Security Screening Comes to Trinity Wall Street and St. Paul's Chapel

On Saturday, three days after new security measures were put in place, visitors prepare to be screened. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib 

The line of worshipers waiting to enter Trinity Wall Street on Sunday morning was more than a sign of another well-attended 11:15 service during Lent. It was the result of newly established security measures. Beginning on March 1, all congregants as well as visitors to the church and its sister, St. Paul’s Chapel, at Broadway and Fulton Street, began passing through metal detectors and handing over bags for inspection.

There had been no threats to the churches, “other than our responsibility to keep our parishioners and visitors safe,” wrote an unnamed representative of Trinity Wall Street in response to written questions from the Trib. “These practices also are in line with those at other heavily trafficked buildings that are open to the public in New York City.”

“That said,” the representative added, “lower Manhattan is considered to be one of the country’s top terrorist targets.”

Parishioners are now asked to arrive 15 minutes before services for the first few weeks “as we gauge how the traffic flows,” the representative said.