicholas is officially listed as a “House of Prayer for All People” that will serve as a national shrine and community center, incorporating a secular mourning space, social hall, and various educational and interfaith programs.

The church was partially opened for a memorial service to mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Cover photo: By Epicgenius – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72746131