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“Agape mou” … my love.
Those are the words my brother John would whisper whenever he hugged me. It has been more than two decades since I last heard them.
John was killed on September 11, 2001, while working on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center. Like so many families, ours was forever changed. I miss him every day.
But through that loss, I have also found comfort, faith, and hope at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine. The rebuilding of St. Nicholas has been, for me, a bridge from tragedy to hope. This ground is sacred. It is where my brother and thousands of other innocent souls were lost, including the site of the original St. Nicholas Church, where John would often stop before or after work to light a candle, say a prayer, attend a service—or perhaps meet a pretty girl.
John was known as “Johnny Bodacious”—adventurous, funny, fearless, and always the life of the party. He loved to dance, and he had a larger-than-life personality. But beneath that joyful spirit was a deep faith and an extraordinary light that I was blessed to experience for 31 years.
Although I can no longer hug my brother, I still feel his presence at St. Nicholas—in the prayers offered each day, in the candles that are lit, and in the people who enter carrying burdens and leave with renewed hope.
What was destroyed was resurrected. What represented grief became a source of healing. And St. Nicholas has become part of some of my happiest memories. In 2023, I had my wedding service there. In the very place that once represented unimaginable loss, God blessed me with new life, new joy, and a new beginning.
That is the power of St. Nicholas. It is a Greek Orthodox church, but it is also a National Shrine open to everyone—people of every faith, people of no faith, those carrying grief, those seeking peace, and anyone looking for a place to pray, reflect, heal, or simply breathe. As our nation commemorates the 25th anniversary of September 11th, St. Nicholas carries an especially powerful message. It reminds us that even after our darkest days, we can rise with faith, courage, and hope. Faith can overcome fear. Light can overcome darkness. Love can overcome hate. Every day, people from across our nation and around the world walk through the doors of St. Nicholas and discover that sense of peace and hope. Since opening in December 2022, over 650,000 visitors have had that experience, made possible because of faithful supporters who believe in its mission. That is why I am asking you to become a National Supporter of St. Nicholas. Your generosity will help preserve a spiritual home for worshippers, a place of remembrance for families like mine, and mission driven ministries for the community at large.
Become a National Supporter of St. Nicholas today with your $100 gift. Please click here for more information. Let’s keep the light of St. Nicholas shining brightly in memory of loved ones, for the future of our nation, and the world.
The post Op-Ed | St. Nicholas Church and National Shrine is a bridge from tragedy to hope appeared first on Orthodox Observer.
