Dispelling the Darkness of September 11

Father Steve Grunow reflected on the lasting impact of the September 11, 2001, attacks, noting how the destruction of monuments and the loss of many lives left a lasting wound on the national psyche.

Writing for Word on Fire, Grunow referenced the observations of the late writer John Updike, who watched the catastrophe unfold from Brooklyn Heights. Updike described seeing smoke filled with bits of paper and the towers falling, noting that the event felt as though people were clinging to one another while falling.

Grunow noted that the immediate grief and anger following the attacks led to calls for justice and the mobilization of the nation for war. He observed that the tragedy changed how people viewed the world, introducing unfamiliar foreign names and places into the public consciousness as the nation cared for survivors, widows, and orphans.