A Community that Cannot Forget Comes Together to Recollect
As the eyes of the world briefly focus on Lower Manhattan, local houses of worship will mark the quarter-century anniversary of the terrorist attacks that devastated the community, with intimate remembrances both somber and uplifting.
Trinity Church will begin its cycle of observance in the churchyard of St. Paul’s Chapel (Broadway and Fulton Street) at 8:46am on Friday, September 11, the precise moment of the first plane’s impact at the North Tower. Along with houses of worship around the city, Father Phil Jackson will ring the Bell of Hope (a gift from the City of London to New York) in a pattern of “four fives” – the traditional New York firefighters’ salute to fallen comrades.
Also in St. Paul’s Chapel – which for nine months after the attacks served as a 24-hour respite center for rescue and recovery workers – a musical reflection at 10am will encourage quiet contemplation, and a Calling of the Names ceremony at 1pm will honor September 11 rescue and recovery workers who have since died.
At the Chapel, visitors will see “Ever Present,” a new art work commissioned by Trinity Church consisting of 2,977 origami paper cranes floating above the nave, each representing a life lost that morning. Artist Talo Kawasaki says, “I remember the day; I remember the skies,” adding that shades of blue used in the paper birds (which were folded, under his guidance, by volunteer Trinity parishioners) are meant to evoke the cerulean heavens of that morning.
A few blocks south on Broadway, Trinity Church will host a “Remembrance: 9/11” concert at 6pm with the Trinity Choir, Trinity Youth Chorus, Downtown Voices, and NOVUS (Trinity’s contemporary music ensemble) performing Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem” and Morten Lauridsen’s “Lux Aeterna.”
Father Jackson says, “my takeaway from September 11, from my faith and from working alongside the men and women of Trinity, is that this is our neighborhood, and we’re not going anywhere. We’re going to stay right here, where we’ve been for more than 300 years. We’re going to remember the things that have happened, but we will always be here and we will always serve Lower Manhattan.”
Separately, Tamid NYC: The Downtown Synagogue, which also meets in St. Paul’s Chapel, will observe Rosh Hashanah Eve (which falls on September 11) with a “25 Years of Remembering: A Gathering for 9/11 Jewish Families” ceremony at 6:30pm tomorrow. Tamid member Joe Daniels, the founding president (emeritus) of the National September 11th Memorial & Museum, will speak about the significance of this anniversary. To register, please email connect@tamidnyc.org.
Tamid NYC’s founding rabbi, Darren Levine, says, “the convergence of the Jewish New Year and the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001 offers a profound moment to remember the events that have shaped the identity of our community. It’s a chance to reflect on the courage, strength, and unity that was so genuine and real after September 11, and to draw on that spirit and hope as we enter a new year and new chapter.”
The Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine (located in the elevated Liberty Park) will hold its annual 9/11 Interfaith Prayer Service, starting at 3pm. A gathering of faith leaders, first responders, families of victims, survivors, public officials, and members of the broader community, this event reflects the mission of the church as “a House of Prayer for all people.”