Notre Dame lecture reflects on 9/11 experiences 25 years later

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The University of Notre Dame marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with a lecture Thursday featuring firsthand accounts from people who experienced the day from different parts of the country.

The Jeanie Poole O'Shaughnessy Memorial Lecture brought together U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Notre Dame President Emeritus Father Edward Malloy, Senior Advisor to March for Life Education Jennie Bradley Lichter and Notre Dame Trustee James J. Dunne.

The panelists reflected on where they were when the attacks happened, how the events affected their communities and the lasting lessons they believe younger generations can take from the tragedy.

Lichter, a Notre Dame alumna, recalls being on campus when the attacks occurred. She said many students were dismissed from class and spent the day together watching the news.

“A lot of my friends and my roommates had similar experiences. They went to their 9:30 classes and they were promptly dismissed,” Lichter said. “So then we then just spent the morning watching TV and being together, which is really all that I think we could do.”

Kavanaugh recalls being at the White House, where he was serving as associate counsel to President George W. Bush, when the attacks unfolded.

He describes Secret Service agents directing people away from the White House as the threat became apparent.

“Secret Service agents saying, ‘Run, sprint, ladies, take off your heels and sprint,’ and we were all kind of sprinting out the gate toward Lafayette Park,” Kavanaugh says.

Malloy, who was Notre Dame's president at the time, recalls organizing a Mass on campus that afternoon in response to the attacks.

He says one of the most memorable moments came during the Lord's Prayer, when members of the congregation locked arms.

“At the end of Mass it was utter silence. It was as if nobody wanted to give that up.” Malloy says.

The panel also focused on how to preserve the memory of Sept. 11 for generations who have no firsthand memories of the attacks.

“The thing that I would want young people to really understand is that you’re going to have serious and significant challenges,” Dunne says. “It may not be planes flying into a building. You’ve got to start building your resiliency.”