September 12, 2011
There were many worshippers including those who had lost their relatives and loved ones in the terrorist action on September 11, 2001. Present in the church were also A. Yumashev, Russian consul general in New York, and A. Ilichev of the UN secretariat’s political department, the press service of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA reported.
After the liturgy, Archbishop Justinian, assisted by the local clergy, said the office for the dead.
Addressing the congregation, he expressed condolences to all the victims of the 9/11 terrorist action, noting that ‘the understandable feelings of grief cannot be inconsolable, cannot grow into despair and depression, for we believe in Christ, the Conqueror of death and hell. Today we lift up our prayer for our lost brothers and sisters in faith, but the feelings of sorrow, compassion and love compel us to lift up our personal prayers for all those who died in that terrible tragedy’.
He also reminded the congregation of the words of St. Paul: Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong (1 Cor. 16:13). He called the faithful to fulfill the commandment of the apostle to live without fear for their lives. He concluded his homily with the Paschal greeting: ‘Christ Is Risen!’.
Then Mr. Yumashev spoke expressing the hope that ‘the common grief should unite all good people in the struggle with evil. And may this struggle result in one thing: may the good defeat the evil!’
DECR Communication Service