THE VAULT HELD!!! the fire stayed ABOVE it!! Only a small part of the vault collapsed. The interior seems to be relatively untouched.
Apparently the great rose window is intact, though the two smaller ones (the north and south windows) are probably gone.
French reporter who was allowed into Notre Dame de Paris with President Macron on a brief 5-7 minute tour is saying the inside is largely preserved, with the Altar and the walls intact, even the rows of chairs still in place. There is a massive hole in the roof obviously. The Crown of Thorns and the Cloak of Saint Louis had been removed previously safe.
A cross made from steel beams found in the rubble of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York stand outside St. Peter’s Church in New York Aug. 17. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)
Today is the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Let us be united in prayer for the souls lost, the families and friends who continue to mourn and for the gift of peace.
O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.
We ask you in your goodness
to give eternal light and peace
to all who died here—
the heroic first-responders:
our fire fighters, police officers,
emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel,
along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy
simply because their work or service
brought them here on September 11, 2001.
We ask you, in your compassion
to bring healing to those
who, because of their presence here that day,
suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families
and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope.
We are mindful as well
of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Our hearts are one with theirs
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.
God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love
those whose hearts and minds
are consumed with hatred.
God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.
Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.
This prayer was composed by Pope Benedict XVI and delivered on April 20, 2008, during his visit to the site of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York.
A prayer for those in the path of
Hurricane Matthew
O Lord Jesus Christ, who stopped the raging sea by the firm word of Thy command, saying, “Peace, be still!”, so also visit us with Thy might and mercy, further sending this hurricane to die in the abyss of the Sea, and show mercy, show mercy to all in its path. For Thou art the True God, Almighty and All-merciful, to whom we ascribe thanks and glory, with Thy beginning-less Father, and the Most-Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
THE VAULT HELD!!! the fire stayed ABOVE it!! Only a small part of the vault collapsed. The interior seems to be relatively untouched.
A prayer for those in the path of