9/11 Widow Shares How Pope Francis Restored Her Faith at the Memorial

Pope Francis's 2015 US Visit

• 🇻🇦 Pope Francis's 2015 visit to the United States was his only trip to the US during his papacy, including stops in Washington, Philadelphia, and New York.
• 🇺🇸 During his New York visit, he attended an interfaith ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

Meeting the Pope at the Memorial

• 🎗️ Monica Iiken Murphy, a board member of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and founder of September's Mission Foundation, lost her husband Michael on 9/11.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Murphy had the opportunity to meet the Pope with her two daughters, Madison and Megan, who were eight and ten at the time.
• 💔 For Murphy, the memorial is the only place she feels connected to her husband, as she has no remains of him.

Restoring Faith and Belief

• 🕊️ Murphy shared that she almost lost her faith during 9/11 due to disputes over building the memorial on sacred ground.
• 🙏 The Pope's visit and his acknowledgment of the memorial as a sacred and hallowed space helped restore her faith and belief in God.
• 🤝 The Pope's affirmation was particularly powerful, especially when contrasted with initial disagreements from some religious leaders about building over the site.
• 🌟 Murphy felt that being in the Pope's presence was the closest she could get to God, and that he blessed the memorial, affirming its sacredness.