News

Pastor who ministered at Ground Zero to speak on the experience

By Lightning Reports, Published: September 3, 2021

In 2001, Lyndon Harris was serving as priest in charge of St. Paul’s Chapel, an Episcopal chapel directly across the street from the World Trade Center.

Harris was there when the terrorists attacked and the Twin Towers collapsed. For the next eight months, he served first responders and emergency personnel by setting up a relief mission, providing a safe haven from the devastation at Ground Zero. He and a team of volunteers worked tirelessly to provide more than a half million meals, chiropractic care, grief counseling, religious services and even concerts for the 9/11 workers. For the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, Harris will return to Saint Paul’s to be a part of the Calling of Names Ceremony and to offer a reflection for the volunteers.

Harris now serves as the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Carolina Foothills, a congregation with members from several towns along I-74 and I-26. On Sunday, Sept. 5, at 10:30 a.m., he will share stories and lessons from his harrowing experience and its aftermath. The event will take place at the Whimsical World Gallery on 116 Jones Street in Landrum, S.C.

In the 20 years since the World Trade Center disaster, Harris has dedicated his time and energy to a mission of Forgiveness, and inspired the creation of “Gardens of Forgiveness” in several countries. There’s even a local one in Zirconia, where Harris and his wife, Maria, now live. He continues to serve as speaker, coach, and workshop leader to churches and organizations around the globe.