The St. Joseph’s University, New York community honored the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at remembrance ceremonies on Monday afternoon.
The Office of Military and Veteran Services at the Long Island Campus hosted a changing of the flag ceremony outside of O’Connor Hall attended by students, faculty and staff during Common Hour.
SJNY student Thomas Wilson – the son of a Sept. 11 first responder – was the event’s guest speaker. Wilson’s father was an New York Police Department sergeant in 2001 and developed cancer in the years after the attacks.
In 2021, Wilson received a scholarship of $5,000 per year from the First Responders Children’s Foundation.
Director of Campus Ministry Jonathan Galo also spoke and paid respects to the three St. Joseph’s alumni who were killed in the terrorist attack.
“We remember all those who tragically lost their lives on that day,” Galo said in prayer. “We also pray for peace in our world and that the hearts of those filled with malice and hatred find the warm embrace of your love.
“And for all of us, that we may be filled with the yearning for peace and be rekindled with the fire to work towards love and justice in the world,” he concluded.
The Brooklyn Campus community honored the fallen and their families through meaningful reflection in the St. Angela Hall Courtyard.
SJNY President Donald R. Boomgaarden Ph.D., spoke at the event, hosted jointly by the Office of Military and Veteran Services and the Office of Student Involvement, Leadership, and Intercultural Engagement.
