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| We join you in remembering those whose lives were taken, and the US mariners who rescued so many from the chaos. |
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Dear Friends:
As our country struggles to come to grips with the catastrophic changes that have occurred in the world since September 11, 2011, I wanted to share with you a few September 11th-items that come from the mariners perspective.
Like what happens all so often, our country has tended to overlook the tremendous task accomplished by the US merchant marine in their evacuation of 350,000 to 500,000 people from lower Manhattan. In this news letter is a press release from the Maritime Administration announcing the release of their short documentary of the role that the merchant marine played on September 11.
In addition, I have included information on an exhibit sponsored by PortSide New York, and an article by Mike Sacco, president of the Seafarers International Union, on the role of our mariners on this tragic day.
Finally, Catholic Charities of Brooklyn & Queens has produced a special prayer service. It may be of help for you in your private prayer, and this weekend's Masses.
Let us continue to pray for peace, and that those whose hearts are filled with such hate that they would perpetrate such a crime against humanity find peace and healing.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Fr. Sinclair Oubre, J.C.L.
President
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 On the Tenth Anniversary of September 11, 2001
A prayer of remembrance and healing from Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens
Note: The following prayer may be adapted for use in any setting. The tenth anniversary of September 11 falls on the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time and the gospel is from this Sunday. Three options are presented for possible reflection. The Prayers for the Community are adapted from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website. http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/september-11/index.cfm The reflection quotes are from "9/11 Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens: Helping to Heal a City in Crisis." http://s1.instantflipbook.com/flipbooks/659117526/
Call to Pray: (Leader)
We gather in the name of the Lord, the one who brings peace and forgiveness to our lives and to our world. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Let us pray: All powerful God, through your Son you revealed the power of your love. You showed us that hatred has no power over love and that forgiveness heals the divisions in our lives. As we come together to remember September 11th send the healing power of love and reconciliation upon us that we may become a united people of hope, justice, and peace. We ask this through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
"Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive?
As many as seven times?"
Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
Silence
Reflection: (three options)
- Reflection by Presider/leader
- Reading of reflections from Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens (following)
- Reflections by the gathered community
Prayers of the Community
Let us offer our prayers:
Leader: Let this be a time for prayer:
Reader (or all): For victims and families; for leaders; for the military; for an end to violence; for the Afghan people; and for our adversaries.
Leader: Let this be a time of reconciliation and forgiveness:
Reader (or all): For those who attacked us on September 11.
Leader: Let this be a time for fasting:
Reader (or all): For justice, peace and the protection of innocent human life.
Leader: Let this be a time for teaching:
Reader (or all): To better learn Catholic teaching on war and peace.
Leader: Let this be a time for dialogue:
Reader (or all): With Muslims, Jews, fellow Christians and other faith communities.
Leader: Let this be a time for witness:
Reader (or all): To live our values of mutual respect, human dignity, respect for life, and security without resorting to discrimination.
Leader: Let this be a time for service:
Reader (or all): to continue to provide assistance to those still hurting both here and abroad.
Leader: Let this be a time for solidarity:
Reader (or all): With all those who lost mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters and brothers; with all who live under the threat of violence and uncertainty each day.
Leader: Let this be a time for hope:
Reader (or all): In God's grace, in ourselves, and in one another.
Leader: Let this be a time we remember...for whom and what else shall we pray?
All: The Lord's Prayer
Leader: Let us pray: Lord, may we be open to your love and may we always remember that forgiveness and reconciliation requires much of us. May your grace fill us with courage as we pray, teach, engage in dialogue and urge our leaders to work together for peace and to eliminate injustice. May we become a country dedicated to the common good. And may we be open to your healing Spirit in all that we do. We give you thanks and praise for all your blessings upon us. Amen.
Reflections from Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens
Reader: September 11, 2001 will always be remembered as a day of chaos, loss, and disaster....the world watched in horror...Families were torn apart. And our beloved city stood in crisis. ...Into this unfolding nightmare stepped Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens. (Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queenshttp://s1.instantflipbook.com/flipbooks/659117526/)
Response: Lord, heal us.
Reader: We saw it...we saw it...in our very eyes
Smoke-smudged marching masses...
Up First Avenue
Looking straight into each gaze
Through the haze
Dusted by destruction
And Friends we once knew.
(Verna Hampton, sought support from Catholic Charities)
Response: Lord, heal us.
Reader: By noon, our Dr. White Community Center, located near the foot of the Manhattan Bridge, became a makeshift emergency center, available to everyone escaping on foot over the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.
(Robert Siebel, Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens)
Response: Lord, heal us.
