[Prefatory Comment: In the following transcript of the 9/23/01 service held at Yankee Stadium in the wake of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks, you will find in several places "****New York City Prayer Service****"; this appears wherever the C-Span tape of the service had these words appearing on the screen (some 52 times, according to the observation of the registered court reporter who made this transcript). You will also find "***service***" in indication of the various participants' view of this event as precisely that--a *service*, not a 'civic event'--wherever they have used that word to describe the event (such demarcation not being added by the court reporter, but by Rev. Eric Stefanski of Confess and Teach for Unity to the court reporter's completed transcript). Here, then, the transcript of the SERVICE; if you are interested in going directly to the comments and prayer of Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Atlantic District President David Benke, simply search for his last name in your web browser.] JAMES EARL JONES: Today we offer a prayer for America. Twelve days ago New York City suffered the most devastating act of terrorism in human history. It was an unprovoked attack on innocent civilians of every race and religion. In response our nation is united as never before. We are united -- (applause) We are united not only in our grief but also in our resolve to build a better world. At this ***service*** (applause) we seek to summon what Abraham Lincoln called the better angels of our nature, in recognition that this was not just an attack on the city of New York or the United States of America but on the very idea of a free, inclusive and civil society (applause). To people around the world, our nation is a symbol of liberty, equal opportunity, democracy and diversity. This attack was an attempt to undermine these four pillars of our civic faith. It has failed. Our spirit is unbroken. In fact, it is stronger than ever (applause). So today we reaffirm our faith in the essential dignity of every individual. We see more clearly than ever that what we share as Americans and as human beings is far greater than that which divides us. Together we will face the future with hope, people of many faiths but one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all (applause). And now our master of ceremonies, Oprah Winfrey. OPRAH WINFREY: God bless New York (applause). We each come here as one, but we stand as thousands--at the Trade Center, the Pentagon, in a field in Pennsylvania. They came to kill Americans. Each life lost represents every one of us--the cook, the stockbroker, the janitor, the policeman, the teachers, government workers, the investment banker, the secretary, the firefighters, the children (applause). Every story we have heard pains us so much because we know that their stories are our stories. Our lives that we trusted and often took for granted have been shaken, but we Americans refuse to be shattered (applause). We shall not be moved. ****New York City Prayer Service**** We're here, thousands strong in Yankee Stadium to say to the world, hope lives, prayer lives, love lives (applause). And though we are all still dumb-founded with the weight of our grief and our loss, though we are all weary and so sad, we are concerned that we may not be able to find meaning in our everyday lives, but we must. We shall not, we shall not be moved. For all those who've lost their loves and lost their sense of safety, we're here today to honor those who sacrificed their lives and gone before us. We are here today to be strengthened by the light of their lives. We all know that there's strength in numbers, and we shall not, we shall not be moved (singing). What was meant to divide us has drawn us together. And we shall not be moved. We pray today that from the ashes of the Trade Center, the Pentagon and that field in Pennsylvania that will rise a new spirit of beauty and unity in our country, creating a new tapestry of one heart, one hope, one voice, one America (applause). It is my honor, ladies and gentlemen, to present the commander in chief of the Atlantic Fleet, Admiral Robert Natter. ****New York City Prayer Service****. ADMIRAL ROBERT NATTER: This morning the flag of the United States of America was raised over a courthouse in the Midwest, was hung in the storefront of a small town in Alabama, was flown from the flag staff at a little league field in California, and was displayed proudly in front of homes and businesses all across this great land of ours. As we stand below this symbol of freedom in this majestic stadium, the flag flies over our ships at sea, at every military base at home, in every embassy abroad, and over our sailors, soldiers, airmen and Marines on duty around the globe, just as it has for the past 225 years (applause). For the past 13 days the citizens of our great nation have drawn strength from our flag. It is truly a remarkable image. It is the same stars and stripes that flew over George Washington's Continental Army at Valley Forge in December 1777, that stood guard over regular Army and militia forces defending Fort McHenry during the war of 1812, gave strength to soldiers flighting in the bloody trenches of Ardennes in 1917. The same flag whose raising atop Mount Surabachi (phonetic), inspired our Marines at Iwo Jima and led the charge ashore of our forces at Inchon. It is the same colors that stood fast during the seige at Kason (phonetic) in 1968. And just within this past year it was the battle ensign that flew over U.S.S. Cole and rallied her crew to heroism. These images -- (applause) These images of our history are now joined for eternity with the actions of three New York City firemen determined to erect the flag staff and hoist our colors over the rubble that was the World Trade Center. Each of these images clearly illustrate that our flag is much, much more than a symbol. It is a living testimony of our American spirit. It has brought us together in the past, it brings us together today, and it will lead us to victory in the future. (applause). It will lead to us victory that the future, a victory against a terrorist enemy to whom we say, you picked the wrong city, you picked the wrong country (applause). ****New York City Prayer Service**** Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand with me for the presentation of our nation's colors and our national anthem sung by Officer Ann Marie Maloney, Officer Danny Rodriguez and Sargeant Kim Roister of the New York City Police Department (applause). Color guard, parade the colors. