EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP - Crisply dressed in his dark blue military uniform, his black shoes polished to a spit shine, Bill Loder looked in every way the archetypal modern-day hero.

He recently returned home to his Egg Harbor Township family after serving 156 grueling days as fire chief at the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.

On Saturday, Loder and other military personnel, firefighters, police officers and other participants in the war against terrorism were recognized during a church service that also paid tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.

"Good people must stand up and stop what is evil. ... We won't let it continue," the Rev. Joseph Ferrara, pastor of the Church of St. Katharine Drexel, told parishioners in an emotional homily that mixed patriotism with piety.

The ceremony was the first of three Masses the Roman Catholic church will celebrate this weekend at the Egg Harbor Township Intermediate School to commemorate the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Ferrara has invited firefighters, police officers, emergency personnel and members of the military to attend the services in uniform so that they can be honored.

At the conclusion of Saturday's Mass, Loder, a member of the church, presented Ferrara with an American flag that was carried in a U.S. warplane during a mission over Afghanistan. Loder said the flag symbolized America's resolve to fight terrorism and would also serve as a reminder of the tragic events of Sept. 11.

"The event is still overwhelming to me," he said in an interview after the services. "It's hard to put into words. But this type of ceremony helps in the healing process so that people won't ever forget what happened."

Ferrara said Sept. 11 would be remembered in the same way that Americans remember the day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

"You'll remember that moment for years to come," he said. "And really, that is what we must do."

Ferrara said Americans are understandably confused and frustrated as they continue to struggle to come to terms with the terrorist attacks. He argued they should not look upon the events of Sept. 11 as a tragic ending, but rather as a resurrection, a new beginning.

"In the midst of all the tragedy and all the crises, we can't forget our faith," he said. "It's a message of salvation, from our perspective."

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