|PIC1|A cross-shaped steel beam that survived the 2001 World Trade Centre terrorist attack in New York was moved Thursday from Ground Zero to a nearby church, accompanied by victims' families, clergy and construction workers.

The cross has become a symbol of hope to thousands around the world following the attacks.

The 2-ton, 20-foot-high cross was placed on a flatbed truck for the three-block trip to St. Peter's Church, which served as a temporary morgue for Sept. 11 victims and as a sanctuary for rescue workers searching for human remains.

Construction worker Frank Silecchia found the artefact days after the 2001 attacks. He showed it to a minister, the Rev. Brian Jordan, and asked him what he saw.

"I said, `Frank, I believe that is a cross'," said Jordan, who dedicated the artefact at the site a month later. "We are all anxious for some type of God's presence."

Jordan led the procession, calling the cross "a sign of consolation and inspiration to workers who served at Ground Zero for the 10 months of recovery."

Land where the cross stood is being excavated for office towers and a Sept. 11 museum.

"This piece of steel meant more to many people than any piece of steel ever," said Richard Sheirer, head of the city Office of Emergency Management in 2001.

The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation has promised to eventually provide a permanent home for the cross, most likely at the World Trade Center Memorial Museum, which is to open in 2009.