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: God bless America (applause).****New York City Prayer Service**** (colors paraded). (National Anthem sung). "O say can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed, at the twilight's last gleaming. Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight. Oer the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming. And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say does that star spangled banner yet wave, oer the land of the free and the home of the brave." (applause). ****New York City Prayer Service****. ADMIRAL NATTER: Color guard, retire the colors. OPRAH WINFREY: To give the invocation of today's ***service***, here are Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York, and Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, chaplain of the fire department of New York city (applause). Cardinal Egan. EDWARD CARDINAL EGAN: Almighty and eternal father, we are gathered here as your people and your children. Out of love you brought us into existence, out of love you fashioned each and every one of us in your own image and likeness. Thus we come to you with the greatest measure of confidence, we come to you with the greatest measure of trust. We come as well with heavy hearts for just 13 days ago our beloved city and our beloved nation were violated. We lost women and men and children whom we sorely needed, whom we greatly admired, whom we dearly cherish. In our hospitals hundreds are in pain, in our homes thousands are in mourning, and in all of us there abides an urgent need for you and your grace. Heavenly father, wrap us in your providential care. Take our deceased brothers and sisters into your divine presence forever, strengthen our injured, console our families from whom so many have been taken so brutally. And make us all here in New York, in Washington and across the length and breadth of this land your noble people, your virtuous people. Yes, Lord, your holy people. We need courage to deal with our pain, we need justice to deal with the evil doers who have harmed us so fiercely. We need faith, wisdom and strength of soul for ourselves, each and every one, for our president and those who work with him, for our governor and those who work with him, for our mayor and those who work with him, for our police officers, heroes all, for our firefighters, heroes all, for our health care and emergency workers, heroes all. Gracious God, guide us, hear us. We are yours and yours we have a wish to be. Draw us closer to you in this hour of tragedy and pain. This we beg as your children with the utmost of trust, the utmost of confidence, the utmost of love, now and forever. Amen (applause). RABBI JOSEPH POTASNIK: Creator of all life, when we were asked as children what we wanted to be, when we were older we would answer, a fireman, a policeman. Today as adults we again answer, we want to be like them. We know who we are. They showed us whom we can be. We saw terrorism bring the World Trade Center to ground zero, but we saw heroism bring ground zero into the heavens (applause). There is a time to build that which stands tall, but today is a time for all of us to stand tall. We of different faiths and beliefs, we who all believe that we must face one another as members of one human family to find shalom, to find is a lamb, and to find peace. Amen. (Applause)****New York City Prayer Service****. UNIDENTIFIED RABBI: The Bible in the Book of Numbers tells us to sound the shofar, the ram's horn, at a time of danger and strife. It also tells us to sound the shofar at a time of happiness and celebration. Today we sound the shofar in pain and in anguish, and with God's help we will soon sound it in happiness and in joy. (Sounding of the shofar.)(Applause)****New York City Prayer Service****. OPRAH WINFREY: Here with a prayer for the country from the Park East Synogague, the president of the Appeal of Consciousness Foundation, Rabbi Arthur Schneier. RABBI ARTHUR ARTHUR SCHNEIER: We can pray while being seated, too. O Lord, the New York City family is in mourning. America is in mourning. Magnify and sanctify your name. Almighty healer, hear our plea; guard and shield America, the land of the free, the home of the brave. O Lord, remember the victims of September 11th's barbarism and terrorist evil, their heroic rescuers of the police, fire and emergency services who lost their lives while trying to save other lives. Almighty healer, comfort their families and help them walk through the valley of a shadow of death. We invoke thy blessing upon our mayor of courage and compassion, Rudy Giuliani (applause); and our caring governor, George Pataki (applause); our state senators and state representatives (applause). They all join together in unison to give us strength, to emerge from the rubble, from the devastation of life and inspire us today to heal and to re-build. Bless and guide the president of the United States, George W. Bush (applause) who's sounded a clarion call to battle the terrorists at home and abroad (applause). And unify the nation to defend freedom, democracy, and yes, the civilized world. O Lord, yesterday we read from the Toranama (phonetic). We heard your message in the Biblical portion, this time it is directed to the American people (speaks Hebrew). Be strong, be of good courage, fear