Construction at the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church began in Lower Manhattan on Monday — with hardhats fitting the first skylight into the dome of the 9/11-ravaged structure during a special ceremony.
The house of worship on Liberty Street will finally be made whole after sitting half-finished for two years.
“Thank you, to the people of New York, who have stood by our side for a long time who can now witness the glory,” Archbishop Elpidophoros said before blessing the site — and dignitaries including Gov. Andrew Cuomo — with holy water. “We have heard the voice of the Lord and we are rebuilding this church.”
The original St. Nicholas Church first opened on Cedar Street in 1916, drawing in devout Greek immigrants from Ellis Island.
But it was destroyed when the South Tower came crashing down in the September 11 terror attacks.
The holy site was partially rebuilt — but the project stalled under a myriad of issues, including allegations of pilfered donations and ballooning budgets.
Officials raised $45 million in donations to finally resume construction on Monday, including a $10 million donation from the family of late real estate mogul and Los Angeles Chargers owner Alex Spanos.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Cuomo during the brief ceremony. “The Lord works in strange ways and that this should be happening now is so powerful and so symbolic.”
He added, “Yes, we went through 9/11, but we rise through the ashes and we rise stronger than ever before. That’s what this St. Nicholas will stand for.”