Cleanup to shut Ground Zero respite chapel

By Katherine Roth
Associated Press

Sharon Gunderson's music added to the restful mood at St. Paul's Chapel yesterday as Ground Zero workers arrived for a hot meal and some relaxation. The chapel will shut down just after Easter and resume prayer services in May. Associated Press

Tucked behind the World Trade Center, the chapel was covered with fine dust after the Twin Towers collapsed and has not been open to the general public since. Preservationists have said the dust may contain toxic substances that could damage the church.

The temporary closing for the cleanup, beginning just after Easter, will mark the end of the chapel's role as a spot where Ground Zero workers could enjoy a hot meal and some rest. Daily prayer services are expected to resume in May, after the cleaning.

"It was a terribly difficult decision. Unfortunately, we were at the point where we had to make it," said Nathan Brockman, a chapel spokesman.

A church fence has served as a shrine, and hundreds of cards and drawings are taped to the chapel's pews and walls. Nearby is the Ground Zero viewing platform.

The New York Historical Society plans to remove many of the objects for an exhibit.

The chapel, built in 1766, is where President Washington prayed after being inaugurated several blocks away.