Reader: In the months after 9/11, I saw so many people who had lost their loved ones, and I went home almost every day with tears in my eyes. I am so proud of the fact that Catholic Charities opened its doors and provided people who were suffering with the opportunity to talk about their pain and share their experiences. This agency gave people a new vision for their lives and helped them make a new start. This is an incredible thing. (Betty Morales, Social Worker)
Response: Lord, Heal us.
Reader: No one was paid extra hours, we all just did it because we had to - people were counting on us. No matter how much we were hurting we came together to make sure we did everything we could do to help as many people as possible. (Richard Abrahamsen, staff, Fiscal Services)
Response: Lord, heal us.
Leader: Lord, heal us all and help us to become sowers of peace, hope, and reconciliation. We ask this in your name, Amen.
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MARAD 10-11
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Contact: Kim Riddle
Tel: 202-366-5067
U.S. Department of Transportation Honors Service of Merchant Mariners on 9/11
The heroism of merchant mariners who evacuated hundreds of thousands of people from Lower Manhattan after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks is featured in a new video released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration. "Rescue at Water's Edge," includes interviews with vessel operators, emergency responders and passengers.
 "The story of merchant mariners coming to the aid of those in need on September 11, 2001 is an inspiring one," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "On that terrible day, our nation's seafarers, with courage and selflessness, transported hundreds of thousands of people out of harm's way to safety."
More than 300,000 people were evacuated by water from lower Manhattan after the terrorist attacks in the largest unplanned water evacuation in the history of the United States.
"The men and women of the New York and New Jersey merchant maritime community provided a beacon of light on one of the darkest days in our country's history. They were among the heroes running toward danger and exemplify what it means to be a U.S. merchant mariner," said U.S. Maritime Administrator David Matsuda.
The Maritime Administration strengthens the maritime transportation system of the United States to meet the economic and security needs of the country. It also operates the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York, which provides advanced education and training for professionals from the maritime community, private sector,  government and military.
For additional information about the Maritime Administration including the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, visit www.marad.dot.gov.
WATCH: "Rescue at Water's Edge: The U.S. Merchant Marine Response to 9/11"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc66PsnXPoA
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PortSide NewYork Multimedia Exhibit on Maritime Role in 9/11
Thursday, August 25, 2011
PortSide NewYork, a waterfront-themed non-profit organization, is mounting a multi-media exhibit and presentation about the extraordinary and little-known role that mariners played in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, from evacuation to rubble removal.
The Coast Guard estimated that, on the morning of 9/11, between 350,000 and 500,000 people were evacuated from lower Manhattan by water during just a few hours.
Particularly noteworthy is that the process was started spontaneously by the operators of the boats themselves. Within hours, five Coast Guard cutters, 12 small boats, and more than 100 public and private vessels operated on scene. For four days following the attacks, the boats continued to provide rescue workers with fuel, crucial supplies, and river water for firefighting.
The marine role continued, largely unsung, for months as all the rubble. 2,400 barges or 93,346 trucks' worth was removed from Manhattan by water, save for the ritual last column which left by truck. The fact that it was removed by water made it possible to finish the job in just eight months and spare the city incredible truck traffic. In creating the exhibit, PortSide NewYork makes the point the maritime 9/11 story has workaday implications for New York City as it develops new plans for its waterfront.
To bring home the point, the exhibit will be mounted on a ship docked at a pier from which Ground Zero rubble was removed. PortSide will mount the exhibit on the former U.S. Lighthouse Tender Lilac, at Hudson River Park's Pier 25, at North Moore Street, New York City in partnership with the non-profit Lilac Preservation Project
The exhibit will include photography and oral history by the award-winning photojournalist Carolina Salguero, who went on to found PortSide NewYork, plus contributions from vessel crews, and other institutions.
Related talk:
On Wednesday, September 14, from 7:00-8:30pm a related talk will be given by Carolina Salguero (www.carolinasalguero.com) and journalist Jessica DuLong (www.carolinasalguero.com), author of the critically acclaimed My River Chronicles: Rediscovering the Work That Built America, and chief engineer of retired New York City Fireboat John J. Harvey (www.fireboat.org), which was called back into service to supply firefighters with Hudson River water-the only water available for days following the towers' collapse. DuLong and her Fireboat Harvey crewmates were recognized in the Congressional Record for valor in aiding FDNY's rescue efforts, and appear as characters in Maira Kalman's award-winning children's book FIREBOAT: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey.
As a ship-based museum, our role is to educate New Yorkers about our maritime heritage, and the story of the heroic role of mariners in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks has received little attention," said Lilac's Museum Director, Mary Habstritt. "We are really honored to help recognize their contributions and to share this story on board a ship, at Pier 25, which itself played a role as a shipping point for debris removal."