not nor be afraid of them for you, O Lord, will not fail us nor forsake us. God bless America. Let us all say amen. (applause)****New York City Prayer Service****. RABBI ALVIN KASS: Almighty God, we pray that thou would grant healing to the heartbroken families who have lost loved ones in this terrible disaster. May they find uplift in the realization that these victims have now been welcomed into the arms of the almighty where they can know no more hurt and from on high where they will bless us. Though pained by the gap in our lives, we know that they have entered the portals of the human heart****New York City Prayer Service**** from where they can never be lost or forgotten. Love is strong as death, and the bonds love creates are eternal. And may all be buoyed up by the realization that these victims have through their heroism, self-sacrifice, courage and bravery inspired a renewed appreciation throughout this entire nation and the world in the American spirit at its very best. And may all of us forever understand that what the victims want more than anything else is that the survivors should continue to live for what they died for, a society founded on justice and equity, democracy and right (applause). A place where government by the people, for the people and of the people will not perish from this earth (applause). May I present Rabbi Marc Gellman, president of the New York Board of Rabbis (applause). RABBI MARC GELLMAN: On that day, on that day, six thousand people did not die. On that day one person died, six thousand times. We must understand this and all catastrophes in such a way for big numbers only numb us to the true measure of mass murder. We say six thousand died or we say six million died, and the saying and the numbers explain nothing except how much death came and how short a time. Such numbers sound more like scores or ledger entries than death of human beings. The real horror of that day lies not in its bigness but in its smallness, in the small searing death of one person six thousand times, and that one person was not a number. That person was our father or our mother or our son or our daughter or our grandpa or grandma or brother or sister or cousin or uncle or aunt or friend or lover, our neighbor, our co-worker, the woman who delivered our mail or the guy who put out our fires and arrested the bad guys in our town. And the death of each and every one of them alone would be worthy of such a gathering and such a grief. Our sages taught that when one kills a single person, it is like killing the whole world altogether. And when one saves a single person, it is like saving the whole world altogether. Last week over six thousand worlds were killed, and thank the Lord a few, far too few worlds, were saved by heroes, most of whom will never be known. The dimensions of last week's horror only become fully drawn when we enter each murdered world one world at a time. The Talmud and the African tribe, the Massai tribe, both teach a wisdom for our wounded world. They both taught sticks alone can be broken by a child, but sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. The fears and sorrows of this moment are so heavy, they can break us if we try to bear them alone. But if we are bundled together, if we stick together, we are unbreakable (applause). And we shall do far more than merely survive. We shall overcome, we shall overcome the forces of hatred without allowing hatred to unbundle us. We shall overcome the forces of terror without using fear to unbundle us. So in all our comings and our goings from this time forth let us remember that the person next to you, in front of you, behind you is not merely an obstacle to your free and unfettered life. They are a part of this bundle that keeps you and each of us from breaking. Let us never again view our fellow New Yorkers, our fellow Americans, our fellow citizens of the world as limitations on our life or freedom but rather as the moral twine that binds us and saves us and delivers us from evil. For some of us the source of that strength, the twine that binds us and bundles us is not just community but community under God. And above all that, religious belief shared by all the Arabic faiths that each and every human being is made in the image of God. And also we people of faith share the belief that a good God will not allow evil to win forever over goodness, hate to win over hope or death to win over life. History proves this, but for religious people of all faiths the proof comes from the way we know that we are bundled up in God's love and the way we know that our dear ones who have died are now wrapped up in the bundle of eternal life in the world to come in heaven. And there they wait for us, waiting to fulfill the promise that we will not be separated forever from those we love. But I want to say for those who cannot find hope through faith, I say to you that you are also a part of our bundle too for the important task in our spiritual journey now is not for all of us to agree that the name for hope is God, the main task now is to agree that hope was not one of the worlds destroyed on that day, the day when six thousand people did not die, but the day when one person died six thousand times. Amen (applause). RABBI ALVIN KASS: Now for the reading of the 23rd Psalm, I call upon****New York City Prayer Service**** Rabbi Joy Levitt (applause). RABBI JOY LEVITT: The eternal is my shepherd, I shall never be in need. Amid the choices grasses does God set me down. God leads me by the calmest waters and restores my soul. God takes me along paths of righteousness in keeping with the honor of God's name. Even should I wander in a valley of the darkest shadows, I will fear no evil. You are with me, God. Your power and support are there to comfort me. You set in front of me a table in the presence of my enemies. You annoint my head with oil. My cup is overflowing. Surely good and loving kindness will pursue me all the days of my life. And I shall come to dwell inside the house of God forever (applause).****New York City Prayer Service****. OPRAH WINFREY: As some of you may know, and if you don't know I'll tell you, Mayor Giuliani has a favorite hymn; it's Ave Maria. And we have here to sing it one of the best voices in the entire world, joining us is Placido Domingo. Conducted by Maestro Johann Samari (phonetic). PLACIDO DOMINGO: (Singing in Italian.)****New York City Prayer Service****. OPRAH WINFREY: Thank you for that gift. Thank you for that gift. I know you want to hear from him. He's the man of the hour, a man whose extraordinary grace under pressure in the days since this devastating attack has led him to be called America's mayor. He's the mayor of New York City, ladies and gentlemen, Rudy Giuliani (applause). RUDOLPH GIULIANI: Thank you. Thank you, thank you very much.****New York City Prayer Service********New York City Prayer Service**** Tom Von Essen (phonetic) and Bernie Karak (phonetic) and Richard Schira (phonetic), the fire commissioner, the police commissioner, the director of emergency management and all of the people that they represent deserve the applause (applause). On September 11th New York City suffered the darkest day in our history. It's now up to us to make it its finest hour. Today we come together in the capital of the world as a united city. We're accompanied by religious leaders of every faith to offer a prayer for the families of those who have been lost, to offer a prayer for our city and to offer a prayer for America. The proud twin towers that once crowned our famous skyline no longer stand, but our skyline will rise again (applause). In the words of president George W. Bush, we will re-build New York City (applause). To those who say that our city will never be the same, I say you are right. It will be better (applause). Now we understand much more clearly why people from all over the globe want to come to New York and to America, why they always have and they always will. It's called freedom, the equal protection of law, respect for human life and the promise of opportunity. All of the victims of this tragedy were innocent. All of them were heroes (applause).****New York City Prayer Service****. The Bible says greater love hath no man than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends. Our brave New York City firefighters, New York City police officers (applause), Port Authority police officers (applause), EMS workers (applause), health care workers (applause), court officers, (applause), and uniformed service members (applause), they laid down their lives for strangers. They were inspired by their sense of duty and their love for humanity. As they raced into the twin towers and the other buildings to save lives, they didn't stop to ask how rich or poor the person was, they didn't stop to ask what religion, what race, what nationality. They just raced in to save human beings. And they are the best example of love that we have in our society (applause). The people they were trying to rescue, people who worked in the World Trade Center and the buildings around it, were each engaged in the quiet heroism of supporting their families, pursuing their dreams, and playing their own meaningful part in a diverse, dynamic and free society. They will also occupy a permanent and a sacred place in our history and in our hearts (applause). Even in the midst of the darkest tragedy, there are miracles that help our faith go on. I would like to share one miracle of September 11th with you. St. Paul's Chapel is one of the oldest and most historic buildings in the city of New York. It was built in 1766 while the surrounding area was still countryside. The chapel survived our War of Independence, including seven years of war time occupation. After George Washington was inaugurated the first president of the United States in New York City on April 30, 1789, he walked to St. Paul's Chapel and he kneeled down to pray. The pew where he worshipped is still there. Framed on the wall beside it is the oldest known representation of the great seal of the United States of America. It's a majestic eagle, holding in one talon an olive branch proclaiming our abiding desire for peace and in the other a cluster of arrows, a forewarning of our determination to defend our liberty. On a banner above the eagle is written, e pluribus unum, out of many, one. For the past 25 years the chapel stood directly in the shadow of the World Trade Center towers. When the towers fell, more than a dozen modern buildings were destroyed and damaged, yet somehow amid all of the destruction and devastation, St. Paul's Chapel still stands (applause) without so much as a broken window. It's a small miracle in some ways, but the presence in that chapel standing defiant and serene amid the ruins of war sends an eloquent message about the strength and resilience of the people of New York City and the people of America. We unite under the banner of e pluribus unum (applause). We find strength in our diversity. We're a city where people look different, talk different, think different, but we're a city of one with all of the people at the World Trade Center now and with all of America. And we love our diversity and we love our freedom (applause). Like our founding fathers who fought and died for freedom, like our ancestors who fought and died to preserve our union and to end the sin of slavery, like our fathers and grandfathers who fought and died to liberate the world from Nazism and Fascism and Communism, the cluster of arrows to defend our freedom and the olive branch of peace have now been handed to us. We will hold them firmly in our hand, honor their memories and lift them up to heaven to light the world. In the days since this attack we have met the worst of humanity with the best of humanity. We pray for our president, George W. Bush (applause), and for our governor, George Pataki (applause), who have provided us with such inspiring leadership during these very, very difficult times. We pray for all of those whose loved ones are lost and missing, we pray for our children, and we say to them, do not be afraid; it's safe to live your life. Finally, we pray for America and for all of those who join us in defending freedom, law and humanity. We humbly bow our heads and we ask God to bless the city of New York, and we ask God to bless the United States of America. Thank you (applause).****New York City Prayer Service****. (Bell rung three times.) OPRAH WINFREY: And now the reading from the New Testament in Spanish from Incarnation Parish in Manhattan, here is Ms. Griselda Cuevas. (Prays in Spanish.) (applause). Ladies and gentlemen, firefighters, George Reece (applause). GEORGE REECE: A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans. As scripture says, for your sake we are being slain all the day long. We are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered. Yet in all this we are more than conquerors because of him who has loved us. For I am certain that neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, neither height nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God. The word of the Lord (applause). OPRAH WINFREY: The most Reverend Thomas B. Daily, bishop of Brooklyn (applause). REV. THOMAS DAILY: Dear friends, for every American, particularly for every New Yorker and for citizens of the world, life has changed. This change is aptly symbolized by the absence of the World Trade Center from the New York skyline as we all know. We have witnessed unspeakable horrors and loss of life. We have seen untold devastation, and yet we have also witnessed the great acts of kindness, mercy and courage, particularly evidenced by our firefighters and police officers, countless volunteers, medical personnel, government officials and countless others. In the midst of death we have seen hope. Hope is a divine gift. For Christians our hope is founded in the resurrection of Jesus in whom death and evil is overcome. Hope moves us to survive. Without forgetting the pain in our hearts, hope energizes us. Without forgetting those who died, hope moves us to affirm life in the face of death. Hope moves us to see light when we are tempted only to see darkness. Hope transforms fear into courage. Hope forges heroes and heroines in difficult times. Yes, hope moves us out of ourselves for the sake of others. We have witnessed great acts of hope in the generosity of the heroism of the firefighters, police officers, rescue workers, blood donors, government officials, volunteers beyond counting. The way to conquer the enemies of life is to survive and celebrate life with a renewed sense of purpose. Our greatest enemy is fear. Let us take the Lord at his word. Be not afraid, I am with you always (applause). Let us pray. Lord God, father of all nations, we praise you for your presence with us. Our hope is founded in your word. We ask you to continue to send us your holy spirit. In the days ahead help us to walk by faith, to live in hope and act in love. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us. Amen. (applause). OPRAH WINFREY: With a moment of prayer from the Sikh faith, he is Dr. Inberjit Singh of the Sikh Temple, Richmond Hills****New York City Prayer Service**** (applause). DR. INBERJIT SINGH: (Prays in Hindu.) In the name of our God who is true, who is without fear, who is without an enmity. Who is timeless, who is self-created. This understanding comes to us from our quest guru and founder, Guru Nanah (phonetic). I am here on behalf of the Sikh community and would like to share with you the pain and suffering that we have seen in the last week. This pain has changed us forever. The people who did this horrible act to America did not know that this country which was conceived in liberty and which comprises people from all over the world is strong in its diversity, is strong in its sacrifice and wants to send a message to all those who listen across the seas and all the world that we are strong, we will not be bowed, and we are here as a symbol of the best (applause) that man has to offer. In the spirit of this greatness and in gratitude to God almighty, we will pray (applause).****New York City Prayer Service****. AN UNIDENTIFIED SIKH: Please stand up for prayer. (prayer sung in Hindu.)****New York City Prayer Service****. DR. INBERJIT SINGH: Thank you. (applause).****New York City Prayer Service****. Dear God, the world is going up in flames. Dear God, the world is going up in flames. Shower it with your mercy and save it. And save it and deliver it by whatever method it takes. In your mercy, O God, you care for all beings and creatures. You produce food and water in abundance. You eliminate pain and poverty and carry all across over all difficulties. The great listener will listen to our prayers. Bless the president of the United States, the governor of the state of New York (applause), and the mayor of the great city of New York (applause). Dear God, take us into your embrace and take away all the pain of those who are no longer with us in physical body, but they will always be with us in memory, love and comfort. God bless. Thank you (applause). ****New York City Prayer Service****. OPRAH WINFREY: Now let's hear from a great group of young people from right here in New York City, the Boys and Girls Choir of Harlem (applause).****New York City Prayer Service****. (Song sung.)****New York City Prayer Service**** (applause). OPRAH WINFREY: We thank you for the African American National Anthem,"Lift Every Voice and Sing."