For Immediate Release
Contact: Maria Zone
Director of Communications
Archdiocese of Hartford
(860) 541-6491 ext. 127
mzone@aohct.org

Hundreds Attend the Interreligious 9-11 Memorial Service at the Cathedral of St. Joseph

Hartford, Conn. – (September 12, 2011) Over 700 people attended an interreligious 9-11 memorial service with the theme “United in Peace, Healing With Hope” at the Cathedral of St. Joseph Sunday, September 11 in honor of all who died on September 11, 2001.

Msgr. John J. McCarthy of the Archdiocese of Hartford and Dr. Reza Mansoor, Founder of the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut were part of the procession, followed by Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman and others.

Various interfaith and community organizations joined together in prayer, music, poetry and lectures about unity, peace, healing and hope by key speakers: Dr. Heidi Hadsell of the Hartford Seminary, Rabbi Michael Pincus from the Beth Israel Synagogue, Trudie Lamb Richmond of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, and Rabia Chaudhry of the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut.

Archbishop Henry J. Mansell of the Archdiocese of Hartford welcomed the interfaith congregation.

“The memorial service was a great opportunity for Catholics to host their neighbors in memory of the many innocent people who lost their lives on 9-11. It is important that we embrace our diversity and come together to pray for peace and tolerance,” said the Archbishop.

The faith communities and organizations represented at the service included: the Archdiocese of Hartford, the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut, the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut; the Hartford Seminary, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Hartford, Bridgeport Islamic Community Center, Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek (Chester), Congregation Mishkan Israel (Hamden), Connecticut Valley Hindu Temple Society (Middletown), Jafaria Association of Connecticut (Rockfall),
Connecticut AFL-CIO. Connecticut Council for Interreligious Understanding, Connecticut Conference- United Church of Christ, and others.

The memorial service was organized by the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut. According to Reza Mansoor, it was a way to foster peace.“We all have a common goal and that is to make sure that our nation can heal with unity, strengthened by our diversity,” he said.

Photos by Bob Mullen/The Catholic Transcript