Message from Father Andreas Vithoulkas
Proïstamenos and Archiepiscopal Vicar of the Saint Nicholas National Shrine
***
Christ is Risen!
The revitalization of the Saint Nicholas Parish is going to be a process that I hope everyone in our Church will feel they have a stake in. Saint Nicholas will be a fully functioning parish, with the normal complement of services and sacraments, but it will surely be more!
For this reason, we hope to cultivate “honorary stewards” for the Parish from every corner of the Archdiocese. This would obviously be above and beyond the commitments that folks make to their local parish. But it will also give to the National Shrine an “Honor Roll” of Orthodox Christians from around the country who are committed to the presence of the Orthodox Church at the epicenter of the history of the Twenty-First Century, Ground Zero.
I think it needs to be pointed out that Saint Nicholas will be the only religious outpost at the rebuilt sixteen acre World Trade Center. Like the little Church that was on Cedar Street, where “America’s First Response Monument” now stands directly above 155 Cedar Street, Saint Nicholas will open its doors to all people seeking spiritual solace and a quiet and sacred prayerful space.
Let’s not forget, Saint Nicholas will be the most visited Orthodox Church by non-Orthodox people in the United States, perhaps the world. It is our Lighthouse from which the bright and shining love of God will pour forth to the world. We can each have a part in this mission, and by doing so, magnify the strength of that light for all people to see, and glorify our heavenly Father.
Be on the lookout for this program of “Honorary Stewards of Saint Nicholas at Ground Zero” in the coming months. We look forward to your active participation and support.
Faithfully in the Risen Christ,
Father Andreas Vithoulkas