First Responders Saluted, 9/11 Remembered

Among the many lessons and stories enduring from Sept. 11, 2001, are those of the dedication and ultimate sacrifice of the police officers, firefighters and EMS workers at ground zero.

_Lower Skippack Mennonite Church's annual Fireman's Sunday, which this year was held on the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, honored local emergency responders for putting aside personal comfort and safety in the service of their communities.

Upper Salford Fire Co., Worcester Fire Co., , Skippack EMS, ., , , _Montgomery County Critical Incident Stress Management Team (CISM) and . were among the organizations represented at the Sunday morning service.

The Montgomery County CISM team was the first from Pennsylvania to respond to ground zero after the attacks a decade ago.

“Everyone has a story,” one of their representatives remarked.

One of the stories shared that morning was from Karen Renzo, who discussed the loss of her “first friend,” her beloved brother Ken Van Auken.

Ken, 47, worked on the 105^th floor of Tower One; he left the following message on the family’s answering machine after the tower was hit:

“I love you. I’m in the World Trade Center. Something has hit the building …. I hope I can get out. … I love you very much. I hope I’ll see you later…bye.”

His wife, Lorie, was downstairs at the time and missed the call. His family attempted to call him at work, but it was to no avail.

In the intervening years, Lorie became part of the activist group of September 11 widows, nicknamed the “Jersey Girls.”

Their children, Sarah and Matt, who were 12 and 14 when Ken died, have grown into accomplished young adults, Renzo said. Matt is in his second year of medical school, while Sarah lives in Philadelphia and is performing in an off-Broadway show.

Renzo said her lessons from that day include that “God’s grace is sufficient. … It cushioned me to go on in my life when I didn’t want to.
“I learned that I am not in control, God is. He is not the author of this terrible tragedy, but He is the author of this world,” she said. “God’s love is stronger than death. That, for me, is the ultimate lesson of 9/11.”

After Renzo spoke, uniformed personnel and church members watched a montage of photos of the attacks and the aftermath. Music by Enya and Mariah Carey played throughout the presentation; the crowd was quiet with the exception of the occasional sniffle and cough Men and women wiped at their eyes with handkerchiefs.

“There wasn’t a dry in the house,” said Roberta Bracken, of the Skippack Fire Company, after the service. “It doesn’t matter how many years it’s been. You still get choked up.”

Pastor Charles Graff, himself a former firefighter, referred to Luke 13:1 (NKJV), in which Jesus discussed the fall of the tower of Siloam.

“Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

“The people who caused (the Twin Towers) to fall were bad, evil people,” Graff said with his voice breaking. The ancient Hebrews believed those killed when the tower of Siloam fell were being punished for their sins, Graff said, but that wasn’t the case then or on September 11, 2001.

“God didn’t gather these 3,000 people together to kill them. … They are no worse or better than anyone else.”

Graff said the question that remains in this situation is, “Why?”

He spoke of his son who was killed by a hit-and-run driver when he was 9 years old.
It’s been 20 years. “To this day, I don’t know why,” he said.

He encouraged those present to “make things right with God,” because “you don’t know when the tower is going to fall.”
“You folks,” he said to the emergency responders, “every single day face life and death, and you do it with eyes wide open.”

After the service, many of the company members said how they appreciated the recognition and what the church did for them.