Cardinal's commemorative afternoon Mass
Archbishop Timothy Dolan, left, and Cardinal Edward Egan, former archbishop of New York, stand together at St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church in Lower Manhattan. (Sept. 11, 2011) Credit: AP
Cardinal Edward Egan, addressing those who filled the sanctuary of St. Peter's Church downtown for a commemorative afternoon Mass, reflected on the terrible day of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"Evil had its moment of triumph in Lower Manhattan," the cardinal said.
The anniversary "thrusts us back to a day of infamy such as we have never imagined," he said.
Egan described the heroes of the day -- doctors who refused to leave their posts, despite personal suffering; firefighters who rushed into the towers, only to meet their demise; police officers who choked on toxic dust as they guided their charges to safety -- as having strength of character and bravery that set an example for the world.
"From the crime of Sept. 11, 2001, we have learned a powerful lesson," the cardinal said. "When truly challenged, the best of us forget ourselves and become men and women for others."
The evil purpose was accomplished, Egan said.
"Nonetheless," he said, "their evil begot a lesson in goodness that cannot be repeated enough."
