Villa Maria Offers Prayers for Peace

While many of ’s students were small children or not yet born on September 11, 2001 — they are aware of what happened that day and for many, it hits close to home.

“There are a lot of connections,” Daniel Friedman, Villa Maria’s director of development said.

Villa Maria trustee Susan Jordan lost her son who worked in the World Trade Center; faculty member Artie Waters, his cousin, a first responder. For others in the Villa Maria community, it was, spouse, a best friend, a coworker, or a neighbor who died ten years ago this Sunday.

As Sister Carol Ann took the podium, she began her introduction by recalling the tragedies that occurred ten years ago, but quickly turned to some of the emotions of the days and weeks that followed that are also worth remembering.

“People were nice to each other, even to strangers, all over the country people rushed to the Red Cross to donate blood,” Sister Carol Ann said “On that day we turned to one another and showed love. Let us pray that we build a world of love and justice…where people are friends instead of enemies.”

Sister Carol Ann described the two displays that sat in the front of the room. On one side, two red cylindrical candles stood in the center, symbolizing the Twin Towers. Representatives from both the Fire Department and Police Department came forward to light those candles first. Next, faculty, parents, and students came forward one by one to light the small blue and red candles were lit for people with ties to Villa Maria who died on September 11.

On the other side of the room, a small tribute honored those who survived, including Sister Carol Ann’s nephew and Jim O’Leary whose wife, Liz, co-chairs Villa Maria’s PTO.

Mayor Michael Pavia gave a proclamation, sharing his reflections on the ten year anniversary of September 11, 2001.

“We come here today to remember the events of September 11, in NYC, at the Pentagon in Washington DC, as well as a field, a remote field, in Shanksville Pennsylvania. If we only remember the tragedy, the forces of evil will win, they will prevail, and so we come to remember the courage of so many heroes, those who helped their coworkers out of burning buildings and the heroes who took down Flight 93,” Pavia said. “These were heroes who didn’t carry a badge or wear a uniform, but they knew exactly what had to be done and risked their lives to help others.”

As the room watched a second video, “Heal the World,” the smallest children were ushered from the room and brought back inside with armfuls of yellow and white daisies to distribute to guests in attendance.

The school’s Peace Pole was rededicated and will be placed beneath a weeping cherry tree at the school — another symbol of their prayers  for a peaceful future. A group of children closed the program with the singing of “Children of the Future, Children of Today” and Sister Carol Ann offered one final thought for the families and staff in the room before dismissing the children to their waiting buses.

“Someday they’re going to grow up and be the change to heal the world,” Sister Carol Ann said. “Until that day comes, we need you.”