9/11 Chaplain Answered Call to Service at Ground Zero

Lisa-Jayne Lewis reached Ground Zero in late February of 2002.

She arrived more than five months after the attack on the World Trade Center, even as rescue workers were still searching for victims in the debris of the Trade Towers.

She was 24 years old, a youth pastor with the Salvation Army in Boston, Massachusetts, who had moved to the United States from the United Kingdom in 2000.

Arriving in New York City with a team from the Massachusetts Division of the Salvation Army, Lisa-Jayne was assigned to work as a chaplain.

Despite initial trepidation, she provided critical assistance to the search-and-rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero, reciting a prayer wherever a victim was found. She also provided support for family members who had lost someone in the wreckage.

In late March 2002, Lisa-Jayne led a Palm Sunday service at the World Trade Center cross, a formation of steel beams found among the debris at Ground Zero.

In addition to her chaplaincy, she helped to provide other 9/11 responders with basic necessities such as water, food, and clothing.

Lisa-Jayne’s contributions in the months after 9/11 were enormous, a demonstration of the collective sacrifices that were – and remain to the present day – invaluable to the grieving families and a nation in the midst of tragedy.

She later went to Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to provide chaplaincy and logistical support.

Though Lisa-Jayne has since returned to England, we will never forget her legacy of service.

There were more than 100,000 responders at Ground Zero, each of whom has a story to share.

We encourage you to share your own 9/11 story with us at Barasch & McGarry, by contacting patrick@baraschmcgarry.com.

We also urge 9/11 responders to register with the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) and enroll in the free World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program, if eligible.

The health program provides free, comprehensive medical care to responders and survivors for their 9/11-related conditions, which include 69 different types of cancer and many severe respiratory illnesses, at hospitals across the United States.

The victim fund offers tax-free awards for pain and suffering, lost earnings, and benefits for surviving spouses and family members.

To register with the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and enroll in the World Trade Center Health Program, visit 911victims.com or call 212-385-8000 today.

Barasch & McGarry, Lawyers for the 9/11 Community, represents more than 35,000 members of the 9/11 community.