James Martin

Firefighters, police officers, and medical personnel were not the only ones working at Ground Zero. Religious leaders of all faiths also converged on the World Trade Center site to offer hope, comfort, support, and encouragement to the workers. James Martin, a Catholic priest and associate editor of America magazine, wanted desperately to be able to help somehow. He visited the World Trade Center to offer his help, only to discover that many other members of the clergy had preceded him. Then, in fear of what the answer might be, Martin asked if priests were needed at Ground Zero, and to his chagrin, he was quickly whisked to the site. There, Martin talked to the rescue workers and construction and military personnel about what they had seen, how they felt, and what they were thinking. He was in awe of...