On September 11, 2025, on the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America presided over a Memorial Service at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at Ground Zero. St. Nicholas Church, the only house of worship destroyed on 9/11, was crushed by the south tower when the World Trade Center was struck.
The Memorial Service began with a procession by the Color Guards, which was followed by the National Anthem presented by Detective Makiah Brown. Archbishop Elpidophoros led a solemn Memorial Service according to the Greek Orthodox tradition, naming each of the Greek Orthodox Christians who perished that day.
Presenting remarks on the occasion was The Honorable Vicky Hartzler, Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which was followed by the passionate chanting of Psalm 22—Funerary by Mr. Dimitrios Katsikis, Master Chanter of St. Nicholas Shrine. Also presenting was Fr. Anthony Palumbo, a Roman Catholic priest who spoke about his personal experience as a 15-year-old who lost his father, a firefighter, on 9/11. He described how receiving love on that day changed his life and led him to Christ.
In his closing remarks, Archbishop Elpidophoros offered comforting words of hope and healing, honoring first responders: “In this most pluralistic City of the United States—with more languages and religious traditions than any other—in New York, we come together, each in our own way, to support one another, and to encounter one another with the most basic expression of our shared human nature. As such, we come together to make a commitment … that the hatred and cruelty of 9/11 have no place in our world, that love, empathy, and mercy shall prevail in our world today and tomorrow.”
Ecumenical and interfaith attendees included: Bishop Irinej, Serbian Orthodox Church in North, Central, and South America; Rev. Archpriest Thomas Zain (representing Metropolitan Saba of the Antiochian Archdiocese); Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan (Armenian Apostolic Church); Bishop David (President of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches); Archbishop Gabriele Caccia (Holy See Mission to the UN); Bishop James Massa (representing both Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, and Bishop Robert J. Brennan of Brooklyn); The Right Reverend Bishop Katrina Foster (representing Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Metropolitan New York Synod); Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie (President and General Secretary of the National Council of Churches); Rev. Julie M. Hoplamazian (Saint Michael’s Episcopal Church); Rabbi Noam Marans; and Rabbi Allyson Zacharoff (American Jewish Committee); Rev. Chloe Breyer (The Interfaith Center of New York).
Article by Marissa Costidis, Photos by Orthodox Observer/Brittainy Newman
