Staten Island 9/11 Postcards Memorial ceremony remembers lives lost, 21 years after attacks

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Twenty-one years after terrorist attacks claimed the lives of more than 250 Staten Islanders, mourners gathered under a rainy, gray sky for a somber ceremony remembering loved ones lost on Sept. 11, 2001 and those who have died in the years that followed.

Hundreds gathered at the Postcards 9/11 Memorial in St. George Sunday evening to carry-through on the promise to “never forget” and share grief, love and memories at the borough’s annual event, which has been held since the memorial’s creation in 2004.

City and state elected officials attended the proceedings, led by Borough President Vito Fossella, to honor the first responders and residents whose names now grace the memorial that looks out towards the space the World Trade Center’s North and South Towers once held.

“Tragically, one thing 9/11 did was to prevent and to destroy so many possible memories for so many families from being made,” said Fossella. “Memories like that of a newborn child, a first birthday, a first day of school, graduation day, a first job, a walk down the aisle.”

Fossella, speaking of the immense heartache that has followed that Tuesday morning more than two decades ago, said the attacks not only served as a fundamental moment in the borough’s history but also as an act that has bound those who attended the ceremony.

“Sept. 11, as we know it, was much more than the destruction of some buildings. It was more significantly the destruction of innocence, freedom, life, and especially love,” said Fossella. “And it’s a loss of love that hurts the most. Yet it’s the power of love that has kept us together strong, united and dedicated to always remember.”

Sunday’s ceremony was attended by Gov. Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letita James, former borough president Jim Molinaro and the borough’s entire elected delegation. Mayor Eric Adams, whose scheduled initially indicated he was expected to speak at the ceremony before announcing he would attend a separate ceremony in Manhattan, did not attend.

Bishop O’Hara, the episcopal vicar of both Staten Island and southern Manhattan, delivered an invocation calling for unity as neighbors suffer through “empty places at the table of life, hearts that have broken, pain that is daily that never goes away.”

The names of the first responders and borough residents who were killed on Sept. 11, 2001, were read by family members and friends of the victims, serving as a profound tribute to the sacrifice of those who gave their lives to protect others and those who never returned home after leaving that morning.

Hochul, who has attended the event in years past during her role as Lieutenant Governor, said she attends the yearly ceremony “to draw strength from all of you.”

“Because when I see the resiliency, the strength, the pride of the people on Staten Island, it gives me hope,” said Hochul.

A moment of silence was held before the pair of large fiberglass structures, built to resemble postcards and hold the names of residents who perished. The names of those lost to 9/11-related illnesses are also engraved at the memorial site.

Rev. Dr. Victor Brown, bishop of Mount Sinai United Christian Church, issued a benediction to the audience, noting those in attendance have “gathered with a resounding resolve never to forget.”

“Though the terrorists destroyed brick and mortar and killed many lives, they were unsuccessful in their efforts to destroy our spirit of resilience and to kill our commitment to rebuild,” said Brown.

Tottenville High School’s Ceremonial Taps Unit performed “taps” to close the event. Attendees were invited to place roses down at the memorial.

Those who were unable to attend Sunday’s event can view it on Borough Hall’s Facebook page.