The 9/11 Memorial was officially dedicated today in New York City as part of a day aimed at remembering the events 10 years ago that forever changed the country.
“But for today, we pause and keep close to our hearts the memory of the victims of September 11 and the brave Americans who, in the years since, have given their last full measure of devotion to defend our shores,” U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ga., said in a post to his Facebook page.
In addition to the new 9/11 Memorial, reminders of Sept. 11 are widespread in New York City. Some of the memorials worth experiencing include:
St. Paul’s Chapel
St. Paul’s Chapel was completed in 1766 as a “chapel of ease” for those who could not make it to the Parish of Trinity Church. In 1789, George Washington attended services here on Inauguration Day and continued to attend the church for two more years as the city served as the nation’s capital.
The church, which is the oldest surviving house of worship in the city, is perhaps the most moving of the churches in New York. On Sept. 11, 2001, emergency workers used the church, situated only yards away from the worst terrorist attack on American soil, as a place to rest.
Today, the Chapel is a memorial to that horrible day. Exhibits include the pews emergency workers used when they needed to rest, even if just for a few minutes.
“This tenth anniversary is above all an opportunity for reflection,” Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop, said in a statement. Jefferts Schori was set to preach Sunday at St. Paul’s.
“Have we become more effective reconcilers as a result? Are we more committed to peace-making?” Jefferts Schori added. “The greatest memorial to those who died ten years ago will be a world more inclined toward peace. What are you doing to build a living memorial like that?”
World Trade Center Cross
In the days following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the welded steel beams shaped like a cross provided solace to many.
As part of the World Trade Center clean up, the cross was relocated to St. Peter’s Church in October 2006, and remained outside the church and has since been moved to the 9/11 Memorial.
