CHEPACHET – While Andrew Uriati remembers little about the catastrophic events of September 11, 2001, the picture of his sobbing mother sitting before a television set when he returned home from school will be forever etched upon his mind and associated with the horrific day in American history.
Uriati, now 16, joined state and local dignitaries, members of the Armed Services and parishioners for a Memorial Mass celebrated at St. Eugene Church honoring the victims of 9/11 and paying tribute to state and local police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel who were also in attendance.
“I got to realize how many people were affected by it,” Uriati said, noting the widespread media coverage of the tenth anniversary of the catastrophic events that claimed almost three thousand lives in New York City, Arlington County, Virginia and Shanksville, Penn.
He added that the large congregation who attended the Mass was also a sign of respect for the men and women who serve in their communities and in the military.
St. Eugene parishioner Mary Fern said the event’s patriotic theme evoked feelings of pride and thanksgiving for those who risk their lives for others’ safety.
“It made me feel proud to be an American and proud of the people who are here today who work so hard to keep us safe,” Fern said.
Bishop Ernest B. Boland, O.P. was the main celebrant of the Mass; Father T. J. Varghese, pastor of St. Eugene Church, served as concelebrant. The procession was lead by a color guard from the Gloucester Fire Department and members of the Knights of Columbus, St. Eugene Council No.14417.
In his homily, Bishop Boland told those gathered that as the unforgettable events of 9/11 unfolded, it seemed to many that the world was coming to an end.
“We pray for the fallen and we resolve to pray for peace,” he continued, noting that “the appalling tragedies” were perpetrated by fellow human beings driven by hate.
“Hatred goes counter to God’s love,” Bishop Boland emphasized.
The bishop told worshippers that one of the best ways to honor the fallen is to work diligently for peace in an effort to “bring our troubled world back to normalcy.
“It is our task to work for peace on earth,” he said.
Father Varghese emphasized that while a decade has passed since Sept. 11, 2001, people across the globe still feel the impact of the sad day in American history.
“May God protect us and may God bless America,” he emphasized.
Chepachet resident and St. Eugene parishioner Robert Shields, a emergency medical technician for the Town of Cumberland, recalled being on vacation in Florida on Sept. 11, 2001.
“I wanted to come back home,” he said wistfully.
Following Mass, hundreds gathered at Town Line Farm in Chepachet, where St. Eugene Church recently donated a flagpole and flag in honor of those who were killed on 9/11.
“I want to memorialize the fallen and to bring our country back,” said Father Varghese. “We can heal the broken wounds.”
The flag raising ceremony included the playing of Taps and a 21-gun salute performed by members of the Rhode Island National Guard.
SFC Brian Choiniere of Pascoag, who was deployed by the Navy in the Mediterranean before joining the National Guard, said that the Mass and flag ceremony served as an important reminder of those who lost their lives a decade ago and as one way of keeping their memory alive.
