In some of the darkest moments of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center ten years ago, Nathan Brockman saw Christian hope embodied at the parish of Trinity Wall Street.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the more remarkable things I\u2019ve seen is how immediately people\u2019s faith came into play. Right after the first tower came down, the South Tower, you can imagine the proximity \u201d\u201d it got very dark, it got very loud, you could feel the church shaking,\u201d\u009d said Brockman, Trinity Wall Street\u2019s director of communications and editor of Trinity News. \u201cThere was a congregation gathered there, seeking comfort, solace. Once the cascade stopped, Stewart Hoke, who was a priest here at the time, stood up before the congregation and he recited the Beatitudes. It was one of the most powerful things I\u2019ve ever encountered. That was the response of faith. It wasn\u2019t the reaction to run, it wasn\u2019t the reaction to react violently, or panic. It was very meaningful.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Later, during the months of cleanup, people continued to help each other. \u201cWhat I remember was the frozen zone. There was an area literally behind a chain-link fence for a number of months after the attack and if you weren\u2019t certified personnel you weren\u2019t to go beyond that perimeter,\u201d\u009d Brockman said. \u201cFor a while the Trinity congregation worshiped at the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. It was a very generous act of theirs. Trinity\u2019s offices during that time were relocated uptown.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n