Carolina Salguero, Founder & Director of PortSide NewYork said "I was really concerned that the story of the 9/11 maritime evacuation was so overlooked. That was one of the things that prompted me to found PortSide NewYork as a way to bring attention to the waterways. Doing this exhibit is a way to both commemorate what happened ten years ago and to help the city move forward with its new waterfront plan Vision 2020. PortSide hopes, that by illuminating how those boats worked ten years ago-and the impediments they found-we can help the city better plan its future waterfront for both good days and bad."
"It's an honor to help share the largely untold story of the maritime community's contribution in New York City's hour of greatest need," said Jessica DuLong, chief engineer Fireboat John J. Harvey and author My River Chronicles, "The spontaneous mobilization was truly remarkable, but for mariners it's just a part of the job. Among those who work on the water the notion that panic leads to peril is as deeply ingrained as the tradition of helping those in need."
The exhibit includes:
Photography of the maritime evacuation:
- featuring the work of Carolina Salguero, Founder & Director of PortSide NewYork and an award-winning photojournalist. More about Salguero's reporting from ground zero in this video
- Photographs from Rich Naruszewicz, captain of the New York Fast Ferry "Finest" evacuating people during 9/11
- Photographs from crew of the retired fireboat John J. Harvey www.fireboat.org which served at ground zero.
- Photographs by Carolina Salguero of the rubble removal on Pier 25, North River and Pier 11, East River.
- Oral history gathered by Carolina Salguero of tug crews who evacuated people and removed rubble.
Videos:
- MARAD video "Rescue at Water's Edge" is a 10th anniversary tribute to the Merchant Mariners who sailed directly into harm's way on September 11 and evacuated more 300,000 people by water.
- Center for National Policy's new video "Boatlift" the story of the armada of civilian watercraft that came together with no prior planning to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people from lower Manhattan on 9/11. It was the largest sealift ever - even greater than at Dunkirk during World War II.
- Video by Mike Mazzei, dockbuilder who worked at 9/11 rubble removal site on Pier 25
- More about PortSide NewYork www.portsidenewyork.org
PortSide NewYork is a young, innovative non-profit organization. Our mission is to show New York City better ways to use the BlueSpace, or water part of the waterfront, to educate the public and policy makers about the waterfront, and to help revitalize our home neighborhood of Red Hook, Brooklyn while doing that. We promote sustainable waterfront planning that increases use of the water. This includes fostering waterborne transportation, the greenest way to move people and goods, and providing educational, cultural, and social service programs for the community on a water theme. PortSide engages in harbor advocacy and runs an H2O Arts program that offers ship tours, talks, walks, readings, concerts, movies, and performing arts.
We use a historic ship, the coastal oil tanker Mary A. Whalen, as our office, mobile cultural platform, and teaching tool. She was built in 1938 and is 172' long. She is famous for her role in incidents leading to the 1975 Supreme Court decision U.S. vs Reliable Transfer.
More about the Lilac Preservation Project: www.Lilacpreservationproject.org
The U.S. Lighthouse Tender Lilac was launched on May 26, 1933. Built for the U.S. Lighthouse Service, she carried supplies and personnel to lighthouses and maintained buoys. The duties of the Lighthouse Service were later absorbed by the U.S. Coast Guard. Lilac was decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1972. She was the last ship in the Coast Guard fleet to operate with reciprocating steam engines and is unique in still possessing her original engines. Lilac is on the National Register of Historic Places and is eligible to become a National Historic Landmark. The ship is owned by the non-profit Lilac Preservation Project.
Directions
Hudson River Park's Pier 25. Cross West Street at N. Moore St. or Harrison St.
Subway
1 at Canal Street and Franklin St.
A,C,E at Canal St. 1,2,3 at Chambers St.
Bus
M20 and M22
Sponsors
K-sea Transportation
New York Shipping Association
Weeks Marine
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Remembering 9/11: A decade later
Monday, September 5, 2011
Posted by: CDR Glynn Smith
The following blog was posted by Cmdr. Glynn Smith on behalf of Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp.
This post from Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp leads a series of posts that highlight the Coast Guard response on Sept. 11, 2001, and how our service has evolved over the past decade as the nation remembers and honors those lost in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa., on that now infamous day.
A Coast Guard rescue team from Sandy Hook, N.J., races to the scene of the World Trade Center terrorist attack. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Tom Sperduto.
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, when nearly 3,000 people were killed by terrorists who hijacked four commercial jets and crashed them into the World Trade Center buildings, the Pentagon and, only because of the heroic efforts of several passengers, a Pennsylvania field. First and foremost, this is a day to pause, reflect and honor those who were lost, including more than 400 first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice while attempting to rescue their fellow citizens, as well as the thousands of service members who have selflessly given their lives in the overseas contingency operations that have followed. We will never forget them. Their sacrifice only strengthens the commitment of every member of the Coast Guard to serve.
