Ilias I. Katsos: St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church & National Shrine is complete

Ilias I. Katsos: Myself and Richard Browne (don’t let the name fool you he is a Hellene) the officer in charge of construction for the Friends of St. Nicholas. The Friends of St. Nicholas were charged with raising the funds , restarting construction and completing the Church after initial problems.

 A great occasion last year. As previously discussed the construction of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church & National Shrine is complete (with occupancy CO’s, etc.) and the first wedding had wonderfully taken place there about a week and a half ago.. Within the next week the monks from Mount Athos will be back and high scaffolds will be erected to finish the church’s iconography on its Dome consisting of the Pantokrator icon at its center and the 20 prophets around the Dome, thus completing St. Nicholas's iconography. That work including removing the scaffolds etc. as has been mentioned previously will be complete for services at the Church for St. Nicholas’s feast day on December 6. To the question frequently asked by many as to when regular Sunday, etc. church services will begin I anticipate that to be right after the December 6 St. Nicholas service. Congratulations and many thanks to those that were a part of making this great undertaking happen. AXIOI !!!

Micheal Psaros a great individual and Vice Chair of the Friends of St. Nicholas.

Thumbs up Katsos and Fr. Alex on the left (an amazing man). The Cross is “on the hook” and ready to be lifted by the crane.

Archon National Commander Anthony J. Limberakis.

The Cross that was raised by crane.

The photographer Dimitrios S. Panagos being photographed.

Ilias I. Katsos

It bothered me that the top of the Dome (which no one sees) where the Church Cross was to sit was precast concrete versus Pantelic marble like the rest of the Church and I donated the difference in the cost for it to be Pantelic Marble. This photo of the top of the Dome marble was when I was in Athens at the fabrication facility in late July to see it.

The Cross being prepared for lifting by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

Temporary Donor Wall

Beloved Father Alex

Sharing some laughs with John Catsimatidis.

Fr. Andreas who will be the first priest of St. Nicholas and a great honor.

His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon and His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America.

Cross we were given on the occasion.

Santiago and his son Gabriel also an architect.

The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine from 50 floors up at 4 World Trade Center where we were meeting with Santiago Calatrava with the Cross installed at the top of the Dome.

Ilias I. Katsos and Santiago Calatrava

The ΘΥΡΑΝΟΙΞΙΑ/ Door-Opening Service book.