09/11/2026
Twenty-five years.
It’s hard to believe that 25 years have passed since September 11, 2001.
But some days don’t really belong to history.
Some days remain in our hearts.
We remember where we were.
We remember the television pictures.
We remember the smoke, the confusion, the phone calls.
And most of all, we remember the people who never came home.
Today, as a Knight of Columbus, I want to remember our Brother Knights who made the ultimate sacrifice.
More than 40 Knights were among those lost as a result of the attacks of September 11th.
But today, I want to remember one man.
Deputy Chief Raymond M. Downey.
Ray was a member of Our Lady of the Rosary Knights of Columbus Council #4428 in Deer Park, New York.
He was a husband.
A father.
A Marine.
And a firefighter who dedicated 39 years of his life to the New York City Fire Department.
His fellow firefighters called him the “Master of Disaster.”
And there was a reason for that.
Ray spent his career going where others could not. He responded to some of the worst disasters imaginable, rescued people from burning buildings, trained countless firefighters, and earned medals for bravery.
Then came September 11th.
When the World Trade Center was attacked, Ray once again went toward the danger.
He knew people were trapped.
He knew people needed help.
So he went in.
And he never came home.
I think Ray’s story is something every Knight can understand.
Because our faith teaches us that charity, unity and fraternity aren’t simply words. They are things we are called to live.
Ray Downey lived those principles.
When someone needed help, he didn’t stop to ask who they were, whether they could repay him, or whether it was safe.
He simply helped.
That morning, he gave everything he had trying to save others.
His story is not just the story of a firefighter.
It is the story of a Brother Knight.
And his Knights of Columbus council is part of the legacy he left behind.
Because a council is more than a building.
More than meetings.
More than a name and a number.
It is brothers standing together.
Twenty-five years later, I hope we never allow the words “Never Forget” to become just another phrase.
Remember the 2,977 innocent people who lost their lives.
Remember the firefighters, police officers, EMS workers and all the first responders who answered the call.
Remember the families who woke up that morning expecting an ordinary day, only to have their lives changed forever.
And remember men like Raymond Downey.
A Brother Knight.
A husband.
A father.
A Marine.
A firefighter.
A hero.
The towers are gone.
But Ray’s example remains.
He reminds us that courage isn’t the absence of fear.
Courage is deciding that someone else’s life is worth more than your own safety.
Ray Downey made that decision.
And on September 11, 2001, he paid the ultimate price.
So today, 25 years later, let us remember Ray.
Let us remember all of our Brother Knights.
Let us remember every innocent life lost.
And let us remember the thousands of men and women who ran toward the danger while the rest of us were running away.
May God bless Raymond Downey.
May God bless our fallen Brother Knights.
May God bless their families.
May God bless every first responder who continues to answer the call.
And may God bless the United States of America.
🇺🇸 We remember.
🙏 We honor.
🕯️ We pray.
And we will never forget.
