A Generation Born After 9/11 Pauses to Remember
The Marian University students placing American flags Friday morning have no personal memories of September 11, 2001. Most were not yet born.
Twenty-five years later, they joined faculty and staff at the Franciscan Heritage Fountain to remember the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terrorist attacks and to pray for a more peaceful world.
As the university's tower bell rang, those gathered sang, reflected, and offered prayers for people affected by violence and terrorism, members of the military and public servants, national and world leaders, and the ability to forgive.
“May our hearts be open to all the peoples and nations of the earth.”
The observance reflects Marian University's Franciscan Sponsorship Values and offered a different connection to September 11 for a generation that knows the day through others' experiences.
Ahead of the service, the Marian community was invited to reflect on an interreligious prayer written by Pope Francis calling for human dignity, dialogue, justice, and peace.
Watch this video for moments from Marian University's September 11 remembrance.