>> reporter: on the ground, his church would also soon be lost. this image shows part of a plane's landing gear in the parking lot. everyone inside the building escaped in time, but this pillar of the greek community was thought to be destroyed under a pile of steel and ash. then came a realization. >> we couldn't have our brother back, my brother back, but we knew that st. nichols would be resurrected. >> reporter: for 20 years the greek orthodox church has struggled to rebuild st. nichols nearby, this time as a national shrine. >> we thought it would be a $25 million project. it was actually about a $55 million, $60 million project. >> reporter: the father watched the construction begin in 2015, but the money and private donations ran out. some money was spent on other expenses was the archdiocese. >> i was surprised. i quickly addressed it with the