NEW YORK CITY (WordNews.org) Sept. 9, 2011 — A prayer vigil is scheduled for tomorrow at Ground Zero, the site of the terrorist attacks nearly a decade ago.
This marks the only public prayer service at Ground Zero during the Sept. 11 10th anniversary weekend, organizers said.
“In the dark days after 9/11, millions of Americans turned to God in prayer for strength, comfort, guidance and assurance. This was especially true for those who lost loved ones,” said Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition. “During the past 10 years, it has only been faith in God and prayer that has enabled so many to move forward and rebuild their lives and protected America from another major terrorist attack.”
He said it has been “extremely troubling” that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is excluding public prayer and expressions of faith from the 9/11 Memorial Service.
“In response to this tragic decision by the mayor, we felt it was imperative to have a public prayer service at Ground Zero during the 9/11 weekend,” Mahoney said.
The New York Times reports that Bloomberg has “come under attack” for excluding clergy from Sunday’s official remembrance of 9/11.
Rev. Rob Schenck, president of the National Clergy Council, said: “On Sept. 11, 2001, millions of Americans did the most important and natural thing in the face of such an enormous tragedy, they prayed. In the days following, they went to church to pray, to remember, to grieve to cry.”