By Maria Luisa Torres
When Ib Lauritzen of Houston, Texas walked through the doors of St. Paul’s Chapel just before noon on Tuesday, May 20, he was unaware how special his visit would be. As he entered, he was told by security officer Kevin J. Mulligan that he was the 500,000th visitor to the exhibition on the chapel’s ministry to Sept. 11 recovery workers.
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| Ib Lauritzen, (from left), the 500,000th visitor to St. Paul's Chapel since Sept. 11, 2002, alongside his wife, Grethe, their son, Kenneth, and their daughter, Tina North. |
“This is such a wonderful surprise,” said Lauritzen, as he and his family received a token gift to mark the occasion. Natives of Denmark and long-time residents of Houston, Lauritzen and his wife, Grethe, were in town visiting their son, Kenneth. They were accompanied by their daughter Tina North, a teacher in Dallas. It was the couple’s second visit to St. Paul’s.
Built in 1766, St. Paul’s is adjacent to the former World Trade Center. For eight months following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the chapel provided a place for thousands of recovery workers to eat, sleep, and receive emotional, spiritual and medical support. St. Paul’s was closed to the public for the duration of the ministry.
On the first anniversary of the attack, the parish launched the exhibit, “Out of the Dust: A Year of Ministry at Ground Zero,” to honor the ministry.
Mulligan, a security officer for St. Paul’s and Trinity Church, enjoys greeting and guiding visitors at both churches, but especially at St. Paul’s.
“Sometimes people walk in, go through the exhibit and walk out with tears in their eyes,” he said. “It’s a very special experience for a lot of people.
“I’ve really enjoyed working here, meeting different people from all over the country – and the world.”
Rosemary English, a sales associate for St. Paul’s Welcome Center, agrees. “People just keep coming. Everyone who visits New York wants to come to Ground Zero.”
