Father Christopher Zugger

Here is a remarkable film – made by Brook Peters, who was on his second day of kindergarten at an elementary school in TriBeCa, a downtown Manhattan neighborhood.  His single mom, actress Michelle Peters, was a volunteer for the New York Fire Department, and they were well-known to the downtown firemen who went into the World Trade Center Towers. On 9/11,  Michelle Peters took her son to one of the firehouses, and put him in a truck for safety. As the firemen left, most knew they were doomed, because they gave Brook – who was five years old – messages for their families. He knew these men as his father figures, and lost them all.

Brook went out last year to interview the children of the TriBeCa schools. Some had never had a chance to talk about what happened on the second day of school in 2001.  You can watch it on line here for $3.99 for five days http://theseconddayfilm.com/see-the-film/#watch  or purchase a DVD to keep.

As for the film maker, he wants to be a NYC Fireman after he finishes college.

When the rescue workers began collecting personal objects, they made rooms for them: watches, wallets, jewelry. And one of the biggest sections was —-

rosaries.

Lots and lots of rosaries that survived their owners who had been obliterated in the collapses (human remains have been found for only 40% of victims).  A reminder of how many of these ordinary people took their faith seriously. These were the people who would “pop out” for Mass at lunch, or on their way to work, or before hitting the subway, bus or ferry to go home.  It’s stuff like this that we forget – ordinary folks, leading ordinary lives, people of faith. A faith that was not perverted like the Islamic faith claimed by these so-called jihadists.

It is faith that will conquer hearts, faith that will inspire, faith that will lead, faith that will show the way. Islam is religion is need of Jesus – in all the names for Allah/ God — none are Father.  Jesus revealed the Father to us, and a lot of those people who died in NYC were people who recited five “Our Fathers” every day on those rosaries.  Say one today after reading this. Say it for the souls of all the 9/11 victims; all those Christians snuffed out in Iraq and Egypt; and for the triumph of Christ our King in all hearts.