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American Morning

America Recovers: A Sign of Hope

Aired October 05, 2001 - 10:27   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: From the rubble of the World Trade Center, many crews have embraced what they see, and say is a symbol of hope and inspiration.

Workers have erected this cast iron cross, one sheered from one of the Twin Towers and fell almost upright into the atrium of the neighboring building. The cross section of support beams has become a memorial of sorts, and is described by rescue workers and blessed by a Franciscan Priest. That priest is now with us now.

The Father Brian Jordan sprinkled holy water on the 20 foot tall cross and describes it as a reason for hope. Good morning, father.

REV. BRIAN JORDAN, ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CHURCH: Good morning.

HEMMER: I talked to Frank Selecio (ph), the guy who found that on about, I think the September 13th, two days after. He had an interesting quote. He said, "[T]his is not about religion or any specific religion, it's about faith, faith in the human race."

You see it the same way?

JORDAN: Traditionally, Christians view the cross as a sign of the pain and suffering of Jesus, and also as a time of redemption. However, in this particular matter, this cross is a cross for all people, for all faith traditions. It's a sign of healing hope. We've been hurting for three weeks, and now we want to heal as a nation.

HEMMER: Give me a sense, father, of what the workers feel when they see this down there, when they receive communion from you and others.

JORDAN: Right, right. Well, we erected it yesterday, but it actually came from World Trade Center One, came into World Trade Center Six, we found it there.

And thanks to Mayor Giuliani and Deputy Mayor Joe Loder (ph), we put it out there. It is for the policemen, it is for firefighters and construction workers, Port Authority, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and all of the people there. This is not just their cross, this is Across. It's a sign of hope and healing for them through the communion, and through the visibility of the cross.

HEMMER: Again, what does it mean to them? What do they tell you?

JORDAN: They find great comfort, great solace, and many -- one particular firefighter says, the devil threw the first punch, and now God's going to clean up with us, and God's presence is among us.

HEMMER: It's not going to be used as a memorial, I understand. How will it be set up, where it will be installed?

JORDAN: For now, the memorial will be there on West Street between Liberty and Vesey Street, until I negotiate with the mayor's office. We would find a suitable outdoor memorial in recognition of those who died and missing, and also for the living, for the rescuers.

HEMMER: We are looking at a live picture again, ground zero, from what is happening today on this Friday. Can you give us a sense, you've been down there quite a bit.

JORDAN: Since day one.

HEMMER: Give us a sense of what you are seeing now, relative to the past three and a half weeks.

JORDAN: I see new hope. I see a new spirit among the men and women who are helping out there. American Red Cross, Salvation Army as well. I feel that there it a turn around. For three weeks we were hurting. Now because of that cross, this is a sign of beginning of new hope for all Americans.

HEMMER: When you're down there, do you ever stop and look around and think, and does it hit you still on a daily basis when you're down there?

JORDAN: Of course it does. I lost many good friends. A fellow Franciscan priest, friends from childhood who were firefighters, police officers, stock brokers. I lost a lot of good friends.

But I was hurting as they are hurting. It is painful. But I think through the pain, we understand what the true mystery of God's love is, and now we see God's love through the cross and the faces of all of the people there on ground zero.

HEMMER: Keep up the good work, all right.

JORDAN: Thank you.

HEMMER: Father Brian Jordan on a Friday morning. Thank you very much.

JORDAN: Thank you very much.

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