‘Healing takes time, but hope is eternal’: Archbishop Ronald Hicks marks 25 years since 9/11

Marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, New York Archbishop Ronald Hicks reflected on the enduring pain of the tragedy and the Christian message that while “healing takes time,” hope in Christ is eternal.

“Twenty-five years ago, on September 11, our nation suffered a wound unlike any we had ever experienced before. And if you are old enough to remember, I would guess that you probably remember exactly where you were,” Archbishop Hicks said during a Sept. 10 memorial Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan.

The archbishop recalled that he was a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago and pursuing graduate studies when his academic dean interrupted a class to announce the news. He said he and his classmates sat stunned in silence before spending the following days watching the devastation unfold on television. 

“And like so many people, I found myself wondering: Would we ever be happy again? Would we ever smile again? Would we ever feel whole again?” Archbishop Hicks asked.

“Healing takes time,” he added, “and healing does not happen in a day. It takes time to grieve, to say goodbye, to rebuild, to pray, and to remember.” 

The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, along with the crash of hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, killed nearly 3,000 victims. New York City held a series of events throughout the week to commemorate the anniversary, including ceremonies honoring the victims and first responders.

Archbishop Hicks said the healing process over the past quarter-century has included funerals, prayer services, assistance for survivors and first responders, the annual reading of victims’ names, and the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan. 

Although each of those efforts has mattered, he said, the nation continues to grieve because a “tragedy of this magnitude never completely disappears.”

“There are still tears, sadness, questions. Even now, there are families and first responders who continue to carry the physical and emotional effects of that day. There are memories permanently etched into our minds, our hearts, and our souls,” Archbishop Hicks said. “Healing takes time, but hope is eternal.” 

But throughout “these 25 years, we never lost hope,” the archbishop added. “We never lost hope in ourselves, and we never lost hope in God.”

‘Hope is not optimism’

Archbishop Hicks drew a distinction between optimism and Christian hope, saying optimism looks to the possibility of a better tomorrow while hope recognizes God’s constant presence amid suffering. 

“Hope focuses on today. Hope says that God is with us today,” he said. “God is with us in the good times and the bad. God is with us in the ups and the downs. God is with us in our moments of celebration and in our moments of grieving.” 

Hope, he added, reminds the faithful that they are “never alone” and “never abandoned.”

“God is with us, and through it all, God leads us to eternal life. That is hope. That is true hope.” 

Archbishop Hicks also emphasized that the past quarter-century has demonstrated society’s need for community and self-sacrifice. He pointed to a mural inside the cathedral that honors first responders, describing it as a lasting tribute to the “countless unknown heroes” of Sept. 11 and those who continued serving afterward.

“It represents men and women who put others before themselves, people who are willing to sacrifice everything because it was the right thing to do,” he said. “Their example continues to inspire us. It continues to give us hope, and as a people, our faith. Our hope is in God.”

‘Healing is not passive’ 

Archbishop Hicks connected the nation’s grief to the Gospel account of Martha and Mary mourning the death of their brother Lazarus. Jesus did not ask the sisters to forget their sorrow, he said, but entered into their suffering, proclaimed himself “the Resurrection and the Life,” and asked Martha whether she believed that those who believe in Christ will live even if they die.

“I think Jesus has been asking us that same question for the past 25 years. Do you believe this?” he asked. “Do you believe that love is stronger than hatred? Do you believe that life is stronger than death? Do you believe that God can bring hope even out of tragedy? Do you believe that God has remained with us through every tear, every funeral, every memorial, and every prayer?” 

Archbishop Hicks said he hoped the faithful would answer as Martha did: “‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.’”

The archbishop concluded that faith “does not allow us to stop at remembrance” because healing “is not passive.” 

“Healing does not just happen. Peace does not just happen. Justice does not just happen. Unity does not just happen,” Archbishop Hicks said. “We have to work at it, day after day, conversation after conversation, relationship after relationship, and agreement after agreement, and we have to strive for it together.” 

Twenty-five years after Sept. 11, the world continues to remember, pray, and honor those who died, Archbishop Hicks said.

“And we do so with hope, not because the road has been easy but because God has been with us every step of the way,” he added. “Healing takes time. Hope is eternal. And God, who has carried us through the past 25 years, continues to walk with us today, tomorrow, and always.”