Cork rector: I saw the Twin Towers collapse, it changed my life

The Rev Elise Hanley, originally from New York City, will lead the midday service at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral in Cork city on September 11 - the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

Elise, who saw in real time the Twin Towers collapse as she stood outside her apartment building in New York, says the atrocity would make her reconsider her station in life.

At the time, she was studying for a Bachelor of Fine Arts at New York University’s Tisch School of Arts. She went on to work on Broadway in theatre production. But it wasn’t fulfilling enough.

“I think, for many of us, 9/11 kind of made us reconsider our jobs, what’s important in life, and how best to serve people,” says Elise, who is the Rector of Cobh and Glanmire Union of Parishes.

“I always felt a sense of a call from the time I was very little.”

Elise lives in the Church of Ireland Rectory in Glounthane with her husband Chris Ashley, their three cats and two dogs. Her brother Tom, who was only 12 when the planes crashed into the Twin Towers, is now a New York City fire-fighter. He was very much influenced by the terror attack when it came to his career choice, says Elise.

While Elise - whose grandfather Michael Hanley emigrated from Beara in West Cork to America - was brought up as Catholic, she questioned everything she was taught when she was a young woman. Elise, now aged 44, became an Episcopalian.

“It seemed to better suit my understanding of God in the world of my beliefs,” she explained.

“The Episcopal Church ordains women and is open to LGBTQ people. I feel we’re all on a journey to find the best way to be ourselves.”

Elise has a Master's in divinity and has held associate Rector posts in three churches in New York.

She explains that here, Episcopalians are part of the Church of Ireland and of the Anglican Communion.

At the St Fin Barre’s Cathedral service this week, she will give a homily from her perspective as an eyewitness of 9/11. Elise will talk about the late Fr Mychal Judge, whom she admired. He was chaplain to the New York City fire department and had forebears in Leitrim.

Fr Judge was on site at the Twin Towers on that terrible September day.

“There are videos of him just praying and looking very troubled,” said Elise. “Many of us who are ordained or involved in the church think of him as someone who showed up and witnessed what was happening.

“His death was the first certified death as a result of the attack.”

When atrocities like 9/11 happen, and devastating events such as the flood that happened in Nepal recently, we might ask, ‘where is God in all this?’ Elise agrees that it is very hard to understand such tragedies.

“Those of us who are Christian rightly believe that God became human through Jesus who suffered a terrible death. God didn’t stop it or try to prevent it.

“Jesus showed us that we have to suffer in this life inevitably, and yet God is still in the midst of it.

“I believe that God witnesses and God weeps with us when we weep, and is joyful when we experience joy.

“It would be easier to say that God controls the world and sends evil for a reason and sends good for a reason. I don’t think that’s actually our God.”

While the Catholic Church has seen a sizable decline in its congregation, Elise says: “All churches are facing drops in attendance, not just here but also back in the States.

“The crisis in the Catholic Church is due to clergy behaving badly. But there’s been behaviour like that in all Christian denominations over time. It has affected people’s trust.

“I also think we’re in an age now where the world is at our fingertips with the internet. We can do whatever we want. Families are busier than ever. There are more opportunities than there were 40 or 50 years ago.”

Is Elise trying to win people back to the church?

“I don’t see it as winning people back. I see the church as being there for people when they need it.

“That might not always look like showing up every Sunday. But there are always times when people need community and need prayer and the sacraments.”

Elise says there is “an interesting trend back in the States where the church is seeing more of (Gen Z) people in their twenties”.

She adds: “Throughout time, the pendulum swings from one extreme to the other. I wouldn’t be shocked if more young people eventually come back to church as they age and have kids.”

Elise doesn’t think it hypocritical when people who usually have no dealings with the church, decide to marry in a church and have their children receive the sacraments.

“I can see how some would see that as hypocritical. But I am here for people when they need the church. I’m not God.

“I’ll let God judge. I’ll just be there for people.”

Elise, whose husband works in the diocesan office, says the couple love living in Cork.

“It’s a slower pace of life. We love being close to the city. People have been very kind, friendly and understanding.”

Do she and Chris discuss ecclesiastical matters when off duty?

“Inevitably, religion comes up. Chris trained in theology as well.

“We see everything through a certain lens. What is God doing in the world? We keep it light; we both have a crazy sense of humour.

“We sing in choirs and I have just started guitar lessons.”

Life in the rectory sounds very civilised...