Story by EmmaLee Italia | Correspondent

A new focus by the Catholic Church in the United States to build peace in all communities was launched this month, just as the nation prepared to observe the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

In the Diocese of Trenton, parishes were planning events and observances that would bring their communities together in prayer to remember the lives lost 15 years ago and seek an end to violence and injustice for the future.

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In St. George Parish, Titusville, 30 Days of Prayer for Peace and Non-Violence was to commence Sept. 11, as a way to invite parishioners and others to make a concerted effort to pray and work for peace. The parish has offered suggestions for living peacefully day to day, bringing about peace through works of kindness, compassion and forgiveness.

“[The parish] thought it would be a good way to bring people’s focus together, as a community, to pray for peace,” said Msgr. Vincent Gartland, retired priest of the Diocese who has been instrumental in the initiative. “Just committing to simple little acts – it all adds up.”

Actions as small as cleaning up another’s mess, offering a smile, not responding negatively to harsh words or restoring a long-broken relationship were suggestions offered to participants in advance of the month-long observance.

“We wanted to keep it as simple as possible, to get as many people involved as we could,” Msgr. Gartland explained.

The initiative advises people to use the Prayer of St. Francis as a guide and encouraged participants to record their works of peace and drop them in the Sunday collection along with their regular offering.  The results will be published in the parish bulletin as a reminder of the ongoing peaceful effort.

St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, is also implementing the 30 Days of Peace campaign and is asking parishioners to purposefully devote time to peace. Plans for Sept. 11 included the community singing the Prayer of St. Francis at Mass and viewing a display of peace cranes in the parish’s Gallery of Light.

Parishioners have been asked to write poems of peace to be read at Mass or published in the bulletin, and to read and reflect on the 28 reflections of St. Teresa of Kolkata in “With Great Love.”

An observance hosted by St. Paul Parish, Princeton, and the Princeton Council, Knights of Columbus, was to include an Evening of Remembrance marking the 15th anniversary of the attacks beginning Sept. 10 in front of the church located at 214 Nassau Street.

A ceremony was to be held with members in attendance.

In preparation for the Evening of Remembrance, which was set to include the Princeton Police Department Color Guard, the Princeton Fire Department Color Guard and the Knights of Columbus Color Guard, the parish displayed more than 3,000 American flags on the front lawn of the church as a reminder of all who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks.

“This remembrance is critically important, especially considering the 15th anniversary, for current and future generations to remember the events of 9-11 and the sacrifices made by those who lost their lives in the attacks on the World Trade Center, in Pennsylvania and the Pentagon,” said Joseph Bendas, grand knight and head of the Princeton Council, Knights of Columbus.

The community in St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel, was to remember the anniversary after all weekend Masses Sept. 10-11. After each Mass, a decade of the Rosary was to be recited and, as they prayed, the names of  people who perished, namely those from Holmdel and the surrounding community, would be shown on the video screens in church.

Father Garry Koch, in a message to parishioners, said it was his hope that this gesture of remembrance would “provide some comfort to those in need.” 

St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, adopted a new approach to bring people out for this observance – a Mass Mob, a pick-up on the idea of a flash mob. Father Daniel Swift, pastor, explained, “I asked parishioners to get on all their social media apps – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – and invited all their contacts to attend the 6 p.m. Mass on Sept. 11.”

The Mass was to be accompanied by St. Mary of the Lakes’ contemporary group Redemption. Four American flags were to be on display – each representing one of the airplanes taken by the terrorists. A list incorporating the names of victims and heroes of the rescue and recovery efforts were to be read during the Prayers of the Faithful at all Masses that weekend.

“Americans will take the time they need to pay respect to the victims of 9/11 and their families,” said Father Swift. “We might feel the anger of that day again, but we thank God because the light of Christ shined in the darkness, and the darkness will never overcome it.”

As a way to show their support for peace, the Lower School students in Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, will hold a Pinwheels for Peace prayer service Sept. 21 on the school grounds. Pinwheels for Peace is a worldwide visual statement that calls for peace in our world. The students in the lower schools created the pinwheels in the art classes which will be placed in the front of the school building following the prayer service.

“It is appropriate to join together as a school family with the rest of the world on the International Day of Peace and continue to pray for peace in our world and in our communities,” said Lower School director Anne Reap.

The International Day of Peace, also known as Peace Day, was founded by United Nations Resolutions in 1981. Each year, hundreds of students take part in a student observance of Peace Day at the United Nations.