We Do What We Can

Dear Friends,

Twenty-one years ago, the date 9/11 was seared into American memory as a day of violent attack, many deaths, courage and compassion. Stories about that day have continued to emerge – stories of not knowing what to do next, stories of love and friendship, stories that have rooted them in lands beyond the United States.

Michael Grady was a fairly junior Coast Guard officer in the area who took charge of a marine rescue operation as soon as he realized what had happened. Grady sent out the call: “Anyone wanting to help with the evacuation of lower Manhattan Island report to Governors Island.” Five-hundred-thousand people were stranded there. The only ways they could get off the island were by walking or by water. One-hundred-and-fifty tugboats, ferries, pleasure boats, yachts responded making the trip over and over again to bring people to safety on Staten Island, New Jersey and elsewhere. Later in the day, the same boats brought supplies to use at the World Trade Center – everything from bottled water to acetylene torches. People did what they could.

The play Come From Away tells the story of over 6,500 people on 38 jumbo jets that were diverted from their various destinations on 9/11 to Gander, Newfoundland, a town of about 10,000 people. Passengers were hosted by the townspeople who gave what they had and did what they could.

Kathleen Murphy was a native of Kinsale, Ireland, who worked for 40 years as a nurse at Lennox Hill Hospital in New York. Firefighters, fallen on 9/11 were brought there, and she knew Father Michael Judge, chaplain of the NYC Firefighters. Kathleen came home to Kinsale to die of cancer, but the first responders lost on 9/11 were still on her mind. On some property she had on a hill above Kinsale Sound, Kathleen Murphy created a memorial to the 343 firefighters who perished in the World Trace Center Towers. Three-hundred-and-forty-three trees of various kinds were planted. Each bearing the name of a firefighter. Later, visitors who came, including many family members of the deceased, brought photos and mementos, medals won for valor, quotes and recollections. Kathleen Murphy and the people of Kinsale did what they could.

        In remembering life’s tragedies, in going forward with life, we, too, must do what we can.

        When disaster strikes or enemies attack, we do what we can.

        When the call comes to drop what we’re doing to respond, we do what we can.

        When we think we can’t, we do what we can.

        When it seems that all we can do is pray, we do what we can.

        God is ever present, so with God we do what we can.

        It’s never too late to do what we can.

~ Sister Joan Sobala