Church hit by twin tower debris to reopen

New York’s historic Trinity Church, filled with ash and shards of glass from the terrorist attacks on the nearby World Trade Centre, will reopen for worship on Sunday.

The 300-year-old Episcopal parish has held services at a Catholic church nearby since the September 11 attacks.

Sunday’s service will include prayers for victims of the trade centre disaster, according to John Allen, a spokesman for the parish.

The 1846 neo-Gothic edifice, just 300 yards from the trade centre ruins, suffered no damage to its structure or stained glass but was showered with debris.

The church serves 1,000 parishioners, Allen said.

When the first plane struck one of the towers, children were filing into the parish preschool. Hand-in-hand, they were led to safety. After the first tower collapsed, stunned rescue workers staggered into the church seeking shelter.