09/11/2026
25 Years Later: Remembering with Sorrow & Gratitude at St. Patrick's Cathedral
Yesterday, standing inside St. Patrick's Cathedral for the anniversary, we found ourselves in front of the new mural in the Fifth Avenue entrance — and one panel in particular stopped us in our tracks: an angel holding a firefighter's helmet, watching over the first responders who gave everything on September 11th.
Archbishop Hicks spoke about this very panel during yesterday's memorial Mass, calling it a reflection of "the very best of who we are." Standing there, surrounded by the cathedral's quiet and this new tribute woven into its walls, it's easy to understand why. Visitors stop here. They look for a face they recognize. They remember.
Today, we hold in our prayers all those we lost — the first responders, the office workers, the passengers, the neighbors and friends who never came home. May they rest in eternal peace, and may their memory continue to be a blessing to all who carry it forward.
Photo Credit: Frances Auth