St. Nicholas December 2020 Monthly Update

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My Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Feast of Saint Nicholas is just behind us, and our Saint Nicholas National Shrine is moving quickly along on its journey to completion. The Friends of St. Nicholas have shown exceptional skill in their leadership of the project, and their cooperation with the Port Authority. The “Donor Wall” that you will read about in this issue demonstrates how this synergy further enhances the purpose of Saint Nicholas at the rebuilt World Trade Center site.

Liberty Park, which contains the “Sphere” that survived 9/11, the First Responders Monument (over the location of the original Saint Nicholas), and the Anne Frank Tree is coming together around the Shrine as a truly beautiful setting for the Church. The inclusion of the “Donor Wall” in the South Garden will extend, in a virtual way, the presence of Saint Nicholas in the Park, and help to tie all of the various architectural elements together.

Because of the feast of Saint Nicholas, the Wonderworker of Myra, that has just passed, I am so glad to present Bishop Joachim’s essay on why the Life-Cycle of SaintNicholas is so important to the identity of the Shrine. We have a tremendous story to tell about Saint Nicholas himself, which links the original Church on Cedar Street with the National Shrine. This story includes the role of Saint Nicholas in this particular neighborhood before the World Trade Center was built, the story of immigrant forebears and their journey from Ellis Island to Lower Manhattan, and the spiritual power of Saint Nicholas on September Eleventh.

Remember that every gift to Saint Nicholas National Shrine – no matter the size – will be recorded in the Shrine on the Digital Wall within the Narthex. Everyone can have their name enshrined in the Church in perpetuity. Saint Nicholas belongs to us all and all of us can help.