At Saint Lawrence Roman Catholic Church in Weehawken last Monday, congregants came to a prayer service with their heads bowed, their eyes slightly puffy, the lids rimmed with unshed tears. Men, women and children gathered in the dimly lit building, speaking in subdued voices, hands reaching out to friends, family, strangers. To each other they offered words of encouragement; they offered words of hope.
In the aftermath of the World Trade Center tragedy on Sept. 11, residents of Hudson County have come to houses of worship in record numbers. They are people of all ages, all races, and all faiths. They are searching for answers – a need to make sense out of the senseless, to find hope where there appears to be no hope, to find peace among the silence.
Hudson County is not the only county witnessing a religious rebirth. According to USA today, a religious renaissance is sweeping across the nation as last weekend "priests, ministers, rabbis and imams across the country reflected on Americans’ feelings of loss and grief…as millions packed religious services."
Seeking Faith
For Saint Lawrence Church the increase in attendance was exemplified during last weekend’s services, said Father Bob Emery, the church’s pastor. The church printed 600 church bulletins to hand out to parishioners during their six services. On an average weekend, there are bulletins left over. Last weekend there were none.
"When there’s a tragedy in people’s lives, they turn to God," Emery said. "Any person of faith looks to God for strength, support and the courage to go on."
Father Tom Iwanowski, the Pastor for Our Lady of Czestochowa, a Roman Catholic Church in Jersey City, agrees that his church has also seen a steady stream of parishioners and newcomers filling up the pews. "Our normal attendance on Sunday would be around 275 and last week the attendance was around 400, about 35 percent higher [than normal]," he said.
Jim Goodness, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Newark, confirmed that attendance in northern New Jersey’s Catholic churches is definitely on the rise since the Twin Towers collapse almost two weeks ago. "People are looking for hope, they are looking for guidance," he said. "It’s obvious in the North Jersey area that there were people affected by this tragedy. An event like this jars people dramatically. People may return to their faith, maybe seek the faith and maybe even find the faith."
The Catholic Church is not the only religious institution experiencing the influx. The Community Church in Hoboken, a Reformed/Methodist church, reported that their congregation has grown as well. Their Sunday service normally sees 65 to 75 people in attendance. This past Sunday attendance rose to 105, said Pastor Faith Link.
Sermons of hope
At Saint Lawrence Church in Weehawken, the homily for Monday’s prayer service was a message of hope resurrected through the display of service and support being offered throughout the county.
"I think we have all been touched over the past few days by many stories of people who have put others before themselves in service," said Emery from the pulpit. "The goodness of humanity shines forth – even in the face of terrible sadness. Somehow with God’s help, good overcomes evil."
At Our Lady of Czestochowa, Iwanowski sent a similar message to his parishioners. "In the days since [the tragedy], there have been tens of thousands of people…who have shown love and compassion, caring for the injured, searching for the missing, praying for the dead…in the long run, evil and hatred never win," he said.
For Pastor Link, there is no doubt that God’s presence can be felt in the aftermath of tragedy. "When I saw that building collapse I thought ‘Where is God?’" she said from her home on Wednesday. "But when you see everyone coming together, and you hear the story of the [New York] Fire Department chaplain who went into that building and the rescue workers sacrificing their lives and people volunteering – when people do things like that – that is the spirit of God moving us."
Coming Full Circle
In the wake of America’s most horrendous terrorist attack, houses of worship have become a haven for those mourning not only the loss of lives, but the loss of a way of life.
"After the trauma that people went through, the loss of innocence, they’re going back to the fundamentals…" said Weehawken mayor Richard Turner at Monday’s prayer service. "The most common words I heard last Tuesday [as refugees from Manhattan debarked from ferries in Hudson County] were ‘Just help me get home.’ Home is safety…and the church is home."
"As children, when there is a problem, we go to our parents," said Iwanowski. "In a crisis, we tend to go back to the things that are most rooted in our lives: mother, father, family and church."
While churches, synagogues, temples and mosques around the country experience a resurgence of congregates, a renewed patriotism is also brewing, helping many to cope with their feelings of loss. American flags, a symbol of pride usually reserved for nationwide holidays like the Fourth of July and Veterans Day, are now waving proudly in every neighborhood. They can be seen adorning flag post in front of homes, windows of apartments, car antennas and even backpacks.
"Patriotism is the same as [faith]" said Mayor Turner. "It’s about being united. Everybody realizes you have to get through this together."