Remembering September 11, 2001

BISHOP
KEVIN J.
SWEENEY

“Never Forget!” We have heard those words used many times in the course of history. We realize (at times) that, as human beings, we seem to have a tendency to forget. The words “Never Forget” are often spoken or written to emphasize the importance of making a conscience decision as individuals, families, communities, or nations that we will remember someone or something, whether it be a terrible tragedy or loss or, very often, a heroic act of bravery and sacrifice. As we approach the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, we might ask ourselves, “How well do we (as individuals, as communities) keep that promise or vow to “Never Forget”?

Pope Francis wrote, “Memory. To remember means ‘to return with the heart.’ It is good for us to nurture our memory with those who have loved us, taken care of us, lifted us up. The Heart of Jesus reminds us that whatever happens to us in life, we are loved.” To “Never Forget” is not only the recollection of a date in history but the remembrance of moments when the power of God’s love transforms the beautiful — and the painful — into grace.

Many in our nation have remained faithful to the commitment to “Never Forget.” Yet, with the passing of each year, we also realize that, like many things, the commitment to “Never Forget,” to remember and honor, can be “easier said than done.” When we consider the ways in which we remember, we can see the value of ritual and ceremony. The reading of the names of each of the victims, whose lives were taken or laid down in sacrifice on that tragic day, is one powerful ritual that takes place at the World Trade Center site each year. Communities coming together in prayer and remembrance, whether at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, or in countless cities, town squares, fire and police departments, hospitals, military bases, and other places across our country are ways in which many keep that promise to “Never Forget.”

Personally, in the days, months, and years following Sept. 11, 2001, it has been the celebration of the Eucharist that has been most helpful in the remembrance of the events of that day. Since the “Last Supper” on Holy Thursday, the Church and her priests at each Mass have repeated the words of Jesus; the words of “transubstantiation,” “This is My Body,” “This is the Cup of My Blood,” but we also hear the words, His words, “Do this in Memory of Me.” Through the gift of the Eucharist, Jesus teaches us the importance of memory. From the Masses that I celebrated, as a parish priest, on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 12 and Sept. 13, 2001, the weekend Masses on Sept. 15 and Sept. 16, the funerals and Memorial Masses, and the anniversary Mass each year, the words “Do this in Memory of Me” took on an even deeper meaning for me, after the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

I have shared before that some of my strongest and most lasting memories of “9/11” are the “heroes,” the firefighters, the first responders, and (so-called) “ordinary” people who ran into the towers when everyone else was running out; “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn 15:13) I also think of the “Heroes of Flight 93” and the rallying cry “Let’s Roll” as the passengers on that flight fought back against the terrorists and likely saved hundreds or thousands of lives. Part of remembering can be asking the questions, “Who were those heroes?” and “How did they become the people they were?” I believe that those heroes represent the “best” of who the United States has been and “stand next to” other great heroes, women, and men, known and unknown, who have made us a truly great nation and allow us to call ourselves, “the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.”

For those of us who were privileged to know some of the “Heroes of Sept. 11,” we came to appreciate how and why they were able to “step up” in those most perilous of challenging moments. They did what they had learned and been trained to do, but not only because some of them had the (very important) professional training as firefighters, police officers, and first responders. So many of the heroes, those professionally trained and the so-called “ordinary” people, had learned bravery, selflessness, generosity, the meaning of sacrifice, and many other important lessons at home from their parents and grandparents. They had also learned from teachers and coaches, religious sisters and brothers, priests, and other catechists who taught that part of living as a person of faith is being a good citizen, a good neighbor, and “giving back” to one’s community.

Another important part of remembering is asking the question, “What have we learned?” I believe that we should be asking ourselves, “Are we, as a nation, still producing, teaching, and training the next generation of heroes?” There are many who would argue that, as a nation, we are not as “great” today, in 2023, as we were in 2001. Having said that, we should also realize that we were “far from perfect” in 2001 and that part of our greatness as a nation has been our ability to persevere through some very difficult and trying times during the course of our history.

Personally, I am concerned about the current state and direction of our nation, especially with regard to our culture and values. Yet, as I remember Sept. 11, 2001, I also recall a lesson that I learned during that time. My father (and mother) taught my brother, sister, and me that we should be patriotic and grateful for the opportunities that we have in this “great country.” As an immigrant, my Dad loved the land of his birth (Ireland), but he also came to love his adopted home, and he taught his children that we should be grateful. On Sept. 11, 2001, in the days and years that followed, I came to learn and appreciate in a new way what my father had tried to teach his children what it means to “love one’s country.”

Despite all our country’s challenges and struggles, I remain optimistic that we can continue to be a great nation, truly “the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. I hope that as many as possible are aware that that “greatness” needs to be earned. It requires hard work, responsibility, courage, and selflessness. It requires learning and teaching the meaning and value of self-sacrifice and the meaning of some words written by our founders: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness …”

Let us continue to pray and be grateful for our nation, and on the Anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, let us also pray that we will “Never Forget.”