Cardinal dedicates Catholic memorial to promote prayer at ground zero

Published: 2005-05-23

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Cardinal Edward M. Egan of New York dedicated a Catholic memorial at ground zero May 22 to serve as a complement to the national memorial planned for the site of the World Trade Center destroyed Sept. 11, 2001. St. Joseph's Chapel, located near ground zero on the ground floor of a seven-story apartment building in lower Manhattan's Battery Park City, has been renovated and designated as the Catholic memorial. Visitors to ground zero will be able to walk a few steps toward the Hudson River and enter an environment keyed to the same theme but designed to encourage prayer and meditation. In the homily at the dedication Mass, Cardinal Egan said the grace of God had "its own way of taking over," and could have an impact even on casual visitors to the renovated chapel. St. Joseph's is a chapel of St. Peter Parish, the first Catholic parish established in New York.

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