STATEN ISLAND — A site housing a Catholic shrine that many people visited to pray and light candles of remembrance in the aftermath of 9/11 has been purchased by a nonprofit organization founded in memory of a firefighter who was killed that day.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation, founded in 2002 to honor the late Firefighter Stephen Siller, recently purchased the 4-acre property in the Meiers Corners neighborhood of Staten Island that houses the St. Paul Wayside Shrine, commonly known as Alba House.

Frank Siller, the foundation’s chairman and CEO and the brother of Stephen Siller, confirmed that the organization paid $17 million to purchase the property from its previous owner, the Society of St. Paul.

Tunnel to Towers builds mortgage-free accessible homes for physically disabled military veterans, Gold Star families, and survivors of fallen service members. The foundation also sponsors a 5K race each year.

Siller, who said the foundation plans to construct office space at the site, pledged to not only maintain the Alba House shrine but to enhance it so that it can continue welcoming visitors for generations to come. “We’re not going to fix it up a little. We’re going to fix it up a lot,” he told The Tablet.

The Society of St. Paul, a religious order of priests and brothers who publish books, magazines, and videos, opened Alba House 70 years ago. In addition to the shrine, the site also houses a bookstore. At one time, there was also a printing plant there. 

There are currently three buildings on the site, including a residence where  two priests and two brothers live. Father Jose Lopez, the priest in charge, said they will continue to reside there. 

He explained that Tunnel to Towers actually purchased three-quarters of the property while the Society of St. Paul held onto a quarter, a wooded area where the religious group plans to build a new chapel. “We are here to stay,” he said.

For the past 70 years, Alba House has provided a respite for people seeking a little quiet time to pray and gather their thoughts amid the hustle and bustle of city life. 

This was especially true right after 9/11 when New Yorkers were still reeling from the attack on the World Trade Center. In the days and weeks after the attack, many people arrived at Alba House to pray for the victims and their families.

According to Siller, that’s one of the reasons the foundation is a perfect fit for the property. 

“God opened the door for our foundation so many times over the last 22 years. And this is just another example. My family knew that this would be a perfect place to have a part of Tunnel to Towers because we know the history behind it and most certainly how it was used and how many people visited and prayed the days and weeks after 9/11,” he said.

“It is just a perfect fit for us to continue our mission to make sure that we never forget and honor the sacrifice of these great heroes, not just my brother Stephen, but all these heroes,” Siller added.

Stephen Siller, 34, who was the youngest of seven children of Mae and George Siller, two lay Franciscans, was a firefighter assigned to the FDNY’s Squad 1 in Park Slope on Sept. 11, 2001.

He was off duty that day but when he heard about the jetliners crashing into the Twin Towers, he set out for the site to help out. He made it as far as the entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel but found that it was closed to vehicular traffic. 

Lugging 60 pounds of gear, Siller traveled on foot through the tunnel to the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan, where he was killed.

Siller’s heroic trek from the tunnel to the Twin Towers is the reason the foundation is called Tunnel to Towers.

The Society of St. Paul, also known as the Paulines, is pleased that it will be able to maintain a presence on Staten Island, Father Lopez said. “New York is such an international city. So many different types of people come to Alba House. It is good we will be here for a long time to come,” he said.