The Friends of St. Nicholas, the non-profit organization formed to complete the construction of the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine in Lower Manhattan, announced in a press release that the total fundraising for the project had reached $95 million.
Funding has accelerated over the past year, with $55 million raised since January 2020 and $8.5 million in the past two months alone. Twenty-five of those recent donors each contributed $100,000.
September 11, 2021 will mark the 20th Anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 when the tiny church of St. Nicholas was destroyed.
A special “door opening” or Thyranoixia service is planned for November 2, during which time Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will visit New York.
In a statement issued by The Friends of St. Nicholas, Chairman Dennis Mehiel and Vice-Chairman Michael Psaros, along with Vice-Chair of the Archdiocesan Council and Board member of the Friends of St. Nicholas, John Catsimatidis, said:
“Our gratitude to our fellow Board members and those who have had the vision to stand with the Shrine is truly inexpressible. The embrace of this sacred responsibility to rebuild the only house of worship destroyed on 9/11 will be a legacy that endures for centuries.”
Leading the fundraising efforts on behalf of the organization is Fr. Alex Karloutsos, whose role was also shared in a May 23 opinion piece by Gregory Pappas.
Construction on the National Shrine continues, and the exterior is expected to be completed by September 11, 2021.
The Church will open completely in the spring of 2022.
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