Yesterday, as I have done in years past, I stepped to the microphone in my brown Franciscan habit and led the opening invocation for the Mount Washington Valley’s 9/11 Memorial.
I stood with neighbors, friends, strangers and fellow clergy. We remembered the nearly 3,000 people who died. We honored first responders and ordinary people who did extraordinary things. We remembered Flight 93. We prayed.
kAm%9:D J62C[ E9@F89[ x 42CC:65 2?@E96C AC2J6C H:E9 >6] (6 D2J “?6G6C 7@C86E” 6G6CJ $6AE] ``] x 7@F?5 >JD6=7 H@?56C:?8 H92E E9@D6 H@C5D 2D< @7 FD ?@H[ ad J62CD =2E6C] x AC2J65 E92E @FC C6>6>36C:?8 >:89E 364@>6 >@C6 E92? >6>@CJ[ E92E :E >:89E 364@>6 2 C64<@?:?8 H:E9 H9@ H6 2C6 ?@H 2?5 H9@ H6 2C6 42==65 E@ 36]k^Am
kAm{:<6 >2?J @7 J@F[ x C6>6>36C 6I24E=J H96C6 x H2D H96? E96 H@C=5 492?865]k^Am
kAmx H2D 2E 2 =682= 4@?76C6?46 @FED:56 w2CE7@C5[ r@??][ D:EE:?8 :? E96 324< C@H[ ?FCD:?8 4@=5 4@7766 2?5 3@C65 E@ E62CD] %96? 46== A9@?6D 2C@F?5 E96 C@@> 3682? E@ 3FKK] %96 >66E:?8 DE@AA65] !6@A=6 C2? 7@C E96:C 42CD 2?5 DE@@5 :? 92==H2JD >2<:?8 42==D]k^Am
kAmx H2?E65 @?=J @?6 E9:?8] x H2?E65 E@ 86E E@ >J 3@JD]k^Am
kAmx H2D 2 D:?8=6 525 E96?] %96J H6C6 J@F?8 2?5 :? D49@@= a_ >:=6D 2H2J] x 8@E :?E@ >J 42C[ EFC?65 @? E96 C25:@ 2?5 962C5 C6A@CED E92E D66>65 :>A@DD:3=6 E@ 4@>AC696?5] x <6AE 5:2=:?8 E96 D49@@=] tG6?EF2==J x H2D 9@>6[ 9@=5:?8 >J 3@JD H9:=6 H6 H2E4965 E96 A=2?6D[ E96 7:C6[ E96 D>@<6[ E96 E@H6CD 72==:?8] x 96=5 E96> 2?5 x H6AE]k^Am
kAmx? 2? :?DE2?E[ 6G6CJE9:?8 925 492?865]k^Am
kAm(92E 6>6C865 7C@> E96 9@CC@C H2D 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ 4@FC286] u:C67:89E6CD 4=:>365 DE2:CH6==D H9:=6 @E96CD H6C6 ECJ:?8 E@ 86E 5@H?] !2DD6?86CD 2?5 4C6H 23@2C5 u=:89E hb 7@F89E 324<] ~?6 @7 E9@D6 H9@ >@G65 E@H2C5 E96 DF776C:?8 H2D >J uC2?4:D42? 3C@E96C u2E96C |J492= yF586[ 492A=2:? E@ E96 }6H *@C< r:EJ u:C6 s6A2CE>6?E] w6 6?E6C65 E96 (@C=5 %C256 r6?E6C 4@>A=6I E@ >:?:DE6C E@ 7:C67:89E6CD 2?5 G:4E:>D] w6 5:65 E96C6]k^Am
kAmqC@E96C |J492= 6>3@5:65 D@>6E9:?8 2E E96 962CE @7 E96 uC2?4:D42? EC25:E:@?i :? E96 >:5DE @7 DF776C:?8[ 96 >@G65 4=@D6C]k^Am
kAm!6@A=6 C624965 7@C @?6 2?@E96C :? E9@D6 52JD] }6:893@CD 4964<65 @? ?6:893@CD] $EC2?86CD 6>3C2465] w@FD6D @7 H@CD9:A @A6?65 E96:C 5@@CD] u@C 2 H9:=6[ E96 42E68@C:6D H6 FD6 E@ D6A2C2E6 @FCD6=G6D D66>65 =6DD :>A@CE2?E] (6 H6C6 7C:89E6?65 2?5 8C:6G:?8[ 3FE H6 2=D@ F?56CDE@@5[ 9@H6G6C 3C:67=J[ E92E H6 36=@?865 E@ @?6 2?@E96C]k^Am
kAmx 5@?’E H2?E E@ C@>2?E:4:K6 E92E E:>6] |FD=:> p>6C:42?D H6C6 DF3;64E65 E@ DFDA:4:@? 2?5 G:@=6?46] $:<9 p>6C:42?D H6C6 2EE24<65 3642FD6 A6@A=6 >:DE@@< E96> 7@C |FD=:>D]k^Am
kAmu62C 3642>6 76CE:=6 8C@F?5 7@C DFCG6:==2?46[ 56E6?E:@? 2?5 H2CD H9@D6 9F>2? 4@DED H6 2C6 DE:== C64<@?:?8 H:E9]k^Am
kAm|6>@CJ ?665D 9@?6DEJ :7 :E :D 8@:?8 E@ E6249 FD 2?JE9:?8]k^Am
