A Spiritual Pilgrimage To Ground Zero

On Sept. 11, 2001, I was working at my desk at America, a Catholic magazine in New York City. That morning my mother called from Philadelphia to tell me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. She was worried about me. That was odd, I thought: She knew I worked uptown, not downtown. But turning on the TV confirmed the horror of what she was reporting.

That night, I put on my clerical collar and walked through the empty streets to a nearby hospital to help with victims who never came. The next day, I spent several hours in a counseling center helping bereaved families examine hospital records for their loved ones. Finally, on Sept. 13, with the city still in chaos, a police officer offered me a ride to ground zero, where I would spend the next few days and weeks, along with my brother Jesuits, ministering to the firefighters and rescue workers. There, at this most terrible place, I encountered grace as powerfully as I ever have -- in the outpouring of compassion and charity among the rescue workers. This video is a spiritual pilgrimage back to ground zero, 10 years later.

WATCH:

This post is part of a collection of 9/11 reflections from chaplains who were there.

 

 

 

Comments

[jeromerudolf]

05:43 PM on 09/09/2011

Emmanuel: God is with us. Thanks, Fr Martin for sharing this.

[stepfordhusband]

04:34 PM on 09/09/2011

When a piece of land becomes a "mecca" or "holy place" it may be a place of reflection for many but it can be an excuse for others to promote ideologies that have nothing to do with what happened there, The attacks on 9/11 were a tragedy and took nearly 3000 lives in a couple of hours. The response of our government has cost even more American solders lives and many thousands more Afghani and Iraqi lives, many private citizens like those that died on 9/11/01. As a nation we have lost our soul and have given into fear and propaganda. We agree to personal searches and don't think twice about it all for the unobtainable goal to always be "safe". Osama Bin Laden accomplished what he set out to do 10 years ago. Bring America into Afghanistan, bankrupt our nation with a costly war that could not be won the same way the Soviets failed in the 1980's. Ten years later America is still fighting there and is spending billions of dollars to keep Iraq stable. Our government coffers in 2001 had a surplus by the end of the Bush presidency banks were failing, the housing market went bust and unemployment was at record highs and we had huge war debt.
The most ironic thing I heard about the museum at "ground zero" is that all visitors must submit to body searches, all in the name of freedom and for the false feeling of being safe.

[universallite]

03:28 PM on 09/09/2011

God gave us free will to experience life and love for ourselves. As all fathers know, you can try to teach and be supportive to your children but they must live their own lives. Yet as every Father and Mother stands by their children forever, so does Divine Father and Divine Mother. Their Love stands by their children.

[rikoshaprl]

03:27 PM on 09/09/2011

I was a construction worker volunteer on the Sept. 14th. They took me because I had a JFK airport clearance badge. I was signed in, fitted with a mask, and told to work with the firemen on the pile. The sign in office was about two blocks away from the site and served as a temporary morgue. As I walked out of the office and towards the pile, glass was falling from adjacent buildings. There was a coating of inches of gray dust everywhere. There was a stench that smelled like an electrical fire. As I walked I prayed, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. There were dogs sniffing for remains. Each time a dog found something there was a scurry of frantic activity digging in hope of finding a survivor. None were found. Several body bags were needed.

[AlyceMD3]

03:53 PM on 09/09/2011

God bless you.

[littlepiglaugh]

03:07 PM on 09/09/2011

Rebuild the Catholic church to what it once was. It's our Christain Protection against anyone who wants to do us harm. Teach your children that God is Love and return to church. Live Godly lives, because God knows our hearts. All material things passaway. God is with us forever! Praise Jesus Christ! May the world see 9/11 as a reminder that God will protect us from Evil minds. To all who have suffered from 9/11 may God have mercy on your souls.

[Erica McClellan]

07:28 PM on 09/09/2011

To what it once was? You mean the creator of war after war, atrocity after atrocity? From crusades to witch burning to child molestation, all throughout it's history?

[Steve Dunkelberger]

07:59 PM on 09/09/2011

Couldn't agree more these people with invisible friends should seek help ... but in the United States of Jesus they seek followers maybe someday we will actually have a civilization but till then we sane folks are few and far between .

[tammynnoah]

12:40 AM on 09/13/2011

Seriously? God is not responsible for those things, its satan! Also lets put blame where it belongs, God doesn't molest children, pedifiles do, God doesn't cause wars, man and his decisions do,all of the things you mentioned are a result of a sinful world. If people would recognize this and live right, you know, not steal, not kill, not lie, cheat, commit adultry, worship idols, and other "gods", keep the sabbath, honor their parents, not covet, you get the idea, then the world would be a much better place, don't you think? If people didn't lie and cheat, the housing market, banks, and the economy would not be where its at right now, if everyone would work and do their part as oppossed to being addicted to drugs, alcohol, or relying or mooching off the government, if people wouldn't spend their time watching porn, raping and molesting, if married couples stayed committed to the marriage and their children, if people weren't fornicating, we wouldn't have all these std's, aides, unwanted pregnancies, abortions, we wouldn't be raising a generation of kids being raised without fathers, if there weren't gangs, if the politicians were honest, if people just treated people with kindness, if we got back to biblical values, things would change, but I don't see that happening because of people who think they are so much smarter than God, we will continue to live in this corrupt messed up world until mankind destroys everything or Jesus comes first

[bmitche]

02:47 PM on 09/09/2011

One nation under God. Thank you for sharing your story.

[laameduck1]

02:36 PM on 09/09/2011

God told Adam not to eat from the tree, that if he did he would surely die and death would pass on through all his generations. Wherefor, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. But there is hope. God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

[Loulouthia]

02:15 PM on 09/06/2011

Thank you, Fr., that was really very moving and uplifting. I know for months and really even years since I've heard people ask, "So where was God on 9/11 that He let something like that happen to America?" I was very horrified and saddened that it had taken place like everyone else, but realize that God created man with free will. With this horrible occurrence, I believe that God was absolutely everywhere! He was working through all of the people who were helping in every way that they could. The realization that has set in with me over the years since, is that our country seems to have joined the rest of the world where super terrible things have been happening for years on end. I think it has made me more compassionate and understanding of other people of other nations. I've lived a rather blessed life compared to many people around the world. Most of us in this country have - and now I know we need to learn from this experience and work at making our world a safer place and hopefully the sanctity of life will once again be realized.