Remembering 9/11: Pope John Alumni Share stories of Courage and Resilience

On Friday, September 11, our high school and middle school students came together for a moving 9/11 remembrance assembly featuring two distinguished Pope John alumni, Lieutenant Commander Michael Zampella, United States Navy, and Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel Miller, United States Air Force. Through their personal stories, memories, and reflections, they offered our students a powerful reminder of the importance of service, resilience, courage, and unity.

Catholic Academy of Sussex County President Dan O'Keefe opened the assembly with a solemn prayer and Mr. Craig Austin introduced his classmate Lt. Cmdr. Zampella.

Lt. Cmdr. Zampella, Class of ’88, grew up in Newfoundland, where his family personally knew Father Mychal Judge, the former chaplain of the New York City Fire Department and the first confirmed fatality of the September 11 attacks. He shared his personal experiences from being in NYC on that tragic day and days that followed, reflecting on the profound impact September 11 had on our nation and how we live our day to day lives. Lt. Cmdr. Zampella was directly commissioned to the United States Navy following the attacks. His message to our students was one of perseverance and resilience, reminding them that there is always “goodness to be found.”

Lt. Col. Miller, Class of 2003, was a student at Pope John on September 11. He recalled how the news of the attacks spread through the school and how the events of that day unfolded from a student’s perspective. He spoke with great emotion about classmates trying to reach their parents who worked in New York City. One by one, those calls were answered—except for one.

That day, the Pope John community lost a beloved member of our family, Jean DePalma, mother of Drew and Jamie. Her loss remains a part of our school’s history and a reminder that September 11 was not simply a date in history, but a tragedy that touched families, communities, and people we knew and loved. Mrs. DePalma’s memory lives on in our Pope John community through the bench dedicated in her honor at the front of our campus.

Lt. Col. Miller presented our Vice President, Mr. Craig Austin, and Mr. Cole Farrand, Director of Alumni, with two flags which were flown on a KC-46 aircraft. He concluded by reminding our students that the things that divide us are far less important than the things we share.

We are grateful to Lt. Cmdr. Zampella and Lt. Col. Miller for their service to our nation, for their willingness to share such personal memories, and for the lessons they imparted to our students.

May we never forget those we lost and those whose lives were forever changed that day. May we honor the men and women who have served—and continue to serve—our nation. And may we always keep our nation in our prayers.