Will you belong to Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox National Shrine at the World Trade Center?

When Greeks are introduced to other people of Greek descent two questions are asked: “What part of Greece are you from? What Church do you go to?” People very proudly answer these questions. I am from, my spouse is from, or my family is from… and I belong to St. Demetrios or St. George… It is not that we are nosy, it is that we want to find a connection to each other either through our past or present. We look to seek if we have mutual friends or acquaintances.

Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center will function as a parish of the Archdiocese, however, it will also be a National Shrine. Saint Nicholas will be a sacred place where we have the opportunity to find a connection with our Orthodox Christian Faith, our Hellenic culture and history, and where we can memorialize those who lost their lives on 9/11.

Millions of visitors to the Sept. 11. Memorial and Museum will also visit Saint Nicholas. For many of these visitors, it will be the first time they will enter a Greek Orthodox Church. This presents an opportunity to share our Orthodox Christian Faith and Hellenic heritage with these guests. In addition to tours of St. Nicholas, interactive kiosks will be used as tools for education and donor recognition.

Interactive kiosks, located on the second floor, will allow visitors to explore and learn about Orthodoxy, the Greek diaspora, the story of the Shrine, Sept. 11 and the donors who made this church possible. There will be an online experience within each kiosk. Additional global navigation element will enable browsing from one section to another. A mobile experience with Augmented Reality technology that enables exciting onsite discovery of iconography, architecture and the story of the church is also planned.

Visitors will have the opportunity to learn how the Greek Orthodox Community throughout America came together to support our National Shrine when they visit the donor interactive kiosk on the second floor. All individuals, parishes, Philoptochos chapters, organizations, foundations, and corporations who answered the call to rebuild Saint Nicholas after the terrorist attack of 9/11 with a donation will be honored electronically.

Gifts of $5 million and more will each have an electronic presence with a video story, pictures, and a donor story. Contributions of $1 million to $4 million will be recognized with a slide show, pictures, and a donor story. Gifts of $100,000 to under $1 million will be recognized with pictures and a donor story.

Donations of under $100,000 will be honored electronically based on their level of giving. In addition to electronic donor recognition, a beautiful permanent donor wall is planned for contributions of $100,000 and above.

Donations to rebuild Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine will forever connect you to the Shrine.

Your name and gift will live within the Shrine in perpetuity. When you meet fellow Orthodox Christians and they ask you what church you belong to, you will be able to tell them you belong to Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine. You just might find you are connected to them.

To learn how you can belong to Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine and make a donation, contact Fr. Alexander Karloutsos, Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, at 212-774-0400 or contact Nikki Soteropoulos Margarites, director of Development for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese at 212-774-0276 or visit [email protected] online.