Ceremonies took place across the Northeast on Sept. 11 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in 2001.
Father Judge High School
Father Judge held a prayer service to remember and honor those who lost their lives that day. The Rev. Jack Kolodziej, OSFS, Director of Salesian Spirituality & Mission, led the ceremony, which took place on the front steps. Senior Billy Salera rang a bell four times in remembrance of the four planes that were hijacked that day while candles were placed at the foot of the American flag pole. Among those in attendance were 8th Police District community relations officer Chris Hanejko, members of Engine 36, new school president Jim Meredith and principal Trish Rooney.
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5
State Sen. Joe Picozzi held a Standing Together ceremony at FOP Lodge 5 to commemorate the anniversary of the attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. and the plane that crashed near Shanksville, Somerset County after brave passengers fought with the knife-wielding hijackers to prevent them from crashing the aircraft into an unknown target.
Picozzi was joined by FOP Lodge 5 President Roosevelt Poplar, city elections commissioner Seth Bluestein, state Reps. Martina White, Sean Dougherty, Pat Gallagher and Joe Hohenstein and City Councilmen Brian O’Neill and Mike Driscoll. Picozzi, who was in first grade at St. Christopher when the attacks took place, called for a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., when the first plane crashed into the tower. He also read a 9/11 memorial prayer written by Father Alberto Cutie.
Poplar read the names of Philadelphia police officers who were deployed to New York after the attacks: Mark Fisher, Terrance Lewis, John Taggart, Leo Rahill, Paul Bryant, Larry Love, Catherine Benedick, Gerald Benedick, Greg Masi, Chris Werner, Charles Temperali, Thomas Fitzpatrick and Michael Vincent.
“We will never forget,” Poplar said.
The ceremony ended with Kate Smith’s version of God Bless America.
St. Martha Parish
St. Martha Church held a Mass of Remembrance, celebrated by the Rev. Tariq Isaac. That was followed by a Memorial Stair Climb performed on the rectory lawn by almost 200 students in pre-K 3 through eighth grade. The climb honored the brave heroes who ran into the World Trade Center, climbing stairwells to save lives. Students climbed the flights of stairs to symbolize the ascent members of the Fire Department of New York and other first responders undertook that day as part of rescue efforts. The school used an inflatable stairs/climb to allow the youngest students to participate. Among those taking part in the climb were Sen. Joe Picozzi and Rep. Martina White.
St. James Lutheran Church
St. James Lutheran Church in Northwood held its annual Service of Remembrance for the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The service to mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks included participation by the 15th Police District, the Fire Department’s Squrt 70, the Frankford High School Junior ROTC and bagpiper Justin Kiefski, of Philadelphia Police and Fire Pipes and Drums. The crowd sang the national anthem, My Country, ‘Tis of Thee, America the Beautiful, Amazing Grace and God Bless America. Pastor Paul Andell and the Rev. John Sweet, of Frankford Presbyterian Church, lit 25 candles to mark the anniversary.
The Rev. Sönke Schmidt-Lange reflected on “My 9/11 Experience.” Schmidt-Lange was pastor of Manhattan’s German Lutheran Church of St. Paul’s at the time of the attack. German media interviewed the pastor, leading to donations from the German people to the Fire Department of New York. Then-German President Johannes Rau visited the church after the attacks. Schmidt-Lange, now retired, later became pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, in Somerton.
St. James also remembered Northwood native Peter Ortale, killed in the terrorist attacks. Church member Eva Parisi read written remarks by Ortale’s sister, Cathy, who recalled Peter calling their mom to say a plane crashed into the World Trade Center North Tower (he was in the South Tower, which was hit 17 minutes later). His remains were never found. Cathy wrote, “We miss Peter every day. We wish that he had been given the chance to grow old, to have children and to enjoy the many years that should have been his. And we are grateful – for Peter’s love, for his life and for the gift of having him as a brother, son, husband, uncle and friend. May Peter’s memory be a blessing to all.”
Philadelphia Protestant Home
Like St. James, the Protestant Home holds an annual ceremony on Sept. 11. The 25th Patriot Day Flag-Raising Ceremony honored the courage, sacrifice and service of firefighters, police officers, EMS personnel and other first responders while marking a quarter‑century of remembrance for the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001. The ceremony was organized by PPH director of community relations Bill Conaway, who called for a moment of silence. Engine 64 firefighters raised the American flag, then lowered it to half-staff to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks., as Navy 1st Class Petty Officer Jesus Mata played Taps. The crowd sang the national anthem and listened to remarks by state Rep. Anthony Bellmon, City Councilman Anthony Phillips and PPH’s new executive director, Kyle Ozimkiewicz. Capt Andrew DiSanto, commander of the 2nd Police District, was also on hand. ••
