Italian City of Bari Donates $500,000 for Reconstruction of
St. Nicholas Church |
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New
York, NY – St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, demolished in the
September 11th attack on the World Trade Center, will receive $500, 000
from the town of Bari, Italy. The surprise announcement was made on CNN
television by Italian Foreign Minister Renato Ruggiero during a press
conference with Mayor Rudolph Giuliani on Sept. 26th.
In
expressing Italy’s commitment to the American people and sharing their
sadness, he said, “ I have brought just a small gesture of solidarity,
but I believe it is a significant one. I just received a letter from the
mayor of Bari, who announced that he has created a small fund of
$500,000 in order to participate in the reconstruction of the church of
Saint Nicholas “.
Immediately on hearing of the generous offer,
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios contacted the Italian Consulate,
expressing his appreciation and gratitude to the City of Bari, and
requesting a meeting with Mr. Ruggiero to personally express his
appreciation. Unfortunately, the Foreign Minister was scheduled to leave
in a few hours for Italy and the meeting was not possible. Consul
General Giorgio Radicate, however, indicated that perhaps sometime in
the future a delegation would come from Bari to personally make the
presentation.
St. Nicholas is the Patron Saint of Bari, and every
year the city sponsors a major festival in celebration of his Feast Day,
December 6th. Mr. Radicate suggested that the contribution of $500,000
might come from funds raised through the years from the annual festival.
The city of Bari, Italy has particular attachment and love for
St. Nicholas because of the holy relics of the saint that were enshrined
on May 9, 1087 in a magnificent basilica erected there in his honor.
In a gracious ecumenical gesture, the Roman Catholic Church
offered some of the above relics of St. Nicholas to the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of North and South America in 1972, where they repose in
honored glory. They are also in the Chapel of St. Nicholas in the
Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity NYC, the Church of the
Archangel, Stamford, CT, St. Nicholas Church, Flushing, NY and St.
Nicholas Church, West Babylon, NY. Relics of St. Nicholas were also kept
in the Church of St. Nicholas demolished on September 11.
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