Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is continuing his apostolic visit in New York City, where he celebrated a Doxology service at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church & National Shrine. This marked his return to the site where he had performed the “door-opening” ceremony in 2021.
The original church was the only place of worship destroyed in the September 11, 2001, attacks. The reconstructed church now stands as both a functional parish and a national memorial, symbolizing faith and resilience.
Students from the A. Fantis School in Brooklyn greeted His All-Holiness as he arrived and presented him with bouquets of flowers. Students from St. Demetrios in Astoria were also present. Former Vice President Mike Pence attended the event and greeted the students as he climbed the stairs to the church.
During the service, His All-Holiness reflected on the Shrine’s “never-ending” mission, emphasizing that its diverse visitors show that people from all over the world—from the Bosphorus to the Hudson River—are “citizens…of one inhabited earth.”
Bartholomew visits the “place of pilgrimage” in New York City
Archbishop Elpidophoros of America noted that Patriarch Bartholomew’s 2021 wish for the community’s health and prosperity had been fulfilled, calling the shrine an “integral thematic element” and a “place of pilgrimage” for thousands seeking solace.
At the conclusion of the service, the Patriarch was presented with a new reliquary for the relics of St. Nicholas and a set of hierarchical vestments. The offering was said to be a “witness to the resurrection, to renewal, to the transfiguration of creation.”
Following the church service, Patriarch Bartholomew met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the United Nations Headquarters, accompanied by Archbishop Elpidophoros and other prominent clergy.
Related: Patriarch Bartholomew and President Trump Hold Oval Office Meeting
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