Solemn 9/11 observance

NORTH CANAAN — Patriot Day, Sept. 11, was created as a national day of remembrance in December 2001.

For members of the Knights of Columbus at St. Joseph’s Church, the day offers a chance  — and a self-imposed obligation — to offer a reminder, and a 30-hour vigil, that allows everyone in the region to remember the events of 2001 in their own way.

A lot of preparation and a very long weekend marked the third annual vigil, held Saturday at the church in North Canaan.

The  organizers say they feel a level of discouragement when they see the small turnout at the various memorial services held throughout the weekend. The sanctuary has been open day and night for those who want to pray. A flag-draped coffin and other memorials are there as reminders and as sources of inspiration. Cannon fire marks the time of each plane crash on Sept. 11, 2001.

The most poignant moments, and the most encouraging ones for those who seek to keep the memories alive, come not during prayers, cannon fire or wailing bagpipes, but in between.

Over a public address system, volunteers quietly and continuously read the names of the more than 8,500 people who died during the events of Sept.11, 2001; the rescuers who died of related ailments after; and all who have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan since then. The list, listeners were told, would be updated as needed during the vigil; it was a stinging reminder that this is about more than just remembering.

It is during those quiet times that volunteers notice the spontaneous reactions that are the most moving, and that convince them they must hold these vigils.

“People who didn’t know it was going on would pull over in front of the church and pay their respects,� said Knights of Columbus member David Soper. “One young guy stopped his car, got out, took his hat off and held it over his heart in a salute to the flag.�

The Canaan Fire Company was among the other local organizations that helped with the event. Suspended from the raised aerial of their ladder truck, a giant flag, floodlit at night, surely supplied many a patriotic moment for those passing by.

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