Honoring Those We Lost 31 Years Ago in the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing

February 13, 2024

While more than three decades have passed since the February 26, 1993 World Trade Center bombing, we remain steadfast in our commitment to honor those who were lost.

As an agency, we will forever remember our friends and colleagues who were taken from us 31 years ago – Robert Kirkpatrick, Stephen Knapp, William Macko, and Monica Rodriguez Smith and her unborn child – who, along with Windows on the World employee Wilfredo Mercado and visitor John DiGiovanni, lost their lives in the attack that also injured more than 1,000 others.

As is tradition, we invite agency employees to join together once again to share memories and pay tribute to their lives.

The Port Authority will host a commemorative Mass of Remembrance on Monday, February 26, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, located on the corner of Church and Barclay Streets. The Mass honors the faith shared by our fallen friends and colleagues, and is open to all agency employees. Following the Mass, a ceremony will be held at the National September 11 Memorial plaza at noon.

For those who cannot attend the ceremony in person, the Mass will be livestreamed at www.panynj.gov. The annual ceremony on the National September 11 Memorial plaza will additionally be shared on their website, www.911memorial.org/watch.

As always, flags at all Port Authority facilities will fly at half-staff in remembrance of our fallen colleagues. A moment of silence will also be observed at 12:18 p.m., and we ask that you join us at that time in quiet reflection.

While many years have passed since that tragic day in our history, we continue to keep the memories of our fallen colleagues close to our hearts. We ask that you join us and reflect on our lost friends and their lasting legacies.