Fr. Bernie participated in the in the Bayonne 9/11 observance conducted Sunday, September 11th by the Bayonne Clergy Association at the Tear Drop 9/11 Memorial located on the Peninsula, the location of Bayonne’s Harbor View Park. Fr. Bernie presented memorial considerations along with ten other local clergy who had the opportunity to address the estimated 400 citizens including friends and relatives of those lost in that national tragedy, 13 of whom were Bayonne residents.

For worship that day, our celebration of Mass included opening and closing hymns which were written especially for the first anniversary and this the tenth anniversary of that fateful day. Prayers were offered for the various realties of that day and for this anniversary, and graphics of the twin towers were placed in the sanctuary and in church; and two special photographic renderings of them were displayed in the narthex for our recollection.

Thanks to Tom Grodkiewicz for his contribution to the graphic remembrances which was displayed all day and all night under the spotlight in the narthex before the glass wall to the entrance of our church. Our thanks also to Dr. Justine Pawlukiewicz for loaning the artistic rendering in her possession which was placed along side the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue on her table with candles flickering before it.

As it turned out, the lectionary readings for that particular Sunday, the 11th of September focused on the spiritual work of forgiveness. The sermon preached in church for that day and the texts of the special hymns sung before and after Holy Mass along with the special prayers for the day will be placed on the parish website for everyone’s perusal.