The white-bearded patriarch, wearing black and ornately decorated white vestments, then blessed the shrine's glass doors with holy water and tapped them with his staff before entering. They included a contorted bell and a torn icon honoring the Virgin Mary. It began with the patriarch's blessing of a large cross, adorned with a wreath, which was then hoisted by crane atop the dome.īartholomew and others joined in a quiet procession with youths bearing crosses and candles before stopping to bless various items from the original church that were damaged on 9/11 but not destroyed. Tuesday's ceremony was largely held outdoors beneath an overcast sky, to the backdrop of choral chants.
