St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church sues Port Authority

John R. Houk

© December 8, 2010

I am part of the Facebook cause entitled, “Rebuild St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Destroyed on September 11, 2001”. It is this cause that I heard about the last post about some Christians and members of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church holding a prayer vigil in my last post. I moved on to the next cause alert and discovered an important piece of information about the Church.

But allow me to provide a little mini background to the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church that was located close enough to the World Trade Center to be destroyed along with it on 911. After the Church’s destruction in 2001 the Congregation (yep the terminology betrays my Protestantism) sought to rebuild it Church. For whatever reasoning the NYC agency that had to approve construction drug its feet until 2008 when a tentative agreement seemed to pave the way for St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church to rebuild with the permission and some cash influx from the New York Port Authority. For reasons that I have not fully researched the Port Authority reneged on it “OK”.

Here we are in December 2010 with the 2011 right around the corner and the Port Authority still is not cooperating with the reconstruction of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.

Between 2008 and 2011 is a near three years of balking by the Port Authority. And so the cause alert notifies me of something a very patient Church should have began long ago. The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church has begun a civil suit against the Port Authority to regain the go-ahead to reconstruct their Church. I understand the Port Authority isn’t publicly responding to the civil suit claiming they have not read the summons.

My wonder is this: Why are the New York City authorities from the Mayor on down taking such a stand to ensure a Muslim Mosque with connections to Radical Islam been given the go-ahead to build a multi-million dollar building for the glory of Allah be built near the site in which Islamic Terrorists undoubtedly shouted Allahu Akbar as they crash fuel engorged Jet airliners into the Twin Towers murdering thousands of people on American soil?

JRH 12/8/10

Members Of Greek Church Gather At Ground Zero

With Muslim apologists and blind Leftists supporting the building of Cordoba House (which includes a Mosque) a sniff away from Ground Zero in New York City, it is mind boggling that there is not more visible and vocal support to rebuild St. Nicholas Orthodox Church that was actually destroyed by the Islamic terrorist attack on the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers on 911!

About one thousand protesters/worshippers came on Sunday Dec. 5, 2010 marking the Feast of St Nicholas. The St. Nicholas Orthodox Church has been attempting to get a building permit to rebuild their Church destroyed as collateral damage from the 911 Islamic terrorist attacks.

JRH 12/8/10

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Members Of Greek Church Gather At Ground Zero

Ginny Kosola reports

December 5, 2010 7:09 PM

WCBS 880/1010 WINS

NEW YORK (WCBS 880/1010 WINS) — New York’s Greek Orthodox community gathered in Lower Manhattan Sunday afternoon at the site of their church, which was destroyed in the September 11 attacks.

Though they have no church building, they celebrated the Feast of St. Nicholas at ground zero, reports WCBS 880’s Ginny Kosola.

About 1,000 people gathered in the bitter cold for the annual service marking the Feast of St. Nicholas.

Father Mark Arey said talks with the Port Authority over rebuilding there broke off last year and have not been restarted.

Archbishop Demetrios, leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, said he is optimistic that the church will be rebuilt.

“We have no doubt whatsoever that the work will be done with the new government,” Archbishop Demetrios said.

St. Nicholas Church was destroyed when one of the World Trade Center towers collapsed on top of it.

The church had stood at the site since 1916. It was the only house of worship destroyed on September 11.

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