The Greek-American Victims of 9/11

The Greek-American Victims of 9/11. Credit: Petr Kratochvil/ Public Domain

Today marks twenty-four years since the violent attacks successful New York City that took spot connected 9/11. All of the communities successful the United States are commemorating their fallen heroes contiguous on with galore successful the remainder of the satellite who mislaid their sons and daughters successful the brutal attack.

Of the astir 3 1000 radical who perished connected September 11, 2001, thirty-nine were Greek-Americans. Twenty-four years later, connected the day of the attack, the grim memories stay aggravated for the families of those unjustly mislaid and for each of those who judge successful state and peace.

In a 60 Minutes report, Anthoula Katsamatides of New York spoke precocious astir her brother, 31-year-old enslaved trader John Katsamatides, who had worked successful the Towers. Having discovered the aged St. Nicholas Church connected a luncheon break, his sister recalled, helium was known to spell determination connected his breaks to “light a candle and accidental a supplication for peace.”

The Greek Orthodox church, which was the lone spot of worship to beryllium destroyed successful the attacks, took signifier erstwhile again adjacent to the World Trade Center Memorial Plaza. The translucent walls of its caller dome are lit up from wrong astatine nighttime and glow similar a marble beacon of light.

St. Nicolas Shrine Ground Zero New York during its construction. Credit: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

The St. Nicholas National Shrine, designed by renowned designer Santiago Calatrava, replaced the tiny religion that was crushed by the World Trade Center’s South Tower connected September 11, 2001.

According to the architect, the gathering was designed to travel the signifier of the Virgin Mary’s body, with the dome representing her caput and the sides of the operation representing her shoulders arsenic she cradled the babe Jesus Christ connected her lap.

Jesus’ assemblage is present represented by the faithful, who are symbolically wrong the building’s welcoming arms.

The caller religion gave Greek Orthodox believers a spot to worship portion besides welcoming visitors of immoderate religion who would similar to bespeak connected the lives mislaid successful the violent attacks and wage homage to their memory.

As Katsamatides told CBS interviewer Scott Pelley, the caller shrine is “a spot of emotion and anticipation for each the household members and each those who privation to spell and wage their respects.”

Greek-American victims of 9/11

Below is the database of the Greek-American victims (some believed to beryllium Greek due to the fact that of their names) issued by the New York City Coroner’s office.

Joanne Marie Ahladiotis, 27
Ernest Alifakos, 43
Arlene T. Babakitis, 47
Katherine Bantis, 48
Peter Brennan, 30
Thomas A. Damaskinos, 33
Anthony Demas, 61
Constantine (Gus) Economos, 41
Michael J. Elferis, 27
Ana Fosteris, 58
Jimmy Grekiotis
Kenneth G. Grouzalis, 56
Steven M. Hagis, 31
Vasilios G. Haramis, 56
Nicholas John, 42
John Katsimatides, 31
Danielle Kousoulis, 29
Thomas Kuveikis, 48
James Maounis, 42
Philip William Mastrandrea, Jr 42
George Merkouris, 35
Stilianos Mousouroulis
Peter C. Moutos, 44
Nikos Papadopoulos/Papas, 29
James N. Pappageorge, 29
George Paris, 33
Theodoros Pigis, 60
Daphne Pouletsos, 47
Richard N. Poulos, 55
Stephen E. Poulos, 45
Anthony Savas, 72
Muriel Fay Siskopoulos, 60
Timothy Patrick Soulas, 35
Andrew Stergiopoulos, 23
Michael C. Tarrou, 38
Michael Theodoridis, 32
William P. Tselepis, 33
Jennifer Tzemis, 26
Prokopios Paul Zois, 46