by STEPHANIE GASKELL
Anthony Palombo went to Ground Zero Sunday to honor his father and his faith.
Palombo entered a Washington seminary after his father, Frank, a firefighter with Ladder 105 in Brooklyn, was killed on 9/11.
"When he died, I went though a very rebellious stage," said the New Jersey native, who is studying to be ordained a Catholic priest. "It was the church that really helped me to see that my father is in heaven."
Palombo said it was "beautiful" to see Pope Benedict stand Sunday on the sacred ground where his dad was killed.
"We don't have remains to bury," he said. "So to have the Pope bless the spot where my father died means so much to us. There was a real need in our family for closure. This really helped my family a lot."
Palombo's mother, Jean, was one of the few family members allowed into The Pit with the pontiff. "I asked him to pray for me and he said he would," she said. "It was just an incredible moment."
Rose Mazza spent her time with the Pope telling him about her daughter, Port Authority Police Capt. Kathy Mazza, who was killed at the World Trade Center.
"I wanted him to know who she was and that she did good things. He smiled at me and held my hand," she said, holding the rosary beads the Holy Father gave her during the ceremony.
"He dispelled all this evil that's around here," she added.
"We can go on now."
Although many family members said the Pope's blessing gave them peace, others said they wished he would have urged the city to keep searching for remains.
"We're just saddened that he didn't include that in his message," said Anthony Gardner, whose brother Harvey's remains were never recovered.
Firefighter Tommy Riches, who lost his brother, Jim, also a firefighter, said it was difficult to stand in The Pit with the Pope.
"I was very nervous at first," said Riches, whose brother was with Brooklyn's Ladder 114. "Going down there is always emotional for me. But he brought a lot of comfort to a lot of families."
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