Remembering Friends Today

    

As the world marks the tenth anniversary, many will be remembering relations or friends who perished in the attack on the World Trade Centre. Today I would like to remember the thirty parishioners of Holy Child Parish on Staten Island who died in the disaster.  I was working in that parish in the summers before and after the attack.  Two of those thirty I knew particularly: Lorraine Lee one of our readers, and Peter Raimondi, one of our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.  Both were committed to their Catholic faith and were generous in their service of their parish, may the Lord grant them rest, and grant consolation to their bereaved families. 

The list of those who died can be found here. 

For them, for all who died, and for all who have died as a result of war and violence:

Lord have mercy

Christ have mercy

Lord have mercy

Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord:

      Lord, hear my voice.

Let your ears listen out

      for the voice of my pleading.

If you took notice of our transgressions, Lord –

     Lord, who would be left?

But with you is forgiveness,

     and for this we revere you.

I rely on you, Lord,

     my spirit relies on your promise;

my soul hopes in the Lord,

    more than the watchman for daybreak.

More than the watchman for daybreak,

     let Israel hope in the Lord:

for with the Lord there is kindness

    and abundant redemption.

He himself will redeem Israel

    from all its transgressions.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

     as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

   Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord.