Archbishop Weisenburger, faith leaders join law enforcement, service members for 25th anniversary memorial on Detroit Riverfront
DETROIT — After 25 years, a full generation has passed since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. Not everyone carries a living memory of that fateful, dreadful morning.
But those who were around will always remember where they were.
As the first plane struck the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m., many thought it to be an accident. By 9:03 a.m., when the second plane hit, there was no such doubt.
Twenty-five years later, those who were around — whether they were risking their lives in the rescue efforts or watching in horror on television — still make the same pledge today they made back then: “Never forget.”
On a bright, sunny morning on Sept. 11, 2026, approximately 150 people — most of them service members and law enforcement personnel — gathered at the Detroit Riverfront outside the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit to fulfill that pledge.
The solemn ceremony honored the 2,977 lives lost during the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil and paid tribute to the courage and bravery of the first responders who risked or gave their lives to save as many as they could in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa.
Members of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security were joined by local law enforcement personnel and service members from various branches of the military, who gathered to remember the fallen, pray for survivors and pledge to remain vigilant.
Faith leaders, including Detroit Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger and other local religious figures, were also in attendance and blessed law enforcement personnel.
“We remember the towers that fell, the sacrifices that were made, and the lives that were lost,” said Michigan State Police Chaplain Peter Nickel, who gave the opening invocation. “We remember the numbness that overwhelmed us that day, and the vulnerability we so poignantly felt.”
Rev. Nickel prayed for all who died or lost loved ones at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in a remote field in Shanksville, Pa., where passengers aboard United Flight 93 bravely fought back against the hijackers, preventing even more bloodshed.
“We think of the heroes that day, those who made or were willing to make the supreme sacrifice of laying down their lives for the sake of others,” said Rev. Nickel, who is pastor of Historic Trinity Lutheran Church in Detroit. “We commend each victim of that awful day to your mercy and grace. Heal, we pray, the pain of still grieving families and of all who lost loved ones in this tragedy, and give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope.”
The memorial service included a joint honor guard presenting the flags of the various branches of the Department of Homeland Security, who marched in formation to begin the ceremony, followed by the national anthem.
In front of the speakers was a mangled piece of metal recovered from the World Trade Center’s north tower.
Kenny Szillus, a U.S. Navy veteran and supervisory air interdiction officer in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection who flew a P-3 air combat patrol over the skies of New York City on Sept. 11, 2001, spoke of his own recollections of the day.
Two of Szillus’s brothers also served in New York City that day — one a firefighter who survived the collapse of the twin towers, and another a firefighter trainee who was mobilized during the recovery efforts.
The attackers, Szillus said, “didn’t discriminate between Democrats and Republicans, whites, blacks or Asians. They murdered Americans. They thought they could kill our way of life, but they didn’t.”
A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Szillus recalled the sense of patriotism and unity that washed over the nation in the months after the attacks.
“The days and weeks after 9/11, there was a sense of nationalism, of patriotism, like my generation has never seen,” Szillus said. “American flags were lined outside every business and every house. Crime was down nationwide, in some places by double digits. We showed the world that we are all one America.”
Other speakers included Jerome Gorgon Jr., interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, and U.S. Rep. John James, a congressman from Michigan’s 10th district and a former military officer.
Gorgon recounted the lives lost during the terrorist attacks, reflecting that younger generations “don’t remember America before it became a battleground for terrorism.”
In the years since 2001, Gorgon said, terror attacks have continued to take place both at home and abroad, including an attack in March on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, where a man rammed his truck into the front door of the synagogue and opened fire.
“If we fail to stay vigilant, and if we fail to stand together as one America, we risk everything,” Gorgon said. “As President Lincoln, quoting the Gospel of Mark, reminded us, ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
Rep. James, who is the Republican nominee in Michigan’s 2026 gubernatorial race, recalled the selflessness and bravery of the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way during the attacks, including firefighters, police, paramedics and ordinary citizens — many from Michigan — who “ran toward the danger.”
Rep. James, who was a sophomore at the West Point Military Academy during the attacks, said most of the men and women who fight to defend America are relatively anonymous — which is a testament to their quiet heroism.
“Most Americans will never know their names. Most of their successful days will never make the news, because success for them means the danger was stopped, the threat was detected, and the family made it home safely,” Rep. James said. “To every DHS officer, agent, specialist, support professional, law enforcement officer protecting our northern border, protecting our home: we see you, we thank you, and we honor your quiet vigilance.”
After the speakers concluded, a moment of silence was observed as a bell tolled four times, once for each of the four attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
In honor of the victims, members of the Department of Homeland Security’s various agencies pinned ribbons on a memorial wreath, which was then transferred to a waiting U.S. Coast Guard vessel on the Detroit River. As Taps was played, the wreath was ceremoniously placed in the river as two helicopters flew overhead.
Speaking with Detroit Catholic following the ceremony, Archbishop Weisenburger reflected that since Sept. 11, 2001, the need for prayer and unity is as apparent as ever.
“I think most of our nation on that day 25 years ago realized that things would be forever changed in many respects,” Archbishop Weisenburger said.
The archbishop, who at the time was pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Okarche, Oklahoma, recalled praying with worried parishioners throughout the day, as news of the attacks unfolded.
“It was a country parish, and people were coming to pray, and I was visiting and praying with them,” he said. “We had a service the following day, and I can still remember the shock.”
The attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, made Americans realize that “there’s the potential for terrorism everywhere,” the archbishop said, a reality many people around the world continue to experience every day.
“We have reasons to want to keep all of the world safe,” Archbishop Weisenburger said. “This is a reminder that millions around the world have suffered horribly from terrorism, and we need to root out those causes of terrorism and violence and bring them to a close.”
Archbishop Weisenburger said the men and women in the armed forces and law enforcement who continue to keep society safe are carrying on the legacy of bravery shown to the world 25 years ago.
“These fine law enforcement officers today stand on the shoulders of those giants, from that day and before, and well into the future,” he said. “They represent all those who have been willing to make a profound commitment to keep our world safe.”
