Father George Rutler is pastor of Church St. Michael the Archangel in New York City. Rutler graduated from Dartmouth College, an Ivy League research university the offers a Biblical College program, becoming a Rufus Choate Scholar. The pastor was given many titles in the Catholic church that include Associate Pastor of St. Joseph’s in Bronxville, New York, and National Chaplain Legatus for Catholic business owners. Visit this website and see their MA in Biblical Studies program if you would like to become a pastor.
Father Rutler was the Associate Pastor at St. Agnes Church in the midtown section of Manhattan on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The pastor was busy at St. Agnes when on the morning of 9/11, he heard an airplane going over Grand Central Station. The sound of the plane made Rutler believe it was a large plane and shouldn’t be flying so low. Rutler heard the sound of a thud and knew the plane had hit something.
The pastor ran the three and a half blocks where he found firefighters and police officers outside the World Trade Center. When the pastor rushed to St. Peter’s church to get holy oils, he found the lifeless body of the priest lying in the rubble outside the old church. The priest’s body was carried into the church and placed in front of the altar. The policemen sat down on the pews and wept. It’s wrong according to the 10 Commandments to take any life. It was more horrific that a man of God was murdered because he believed differently than the terrorists on that airplane. The late priest and Rutler believed the bombing was a sin against God.
Pastor George Rutler believes in monotheism. Monotheism is the belief there is only one God. This one God is the leader of all of us around the world. Monotheism is one God but many different religious interpretations. In the bible, it states that people must only worship one God, our father in heaven; it’s stated twice in the 10 Commandments and in a few other bible scriptures. Other than the problem of worshipping another God, the Lord is loving and forgiving. We are taught that God is perfect and created the world in six days. Catholics are taught to rest on Sunday just as God did when he created the universe.
George Rutler is considered one of the most conservative priests in the United States. Rutler believes that God sent his son Jesus Christ to save us. Catholics believe, in life Jesus lived on Earth with us performing miracles. Christ’s death on the cross was meant to forgive our sins. To learn more, visit Father George Rutler’s homilies page.