Knights mark the five-year anniversary of 9/11

Columbia ^ | September 2006

[Coleus]

America awoke on Sept. 11, 2001, to attacks on its financial, military and government centers. As hijacked planes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, heroes were at the scene, ready to sacrifice and save. There were heroes already in the buildings who died helping others to safety; and there were heroes rushing into the buildings to rescue those seeking to escape.

The same heroism was seen at the Pentagon, where another plane hit, and on United Airlines flight 93, where passengers rose against the hijackers to take back the aircraft, which crashed in a Pennsylvania field before it reached the nation’s capital.

Knights were among the heroes that day — as firefighters, police officers and emergency workers, and as the chaplain listed as the first to die in the attacks, Franciscan Father Mychal Judge. Forty-five Knights bravely gave their lives while seeking to save others. Their names are listed on a Wall of Honor at the Knights of Columbus Museum in New      Haven.                                                   

The day after the terrorist attacks, the Knights of Columbus Heroes Fund was established, providing $3,000 in immediate relief to the families of fallen heroes — the full-time professional rescuers who gave their lives. Knights of Columbus agents personally delivered the checks, meeting with and comforting the widows and their children, and showing that the Order was ready — as it has been since its founding — to provide for families that had lost the breadwinner. For most families, it was the first material relief they received, and it served as a reminder that their sacrifice was not forgotten.

Here are the thoughts of some who were touched by the events of that day:

“It was one of those days, like Pearl Harbor, that you will always remember where you were when you first heard about the attack on the World Trade Center. I was working for the Pentagon in an office building in Arlington, Va., about two miles away from where the plane hit. I heard the news on the radio that there was an explosion in the Pentagon, which didn’t concern me too much because the walls of the Pentagon are made of thick concrete, so I didn’t think there could be much damage. I went up to the 17th floor of my building and saw all the fire and the smoke. I realized it was more than just an explosion. … “We have to remember that day and keep ourselves focused, to keep our patriotism in focus, so that we will keep our country free and safe. The Knights of Columbus is perfectly situated to make sure we do not forget. Knights hold the two great symbols that should inspire us all — the cross of Christ and the flag of the United States of America. We must take these two symbols and make them the standards of our great country.” — James P. McCusker, contracts analyst for the Pentagon, Virginia past state deputy and state Fourth Degree master.

“No New Yorker will ever forget the terrible tragedy of 9/11 and its painful consequences. However, what we’re forgetting to maintain is that spirit of solidarity that we all held in the aftermath of 9/11. I was hoping that spirit would sustain itself, but we are forgetting and falling back to our old ways, not caring for our brothers and sisters in need. “The Cross at Ground Zero looks like it will remain. After an arduous four-year battle, I have gotten written guarantees from the Port Authority and from the director of the World Trade Center that state that the cross will be temporarily moved to St. Peter’s Church, in a position that will face Ground Zero, and then after completion of the new building and memorial, it will be returned to the site. The cross is a reminder that God never abandoned us at Ground Zero. The cross symbolizes that Christ was both victim and victor. He was humbled, and was ripped apart and bleeding, yet he was victor over death. We, too, can be victims in this life, and we may see no sense to the suffering. But we also can share in the victory of the cross.” — Franciscan Father Brian Jordan, head of the Immigration Center based at St. Francis of Assisi Church in New York City, and member of Holy Family Council 5547 in Silver Spring, Md. He spent countless hours ministering at Ground Zero, and led a movement to keep the cruciform girders — known as the Cross at Ground Zero — at the site after the rebuilding project is complete.

“I was at the base of the building when it collapsed. I was alone. I thought it was the end. I drew on my faith and said the Hail Mary. It was a great comfort for me. My faith is stronger than ever now. My commitment to making a change in the world is stronger than ever. I have dedicated myself to helping the first responders in our country to be as ready as possible. I am dealing with my injuries from day to day — 9/11 is a lifelong event for me. But I know that I am blessed, and that God has a purpose for my life and for everyone’s life.  “I am so proud to be a Knight, to be a member of this great organization. I have brothers in the Knights. I have brothers in the fire department. Both organizations are dedicated to serving others. At the end of the day, we have to look in the mirror and hopefully like what we see. I think the Knights help us do just that. — Capt. Alfredo Fuentes, New York Fire Department. He was buried for hours under the debris of the first World Trade Center tower to collapse. A member of George W. Hudson Council 3701 in Woodside, N.Y., his dramatic rescue and recovery are told with the rest of his life’s story in his book American By Choice.

“The funds helped pay bills when so many things were uncertain. I was pregnant with our second child. I now have two girls, 8 and a half and 4 and a half, but the younger one, of course, has never met her father. I’m remarried now. I’m doing well, my children are doing well, but 9/11 is still something you live with. Even though you move on, you still remember.”

— Danielle Fehling Wasnieski of Wantagh, N.Y., was pregnant on 9/11 and received a Heroes Fund check after her husband, Lee Fehling, a member of Bellmore (N.Y.) Council 3689, died as a New York City firefighter in the World Trade Center attacks.

“You always think of 9/11. That was the day the war started, and people died whom I knew personally. The most vivid memory for me is the strength of the widows, how each one stood strong after the loss of her husband. There were a lot of very nice people who had their lives turned around that day. As an agent, I deal regularly with people in the aftermath of the death of a loved one. You never know how people will handle death, especially such a tragic and sudden death. But these widows were an example of strength for me. I remember the American flags hanging outside the many homes that I visited, and also the little children. How heartbreaking it was to think that they would grow up never knowing their father.  “It was a privilege to provide some monetary help to these families in time of loss. When I called and they heard it was the Knights of Columbus, they knew it was someone they could trust. Because of our organization and what it stands for, they would feel comfortable inviting me into their homes. — Ed Dioguardi, general agent from Long Island, N.Y., who distributed Heroes Fund checks.

“After five years, there has been some healing. People have gotten on with their lives. Some have gotten married, their children are growing, there are new challenges and commitments. Yet deep down, that feeling, that loss, that hurt does not go away. The expression that time heals all wounds is not true. We just learn to live with the pain, and sometimes it can make us stronger. We are able to move on because of our faith, because of our memories, and because of the example of those who gave their lives that day.  “There are persistent reminders. So many of those who spent time at Ground Zero during the rescue and recovery have lung problems. We call it “Ground Zero cough.” I have sinus problems. The events of that day still affect me, and I’m glad of that. I don’t ever want to forget. We owe it to those who died, and to their loved ones who survive, never to forget what happened on 9/11.”

— Father Robert Romano, New York Police Department deputy chief of chaplains and a member of Don Bosco Council 4960 in Brooklyn, N.Y. He spent weeks working at Ground Zero, and has ministered to police families ever since.

CNS photo: Nancy Wiechec, A U.S. flag was placed on the Knights' Tower of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for a 2002 memorial.

[Coleus]

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

Unlike the RATS, who are stuck on September 10, 2001, I'll never forget the barbaric and inhuman attack that the Islamofascists unleashed on 9-11. Why the pinko commie stooges can't comprehend that this isn't your average war, but a fight to the death, is almost beyond my comprehension. I say almost, because the Left in this country would sell their mother to these ghouls if they thought it would gain them power.

[nutmeg]

Thanks for the ping... will read ASAP.

[AlaninSA]

Please FReepmail me if you'd like to be added to or removed from the KofC ping list.

[infool7]

Thanks. Prayers for all those still suffering.