****New York City Prayer Service**** We shall overcome. It is my honor to introduce to you a man whose leadership has indeed been an inspiration during our hours of trial and catastrophe, the governor of the state of New York, George Pataki. GEORGE PATAKI: Thank you. Thank you. With Cardinal Egan and distinguished members of the clergy, to President Clinton, Secretary Manetta (phonetic), Governor DiFrancisco (phonetic), my colleagues in government and in particular to our mayor who has led with us strength and compassion for these past 12 days (applause), it's an honor to be here with you this afternoon. September 11th began like every other day. New Yorkers woke up to a bright sun and the promise of a brighter tomorrow. They packed their lunches, walked their children to school and hugged them good-bye. Like every other day, husbands and wives kissed one another, said I love you and left for work. Moments later thousands of moms, dads and children became innocent victims of an evil war they didn't know existed. The sun disappeared behind a skyline of terror. Great symbols of freedom were reduced to graveyards of dust. Part of America died that day. But in our darkest hour we turn to one another and to God with a united voice, we proclaim that evil and death would not have the final say (applause). We are powerless to bring our loved ones back, but it is well within our power to bestow on them the honor they deserve, the highest honor we can pay them is to rise above the evil that claimed their lives (applause). In this hour of adversity we must eulogize them with our strength, and let us draw that strength from them for we know that their eyes are upon us. Looking down, they must be proud. They must be proud of their fellow New Yorkers who gather at vigils and line the streets to cheer police and rescue workers. They must be proud. They must be proud of the tired firefighters who toil in the rubble digging with their hands, refusing to quit. They must be proud (applause). They must be proud of the thousands of brave children in lower Manhattan who fled their schools in fear on Tuesday, then defiantly returned nine days later. They must be proud (applause). They must be proud of the Muslim deli owners and cab drivers who proudly wave the American flag from their cars and shop windows (applause). They must be proud to see this city, their city, and this nation, their nation, so united, united as never before.****New York City Prayer Service**** They must be proud (applause). And let us have faith that they too are united with one another and with God. Let us have faith that on that fateful morning from the fury of violence, the souls of thousands rose up from the cloud of dust and above freedom's harbor, they traveled through the sky towards God and left the vivid air signed with their honor. God bless them, God bless you. God bless the United States of America (applause). ****New York City Prayer Service****. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: In the name of God, the most gracious, most merciful, we summons you. (sings prayer in foreign language). There's only one God. God bless America, God bless this planet (applause).****New York City Prayer Service****. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: God is greater, God is greater, God is greater, God is greater. I bear witness that there's nothing worthy of worship except God. I bear witness that there's nothing worthy of worship except God. I bear witness that Muhammed is the messenger of God. I bear witness that Muhammed is the messenger of God. Come alive to prayer. Come alive to prayer. Come alive to success. Come alive to success. God is greater. God is greater. There's nothing worthy of worship except God (applause). OPRAH WINFREY: ****New York City Prayer Service**** Now with a recitation from the Koran, here are Imam Muhammad Shamsi-Ali, and Sister Ziema Sabri (phonetic) who will be followed by Imam Quadri Unsari (phonetic) from the Mosque of (inaudible) in Buffalo, New York (applause). IMAM MUHAMMAD SHAMSI-ALI: (Sings from the Koran).****New York City Prayer Service**** (applause). SISTER ZIEMA SABRI: I seek refuge in God from Satan the rejected. With God's name the merciful benefactor, the merciful redeemer. O mankind, we created you from a single pair of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes so that you will get acquainted with each other and learn from one another. Surely the most honored amongst you in the sight of God is the one who has more regard for God. And God is all knowing and is well acquainted with all things. O, you who have faith, stand out firmly for God as witnesses to fair dealing and to not let the hatred of others towards you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just. That is next to piety, and be regardful of God. For God is well acquainted with all that you do. When comes the help of God and the victory and you see the people enter the way of God and crowd, then glorify the praises of your Lord and ask his forgiveness. Surely he is the most forgiving. Thank you (applause). OPRAH WINFREY: ****New York City Prayer Service**** Imam Izak-El M. Pasha (applause). IMAM IZAK-EL M. PASHA: With God's name, the merciful benefactor, the merciful redeemer, it is God we beg for assistance. We beg for strength and guidance and his mercy. We witness that he is one and we witness to all of his messengers and prophets. Dear God, creator of all things in heaven and earth, guide us this day to bring comfort to those who have lost loved ones and give hope to those who are still waiting to hear. We Muslims, Americans, stand today with a heavy weight on our shoulder that those who would dare do such dastardly acts****New York City Prayer Service**** claim our faith. They are no believers in God at all (applause), nor do they believe in his messenger Mohammed, the prayers and peace upon him. We condemn them and their acts, their cowardly acts, and we stand with our country against all that would come against it (applause). We are members of one human family, one human dignity, one human worth. That worth that God has given to us, the goodness that he has created us in, no single group or nation will be able to destroy that. ****New York City Prayer Service**** We are one with the creator of the heavens and the earth. We are one with members of faith both Jewish, Christian and others here today and those who are after. We are believers (applause). We will not be deterred.