9/11 Mass in DC Calls Catholics to Choose Forgiveness

Twenty-five years after the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil, faith leaders gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception with a surprising message about what comes next.

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, told Catholics that while mourning the 2,977 victims of 9/11 comes naturally, the harder work is choosing forgiveness. "I cannot change another, or his or her perceptions," he reflected during his homily. "But I can change mine."

The afternoon Mass on September 11, 2026, capped a day of somber commemorations across New York City, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The shrine's largest bell tolled 25 times at 9:37 a.m., marking the moment American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon just five miles away.

Archbishop Broglio spent much of his homily honoring the first responders who rushed into danger that clear September morning. "So many of the police and firefighters who rushed into that situation died in the catastrophe," he said. Thousands more have died in the years since from 9/11-related illnesses, carrying the toxic effects of their heroism for shorter lifetimes than expected.

Drawing on the Gospel of John, he reminded mourners of Jesus's words about the greatest love being to lay down one's life for friends. Those first responders embodied that love, setting aside every instinct for self-preservation to care for others.

Why This Inspires

In an age when division feels easier than dialogue, Archbishop Broglio's message challenges us to choose the harder path. He acknowledged that seeking justice for crimes against human dignity is natural, and that forgiveness feels nearly impossible.

But his words offer a practical roadmap: you don't have to change anyone else's mind or perceptions. You can adjust your own approach and become an instrument of reconciliation by drawing on grace.

Masses were held at multiple locations to mark the anniversary, including a vigil at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York and a Red, White & Blue Mass in Allentown, Pennsylvania, that began precisely at 8:46 a.m., when the first plane struck.

The call for reconciliation, dialogue, and rebuilding our common humanity echoes louder each year as the anniversary reminds us that healing is still unfinished work.