Father George Rutler Helping People in Times of Crisis

When people in society are struggling with uncertainty in their lives, it is natural for those around them to step up and help them out wherever they can. Whether it involves someone having difficulty paying rent, or a family member passing away, or even a natural disaster completely damaging their home, there is always a community of people who stand behind that person and assist in helping them get back on their feet.

A community is based around the idea of treating others the way you want to be treated, and during times of crisis, offering a helping hand is the right thing to do.

Father George Rutler, the pastor of the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in New York, is a prime example of an individual who will always offer his love and support to anyone who needs it. He has spent many years in New York City.

Before he earned his current position, he was appointed by Cardinal Egan as the pastor of the Church of Our Savior. Previous to becoming a pastor, he served as an associate pastor for several churches in the city, including St. Joseph’s in Bronxville, Our Lady of Victory on Wall Street, and St. Agnes in Midtown Manhattan.

While serving as an associate pastor for St. Agnes Rutler was going about his daily routine when the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers erupted on September 11th, 2001.

In an interview, he recalled what had happened, “I heard this plane and it sounded like it was right over (Grand Central) terminal. I thought that’s a very big plane, why is it flying so low? And as I was that I heard this distant thud. I immediately knew it hit something.”

Rutler was perplexed and overwhelmed with the events that had taken place, but he knew people were in danger, and realized he must do something to help.

George Rutler did not hesitate and ran three and a half miles until he got to the towers in lower Manhattan. After witnessing the horror of the site, he rushed to Old St. Peter’s Church to obtain holy oils.

His goal was to free the people in crisis of their sins in order to allow them to safely make their journey to heaven. In addition, he also assisted policemen with dragging bodies into the church to keep them out of harm’s way. Without a second thought, he immediately began helping the people in crisis and did whatever he could to be of service to his fellow community members.

After being of service to the people and policemen of New York City, the pastor was honored by the City Council of New York and the City of Dallas named him an honorary firefighter. By his selfless acts, he was recognized for them and did all he could to try and turn around a completely tragic situation, where many innocent civilians lost their lives.

Father Rutler wants several lessons to be taken away from this article. First off, he wants people to understand that in the heat of the moment, there is no time to think. If someone you know is in danger, you help in any way you can.

Secondly, no act of kindness is too small. Although he knew he could not stop the towers from collapsing or help those who were stuck inside of the building, he offered his aid wherever he thought it would be useful.

And, last but not least, people must learn to be more selfless. In times of crisis, nothing matters other than being of service to other people and not just concentrate on saving yourself. A community cannot function without selflessness, and that is the way a community should be.

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