A Service for Peace & Healing in Queens, New York“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: For thou art with me; Thy rod & thy staff they comfort me.”
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A memorial service for the victims of September 11 attack on the United States was held at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, in Jamaica (Queens), New York on 14 October 2001. The World Tamil Arts and Cultural Organization organized the service. Well over one hundred Tamil Americans from the metropolitan New York and northern New Jersey area attended the event.
Rev. Robert “Bob” Fritch and Rev. Cathy E. Rosenholtz led the congregation. Hymns and readings were in Tamil and English. Transliteration of the Tamil hymns allowed the non-Tamil Americans to join in the Tamil hymns. Remarks by the Rev. Patresan Nada of the Way of Life Mission Church of New Jersey, (a Tamil church), were followed by Tamil Anthems sung by his choir.
A Hindu Priest of the Flushing Temple in Queens recited verses from the Bagavad Gita. This was followed by an Anthem sung by the Children’s Choir of the Bharathi Tamil Cultural & Arts School of the Our Saviour Lutheran Church.
A candle lighting ceremony was then held with the congregation lighting one hundred candles in memory of all those who perished in the attack on America. After the closing prayers, Dr. N. Jeyalingam, President of the World Tamil Coordinating Committee and Mr. V. Rudrakumaran Esq., Attorney and Advisor to the World Tamil Coordinating Committee, paid tribute to the victims. They expressed empathy and understanding as Tamils of Sri Lanka who have endured a long period of similar sufferings, and encouraged the survivors to go on with hope. The ceremony ended with the entire congregation singing: God
Bless America God bless America, land that I
love
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