Remembering 9/11 victims in Moscow

St Catherine's 9/11
Faithful offer prayer for terrorism victims.

While the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks was commemorated in all parishes of the Orthodox Church in America on Sunday, September 11, 2011, a special Memorial Service for those who lost their lives in the attacks was celebrated at the Church of the Great Martyr Catherine here.

Saint Catherine’s is the Representation of the Orthodox Church in America to the Moscow Patriarchate.

Concelebrating the service were Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, Director of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations of the Orthodox Church in America and currently the Representative of the OCA to the Moscow Patriarchate, and Igumen Philaret [Bulekov], Vice Chair of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.

St. Catherine's 9/11
Ringing the memorial bell in the parish garden.

Attending the service were John Beyrle, Ambassador of the United States to the Russian Federation, and other Embassy officials.

At the end of the service, Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky and Ambassador Beyrle spoke of the deep sympathy and solidarity between the US and Russia with regard to the suffering in both countries as a result of terrorist attacks.

Following the service in the church, the priests, congregation, and guests walked to the bell in the church garden, where Ambassador Beyrle and Fathers Leonid and Philaret together rang the bell 10 times to commemorate the 10 years that have passed since the September 11 attacks.

Photos by Julia Zaitseva of Blagovest-info.