****New York City Prayer Service****. So that those of you who are here today take this word out that we are one America, made up of all the beautiful faiths and beautiful persons and beautiful colors, and that's what makes us unique in the world and we will not change (applause). God is bigger, God is greater. These families here today, we are here for you and we will forever be here for you. We are among those who are saddened and troubled by the world we have today. We call on all of our religious leaders, all of our political leaders, we call on all good people, this must stop. We can't tolerate oppression of any kind (applause). I close by saying a short surrah (phonetic) from our holy book, the Koran. And it says in its English translation. In that surrah (phonetic) which is called Time to Ages, it says, "by the time verily mankind is lost except such that has faith and do righteous deeds and join together in the mutual enjoining of proof and of patience and consistency." May God guide us, may God bless our mayor, our governor and our president and all of you. Do not allow the ignorance of people to have you attack your good neighbor. We are Muslims, but we are Americans (applause). OPRAH WINFREY: Imam Izak-El M. Pasha, we thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for music. And a woman who has moved and inspired and entertained people from around the world for more than 20 years, she is a real friend of New York City, Miss Bette Midler (applause).****New York City Prayer Service****. BETTE MIDLER: (Sings, "Wind Beneath My Wings.")****New York City Prayer Service**** Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings (applause)****New York City Prayer Service**** Thank you, New York City. Thank you, New York City. (Bell rung three times.)****New York City Prayer Service****. OPRAH WINFREY: Here to read from Psalm 34 is the Reverend Carolyn Holloway of the DeWitt Reformed Church of Manhattan (applause). REV. CAROLYN HOLLOWAY: I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall be continually in my mouth. My soul makes us boast in the Lord. Let the humble hear and be glad. O, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Look to him and be radiant so your faces shall never be ashamed. This poor soul cries and was heard by the Lord and was saved from every trouble. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them. O, taste and see that the Lord is good. Happy are those who take refuge in him. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be unto God (applause). And now the Right Reverend Mark Sisk, Episcopal Bishop of New York, will come and offer a prayer (applause). REV. MARK SISK: Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, creator and sustainer of all humankind, be with us and comfort us in this tragic hour. Give us the assurance of your presence, strengthen and heal the broken-hearted who must now face the future deprived of the companionship of those most dear to them. Guide our president, his advisors and the leaders of all nations of the world that the decisions which they must make will be in accord with your will, that justice be done, that the poor and defenseless be lifted up and that peace prevail. We give thanks to you for this great land and for the ideals for which it stands. But most of all we give thanks to you for the grace, courage and sacrifice of so many, our mayor and other state and municipal officials, the firefighters, police officers, emergency care workers, construction workers and so many others whose names we will never know who have served so faithfully. Most especially we give you thanks for the witness so many who have sacrificed their lives in this service have made. And finally, almighty God, we ask you to drive from our hearts all hatred and prejudice. Grant that through the pain and tears of these days we may come to see ever more clearly that we are all one human family, living together in the presence of the one God who reigns over the living and the dead, in whose name and by whose power we offer this and all our prayers. Amen. (applause)****New York City Prayer Service**** A passage of scripture will now be read by Reverend Dr. James Forbes, senior pastor of the Riverside Church ( applause). REV. JAMES FORBES: A reading from the gospel of Matthew, chapter five, verses one through sixteen. "When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. And after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak and taught them saying, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad for in this way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the light of the world, a city built on a hill can't be hid. No one lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket but on the lamp stand, that it may give light to all who are in the house. In the same way let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to our father who is in heaven. The word of the Lord (applause). And now it is my honor to present to you****New York City Prayer Service**** for prayer His Imminence, Archbishop Anania Arapajian of the Armenian Church in America (applause). ARCHBISHOP ANANIA ARAPAJIAN: Lord Jesus Christ our God, in this time of fear and turmoil we listen to you. We turn to you. Hear our fervent prayer. Have mercy on the souls of all the men and women who perished in the terrible calamities in New York, Washington and in Pennsylvania. And take them into the peace of your heavenly kingdom. Console their loved ones who plead for their love. Love brings peace and stability to our country and to our world. And restore justice among your creatures through justice that comes only from you. By the mystery of your all powerful and miraculous death on the cross, transform the pain and devastation into life and hope. Let us not lose faith but bring us closer to you and embolden