JOHNSTOWN, PA  --  On Sunday September 11, 2011  Diocesan parishes throughout the U.S.A. will remember offer special prayers during Divine Liturgy in remembrance of the 10th Anniversary of the 911 tragedy. For those parishes observing the Julian Calendar, the solemnity and sorrow of this day will be placed within the context of the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, which is traditionally observed in fasting and intensified prayer.

It is with sorrow on this tenth anniversary that we remember those who lost their lives in the attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and on United Airlines Flight 93, and the family members and friends who grieve their loss.

All of us undoubtably remember where we were and what we were doing when the attacks occured. For many, it was praying the Liturgy on the Holy Day.  As Orthodox Christians, we find solace in the Liturgy, where we re-member  the past, present and future. In the Liturgy there is no separation between us and our departed loved ones --- the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant.  Immersed in the wellspring of the Liturgy, we experience communion with God and his Saving Love.

May our observance of the Tenth Anniversary of this horrific tragedy, remind us of  the sanctity of human life. May those who laid down their lives for their nation, find Eternal Rest in the mansions of the Just, where there is neither sickness, pain or sorrow, but life everlasting.  Eternal Memory!!