4. The Man Behind St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

Behind every great building there is an inspirational figure. The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church’s great figure was its leader, Father John Romas. He was born on April 10th, 1929 in Dorvitsia, Greece. Father Romas’ father, a flour miller, encouraged him at a young age to tend to the Church of Saint Nicholas. When Father John Romas immigrated to the United States in 1952, he followed this path by being appointed the pastor of St. Nicholas Church in Lower Manhattan. After 9/11, Father Romas dreamed of one day seeing the church rebuilt, but unfortunately died of pancreatic cancer on January 24th, 2016.