On Sept. 11 many throughout the Saint Louis University community and the world as a whole, will take time out of their busy days to reflect on the tragic events that shook the nation one year earlier. Realizing that 9/11 changed the lives of many, several events have been planned for people to come together as a community in remembrance of the terrifying events.
As a preview to next week, tonight there will be a World Trade Center presentation at 5:30 in Anheuser-Busch Auditorium in Cook Hall. Michael Baker, professor of structural engineering at the University of Missouri-Columbia will speak about his experiences as a Federal Emergency Management Agency Urban Search and Rescue team member in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
The SLU community will begin Wednesday morning with the ringing of church bells in honor of the victims and end with an evening prayer service at Saint Francis Xavier College Church.
“One of the advantages of being at SLU is that it allows us to observe this day through our religious connections,” said Lisa Reiter, associate director of Campus Ministry.
Beginning at 9 a.m. the names of the victims will be read allowed in the Kniep Courtroom of the Law School. A lecture and discussion will follow the reading in the courtroom. Michael Barber, S.J., and former Senator Thomas Eagleton will present “America One Year Later: political, social and ethical perspectives.”
The Museum of Contemporary Religious Art will show an HBO documentary, “In Memoriam,” about the Sept. 11 attacks. Narrated by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the film features interviews with survivors. “In Memoriam” will show continuously throughout the day, beginning at noon and running on the hour until 4 p.m.
From 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., a panel of constitutional and international law experts will debate “Military Tribunals, Justice and the War Against Terrorism” in the Kniep Courtroom. Faculty members will discuss the legal issues involved in establishing military tribunals, including the president’s authority to summon them. They will also examine whether regulations for detainees at Guantanamo Naval Base, in Cuba, meet due process requirements.
At noon there will be a Mass of Remembrance at College Church with Ed O’Brien, S.J., presiding.
Pax Christi will hold a Prayer Vigil for Peace at 6 p.m. at the clock tower. The prayer vigil will be followed by an evening prayer service at College Church at 7 p.m.
Throughout St. Louis events are planned in remembrance of the day ranging from gatherings of political and religious leaders, church services, candlelight vigils and memorials for police and firefighters.
At Forest Park an interfaith service is planned at the World’s Fair Pavilion. Speakers include Archbishop Justin Rigali, the Rev. Earl E. Nance Jr., Rabbi Susan Talve, Imam Waheed Rana, Gov. Bob Holden and Mayor Francis Slay. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will perform, and KMOX will broadcast the interfaith celebration.
The History Museum will hold a gathering for silence at 7:46 a.m. There will also be small-group discussions about personal experiences and reflections from 3 to 5 p.m. at the museum. At 7 p.m. the museum will hold a prayer vigil. Downtown at Kiener Plaza there will be a memorial ceremony with honor guards from the St. Louis police and fire departments and the Navy Reserve.
At the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Charles Kupchan, an associate professor at Georgetown University, will lecture on the future of multilateralism. The lecture will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Student Center.
“A year later how do we observe this day: Some may choose to do so quietly and privately keeping their grief within a smaller circle, while others want a sense of connection and community and want to observe this day in a public and civil way,” said Reiter.