kAm$E:==[ E96C6 H2D D@>6E9:?8 C62= :? E96 H2J A6@A=6 C6DA@?565 E@ E96 9@CC@C] x? E96 7246 @7 F?:>28:?23=6 G:@=6?46[ D@ >2?J 49@D6 4@FC286[ D6CG:46 2?5 42C6 7@C @?6 2?@E96C] %92E[ E@@[ :D A2CE @7 H92E H6 >62? H96? H6 D2J[ “?6G6C 7@C86E]”k^Am
kAmqFE C6>6>3C2?46 :D >@C6 E92? AC6D6CG:?8 E96 724ED @7 H92E 92AA6?65] xE 2=D@ 2D<D H96E96C H6 92G6 =62C?65 2?JE9:?8 7C@> E96>]k^Am
kAm%H6?EJ\7:G6 J62CD =2E6C[ p>6C:42 :D AC@7@F?5=J 5:G:565] p #6FE6CD^xAD@D A@== C6=62D65 7@C E9:D 2??:G6CD2CJ 7@F?5 E92E e` A6C46?E @7 p>6C:42?D D2:5 :56@=@8J\5C:G6? 2EE24<D 7C@> H:E9:? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D A@D6 2 8C62E6C E9C62E E92? 7@C6:8? E6CC@C:DED] x 7:?5 E92E AC@7@F?5=J D25]k^Am
kAm%96 E6CC@C @7 $6AE6>36C ``E9 H2D 3@C?[ :? A2CE[ 7C@> 2 H@C=5G:6H E92E C65F465 @E96C 9F>2? 36:?8D E@ 6?6>:6D 2?5 2446AE23=6 42DF2=E:6D :? D6CG:46 @7 2? :56@=@8J] (6 D9@F=5 36 566A=J H2CJ H96?6G6C @FC @H? AF3=:4 =:76 368:?D E@ >@G6 :? E92E 5:C64E:@?]k^Am
kAm!@=:E:42= @AA@?6?ED 364@>6 6?6>:6D] x>>:8C2?ED 364@>6 :?G256CD] y6HD 2?5 |FD=:>D 364@>6 @3;64ED @7 DFDA:4:@?] %C2?D86?56C A6@A=6 364@>6 A@=:E:42= E2C86ED :?DE625 @7 ?6:893@CD]k^Am
kAmy6DFD 5:5?’E 4@>>2?5 9:D 7@==@H6CD E@ =@G6 E96 A6@A=6 H9@ 28C665 H:E9 E96>] w6 E@=5 E96> E@ =@G6 E96:C ?6:893@CD] %96?[ 2D :7 E92E H6C6?’E 5:77:4F=E 6?@F89[ 96 E@=5 E96> E@ =@G6 E96:C 6?6>:6D E@@]k^Am
kAm%92E’D ?@E D6?E:>6?E2= C6=:8:@?] xE’D 2 56>2?5:?8 A@=:E:42= E6249:?8]k^Am
kAm{@G6 5@6D ?@E C6BF:C6 D:=6?46 :? E96 7246 @7 :?;FDE:46] #64@?4:=:2E:@? 5@6D ?@E >62? 2446AE:?8 4CF6=EJ] x? >J uC2?4:D42? EC25:E:@?[ A6246 >62?D 6?E6C:?8 A=246D @7 4@?7=:4E H:E9@FE 364@>:?8 42AE:G6 E@ E96 92EC65 E92E 4C62E65 E96 4@?7=:4E]k^Am
kAmx? E96 >:55=6 @7 E96 rCFD256D[ uC2?4:D @7 pDD:D: 4C@DD65 6?6>J =:?6D 2?5 >6E $F=E2? 2=\z2>:= @7 t8JAE[ H:==:?8 E@ 6?4@F?E6C 2?@E96C 9F>2? 36:?8 H9@> 9:D 4F=EFC6 925 E2F89E 9:> E@ C682C5 2D 2? 6?6>J]k^Am
kAm%H6?EJ\7:G6 J62CD 7C@> ?@H[ 2?@E96C 86?6C2E:@? H:== 82E96C @? $6AE6>36C ``E9] |2?J H:== <?@H E92E >@C?:?8 @?=J E9C@F89 A9@E@8C2A9D[ C64@C5:?8D 2?5 E96 DE@C:6D H6 =62G6 E96>]k^Am
kAm(92E H:== H6 E6== E96> H6 5:5 H:E9 @FC >6>@CJnk^Am
kAmx 9@A6 H6 42? E6== E96> E92E D@>6H96C6 2=@?8 E96 H2J H6 C6>6>36C65 E92E @FC =:G6D 2C6 3@F?5 E@86E96C] %92E 5:D28C66>6?E 5:5?’E C6BF:C6 4@?E6>AE] %92E A2EC:@E:D> 5:5?’E C6BF:C6 DFDA:4:@? @7 E96 DEC2?86C] %92E 72:E9 5:5 ?@E C6BF:C6 56>@?:K:?8 D@>6@?6 6=D6’D 72:E9]k^Am
kAmx 9@A6 H6 42? E6== E96> E92E H6 7:?2==J F?56CDE@@5 H92E E9@D6 H9@ C2? E@H2C5 E96 3FC?:?8 3F:=5:?8D H6C6 D9@H:?8 FDi E92E @FC =:G6D 36=@?8 E@ @?6 2?@E96C]k^Am
kAm$@ @? E9:D adE9 2??:G6CD2CJ[ A6C92AD “?6G6C 7@C86E” 42? >62? >@C6 E92? C6>6>36C:?8 H92E 92AA6?65] !6C92AD :E 42? >62? C6>6>36C:?8 H92E =@G6 2D<65 @7 FD E96?[ 2?5 H92E :E DE:== 2D<D @7 FD ?@H]k^Am
kAm#6G6C6?5 (2=E w2>AE@? :D E96 A2DE@C 2E E96 u:CDE r9FC49 @7 r9C:DE[ r@?8C682E:@?2=[ &?:E65 r9FC49 @7 r9C:DE :? }@CE9 r@?H2J]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.