Coast Guard crewmembers patrol the harbor after the collapse of the World Trade Center. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Tom Sperduto.
While the events of 9/11 were tragic, the Coast Guard takes great pride in its response that day. Immediately following the first plane crashing into the World Trade Center's North Tower, junior personnel from New York City, though they were witnessing the unfathomable, instinctively responded. They were able to meet this challenge by drawing upon the leadership, training and culture passed down by over two centuries of Coast Guardsmen. They also leveraged our strong maritime partnerships. When they put out the call for all boats to respond to Lower Manhattan, hundreds of merchant mariners piloting tug boats, ferries and every other type of watercraft formed a boatlift that safely evacuated 500,000 people in just nine hours - an amazing, heroic and largely unknown feat.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard rapidly swung into action. Our versatile cutter fleet was repositioned from offshore to inshore and served as command and control platforms in our ports. Reserve and auxiliary forces reported for duty - many even before they were called - and civilian staff members worked tirelessly to support these enhanced operations. Our culture of adaptability, agility and empowering our people to act, combined with our multi-mission vessels and aircraft allowed us to quickly shift focus and confront this new threat.
Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma guards the Hudson River Sept. 17, 2001, as part of port security duties after Sept. 11. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Tom Sperduto.
Looking back, it is amazing to see how the Coast Guard and our Nation has transformed since 9/11. Almost half of our current active duty members joined the service post-9/11. Just fourteen months later, on Nov. 25, 2002, the Department of Homeland Security - our new department - was established. Our response also proved the value of the integrated field units and we have made it the model for how we deliver services to the public via our Coast Guard Sectors around the country. We have greatly enhanced our ability to monitor activity on the water to detect potential threats through surveillance tools, increased vessel and aircraft patrols, partnerships with governmental and private entities and membership in the intelligence community.
Coast Guard capabilities have also vastly evolved. We now have teams of highly trained, deployable specialized forces to protect our ports and respond to the full range of maritime threats. We continue to recapitalize our fleet with new aircraft and cutters outfitted with advanced sensors that are fully interoperable with both DHS components and Department of Defense assets. We have also constructed a layered maritime defense strategy of shore-based, maritime patrol and overseas inspection forces.
However, we must never forget that what made the Coast Guard strong on 9/11, and what continues to make us strong today, is our people. I am proud to lead a talented and dedicated force whose vigilance ensures our homeland, ports and waterways are safe and secure. Their dedication to duty keeps the Coast Guard Always Ready - Semper Paratus to serve this great nation.
Throughout the week, the Compass blog will be featuring stories and imagery on our 9/11 response and the evolution of our service in the decade since. I encourage you to visit and learn more about this formative day in our history and how we continue to honor those who were lost.
Adm. Bob Papp
Commandant
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Post-9/11 world needs religion to be weapon of peace, spokesman says
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- If humanity wants to build peace out of the ruins of Sept. 11, 2001, religion has to play a major role in dialogue, said the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi.
The day of the attacks 10 years ago was "a monstrous day," he said during a presentation at Vatican Radio Sept. 6 of a new book on the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy.
Dialogue is the key to overcoming hatred and the risk of religious fanaticism, he said.
"If we want to build peace for humanity, we have to be able to develop a discourse in which the religious dimension becomes an active force for peace," he said.
Father Lombardi was one of a number of speakers presenting a new book written by a Vatican Radio journalist.
"11 Settembre: Una Storia che Continua" ("September 11: A Continuing Story"), by Alessandro Gisotti, is a series of vignettes examining the tragedy from the point of view of people whose lives were directly affected by the disaster: a television journalist in New York; a firefighter; a Pentagon employee; the family of a young student who was killed in the plane crash near Shanksville, Pa.; a Catholic priest whose church is one block from ground zero; and others.
Miguel Diaz, U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, said in a statement that in spite of the grief and losses endured on 9/11, "the human spirit has triumphed in the face of fear, violence and tragedy: the world's nations have united -- including the more than 90 nationalities of people who lost their lives on that day -- to stand together in a show of unity and defiance in confronting those who feed upon and want to spread fear. Nations and peoples have joined together to say, 'Never again.'"
The 90-page book is published only in Italian. Its foreword was written by U.S. Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago.
"Mr. Gisotti has done a great service to the memory of all those who died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2011, and an even greater service to all those who survived," wrote the cardinal.
By telling the stories of those affected by the tragedy, the author "helps keep in mind what none of us should forget and leaves us with a sense of hope because, in the end, history is what God remembers," Cardinal George wrote.
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9/11: The Catholic Church Remembers