Rev. James Cooper, rector of Trinity Church on Wall Street talks about the financial crisis, 9-11 and faith.Located on Wall Street and Broadway in the heart of Manhattan's Financial District, and believed to be the wealthiest parish in the United States due to its large landholdings of prime Manhattan real estate, Trinity has served as the spiritual home of the city's rich and poor for centuries.
Church buildings were used as hostels and soup kitchens during the Great Depression. On 9/11 people fled to the church, which is located just four blocks from where the towers once stood, to escape the pandemonium on the streets. They received spiritual comfort but shelter was short-lived, as they sang hymns, the first tower collapsed and the church was filled with the choking dust that blanketed much of lower Manhattan, forcing the evacuation of the church and its nearby preschool.
Trinity is now trying to help people who have been affected by the brewing financial crisis, offering free spiritual and psychological counseling, stress management tips and assistance with job searches. I spoke with the Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper, 17th rector of the Parish of Trinity Church, about what he and his parish have learned about getting through difficult times.
Interview is here-
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2008/10/20/findrelig.DTL
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