In recent years, the families and friends who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001 have spent the days before and after that fateful day attending memorial services.
One such remembrance took place at St. Michael’s Cemetery where, for the past eight years, a special tribute to the brave uniformed men and women has taken place.
This year on Saturday, September 12, in a more muted and private ceremony, about 120 people that included members of the Fire Department of New York, the New York Police Department and the Port Authority Police Department gathered at St. Michael’s in Elmhurst to share personal stories, watch a tribute video and read the names of those who sacrificed their lives to save others.
According to Ed Horn, director of community relations at St. Michael’s, those present want 9/11 to be remembered.
“They fear that 9/11 will become irrelevant and forgotten,” said Horn. “But St. Michael’s will never let that happen.”
Last year the First Responders Monument acknowledging the loss of those in the line of duty was dedicated. Queens’ firefighter Christopher Santora’s name is inscribed on the memorial.
“We cope better than we did eight years ago,” Maureen Santora said about losing her son. At age 23, Christopher – who had become a firefighter only four and a half months earlier – was one of the youngest to die on 9/11. “For the parents this [loss] is a permanent situation. We’ll never get our children back.”
