He lost his religion on 9/11, but the pope restores his faith

Brother of man killed in Twin Towers says Francis 'exudes welcome'

NEW YORK -- Jim Giaccone lost two things on September 11th - his older brother, Joe, from Monroe Twp., and his faith. People offered condolences in the weeks after the attacks, but none of their cliches - "God took him for a reason" - answered his central question: Why?"

"On September 11th, a lot of people went toward the church, and a lot of people went away. I was in that latter group," he said Friday after he left Ground Zero.

Joseph Giaccone worked at Cantor-Fitzgerald as the head of telecommunications when he was killed at the age of 43, leaving behind a wife and two children. The family had just moved into their new Monroe, N.J., home a few months before his death.

His brother Jim has kept active as a volunteer for Tuesday's Child, the charity for children who lost a parent that day, but still felt a spiritual void, he said. He applied for tickets to see Pope Francis so he could take his 86-year-old aunt, who goes to church every day - or at least that's the excuse he gave himself, he said.

He called the service "near-perfect." The Muslim iman was so eloquent, Giaccone said, he wanted to leap onstage and hug him - and this from a man who said he harbored deep resentment toward Muslims for a long time.

"I go down to Ground Zero with a heavy heart all the time," he said, "but today, I saw beauty," he said. This pope - with his message of peace and inclusion - has made a fan out of Giaccone.

"I really like this pope. He exudes welcome," he said. "So, you never know: He might be the catalyst to renew or invigorate my faith."

Kathleen O'Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com, or at (732) 902-4557. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.