The Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at New York’s World Trade Center honored recently Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine with its Beacon of Hope Award, recognizing what the shrine described as their courage and resilience during Russia’s continuing war against Ukraine.
Zelenskyy addressed the shrine’s second annual Beacon of Hope Dinner by video on September 26 at Casa Cipriani in New York City. Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, Andrii Melnyk, accepted the award on behalf of the president and the Ukrainian people.
“Ukraine stands because our people are very brave,” Zelenskyy told those gathered. He urged supporters to “keep caring, keep helping where your support is needed” and said international support strengthens Ukraine’s ability to endure the conflict.
“We need you to believe in yourself, to believe in the strength of America and of the free world,” Zelenskyy said. “This is how it must be until the day we reach peace. We have to get there.”
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, dramatically escalating a conflict that began in 2014 with Russia’s annexation of Crimea and hostilities in eastern Ukraine. The United Nations marked February 2026 as four years since the full-scale invasion and nearly twelve years since the broader conflict began.
Greek Orthodox shrine expresses solidarity with Ukraine
Archbishop Elpidophoros of America addressed the dinner and presented the evening as an expression of solidarity with Ukrainians affected by the war.
“Hope is a sacred responsibility,” Elpidophoros said, according to ABC News. “It calls us to stand beside those who suffer, to defend the dignity of every human person, and to work without ceasing for peace.”
“In honoring the brave people of Ukraine and their heroic president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, we embrace all who carry the burden of defending their homeland against a brutal invasion,” he added.
In his formal remarks published by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Elpidophoros connected Ukraine’s experience with the symbolism of Saint Nicholas, describing the National Shrine as a place intended to represent hope after destruction. He also referred to the religious dimensions of the conflict and the divisions within the Orthodox Christian world arising from the war.
Archbishop Daniel of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA attended the gathering, where the Ukrainian national anthem was performed and the Lord’s Prayer was recited in Ukrainian.
The award was presented during a year carrying particular significance for the shrine: 2026 marks both the 250th anniversary of the United States and 25 years since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Saint Nicholas rose again after 9/11
The Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center @StNicholasWTC in Lower Manhattan, the only house of worship destroyed on 9/11, since that fateful day in 2001. Designed by Santiago Calatrava @S_Calatrava pic.twitter.com/3TjEVVyRQv
— Noel Y. Calingasan • NYC (@nyclovesnyc) June 30, 2023
The setting gave the award particular resonance for New York’s Greek-American community.
The original Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was founded in 1916 by Greek immigrants in Lower Manhattan. The congregation worshipped for decades in a small building at 155 Cedar Street, which eventually stood in the shadow of the World Trade Center.
On September 11, 2001, the church was completely destroyed when the World Trade Center’s South Tower collapsed. It was the only house of worship destroyed in the attacks. No one was inside the church when it was lost.
After years of planning, fundraising and construction, Saint Nicholas was rebuilt nearby as both a Greek Orthodox parish and a National Shrine. The new structure, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, draws architectural inspiration from Byzantine churches, including Hagia Sophia and the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora in Constantinople.
The rebuilt church was consecrated on July 4, 2022, more than two decades after its destruction. Its regular liturgical life resumed later that year.
Michael Psaros, vice chairman of the Saint Nicholas National Shrine Board of Trustees, drew a direct parallel between the shrine’s history and the reason for honoring Ukraine.
He said the “heroism of the Ukrainian people and President Zelensky” reflected the spirit of Saint Nicholas as a place “where faith, resilience and the eternal light of hope stand as witness to the world.”
For a church rebuilt from the destruction of September 11, the annual Beacon of Hope Dinner has become another way of connecting its Greek Orthodox and Greek-American heritage with broader themes of remembrance, humanitarian solidarity and peace.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