us in the assurance of your loving care and mercy. For you are our God, the creator of heaven and earth, our hope and refuge. And to you we give glory, honor and worship with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always and into the ages of ages, amen (applause). And offer my prayer as a human being, I want to raise also my admiring to all American people to his great spirit and great optimism. And may God bless America (applause). OPRAH WINFREY: Reverend Dr. Calvin Butts (applause). CALVIN BUTTS III: This memorial ***service*** is for you, and I hope that at this time you will take the hand of the one who is sitting on the either side of you. You may know them, you may not. But if we're going to stand in unity, we must unify by at least the joining of our hands and hearts. And I want you to turn to your neighbor and I want you to tell them, together we'll get through this. Together we'll get through this. Now let me tell you what I mean. In the harbor of New York there stands a lady. She is the Statue of Liberty. And I thank God today that while I regret and mourn the loss of life and the destruction of the World Trade towers,****New York City Prayer Service**** that those towers did not come near Lady Liberty. On her tablet -- (applause). Listen. On her tablet are penned the words that have come to symbolize our nation. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free the wretched refuge of your teeming shores. Send these the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door. And I want to pause now and thank the mayor of the city of have New York for working so hard to keep that door golden and shining and bright for all of the United States of America (applause). But listen, let me tell you this. We have said together we will get through it because we have come through it before. Madmen have assassinated four of our presidents. We came through it. Madmen have assembled missiles against our country. We called it the Cuban Crisis. We came through it. Someone erected a wall in eastern Europe trying to divide east from west, but the wall came down. We came through it (applause). And even though now we're facing cowards who hide behind the terror of secrecy, I want you to know that as a nation, even though the president said this will be a hard fight, there was a great poet who said harder yet may be the fight and right may often yield to might. Wickedness or wile may rain and Satan's cause may seem to gain. Oh, but there is a God who rules above and he's got a hand of power and a heart of love. And in divine right that God will fight my battles. ****New York City Prayer Service****. We'll get through it. I take my hat off to the firefighters and the police officers and the emergency workers and all of those brave women and men (applause). And listen, I want you to know, America, and I know that our governor and our mayor and our president will see to it, we will build a monument. Their names will be etched in granite, there will be an eternal flame burning. But I'll tell you what's more important than that, and that is that we show them as they look down upon us that we are not afraid today. Get back on the airplanes. Go back to work (applause). Re-build America. We are not afraid today. We are not afraid. One last thing. I have said, together we'll get through it. We will get through it. Because we are the United States of America. And I will say this. We have died on every battlefield. We died in Normandy, we've died on every battlefield. We've died in the deserts of Arabia; we've died on every battle field. We marched through Tripoli. We died on every battlefield that the world has ever known. And our beloved sisters and brothers lost their lives on the battlefield of the World Trade Center. But listen, they are patriots of America. And before we leave here today we must sing, O beautiful for patriot's dreams, that sees beyond the years. Golden alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears. For America, O America, God mend our every flaw. And confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty and law. Together we will get through it because we are the United States of America. God bless America (applause).****New York City Prayer Service**** Thank you, America. Listen, there's not a finer hour. And now I want to bring to you the Reverend Dr. David Benke who is president of Atlantic District of the Lutheran Church, the Missouri Synod. God bless you (applause). REV. DAVID BENKE: Oh, we're stronger now than we were an hour ago. And you know, my sisters and brothers, we're not nearly as strong as we're going to be. And the strength we have is the power of love, and the power of love you have received is from God for God is love. So take the hand of one next to you now and join me in prayer on this field of dreams turned into God's house of prayer. O Lord our God, we're leaning on you today. You are our tower of strength and we're leaning on you. You are our mighty fortress, our God who is a rock. In you do we stand. Those of us who bear the name of Christ know that you stood so tall when you stooped down to send a son through death and life to bring us back together. And we lean on you today, O tower of strength. Be with those who mourn the loss of loved ones. Bring them closer to us day-by-day. O heavenly father, we pray at this time that you might extend Jacob's ladder for those who ascended the stairways to save us as others escaped the fire and flames. O tower of strength, open innocent and victimized hearts to the sacrifice of the innocent one. Pour your consolation upon the promised eyes, especially our children. O heavenly father, unbind, unfear, unscorch, unsear our souls, renew us in your free spirit. We're leaning on you, our tower of strength. We find our refuge in the shadow of your shelter. Lead us from this place strong to bring forth a power of your love wherever we are in the precious name of Jesus. Amen (applause). OPRAH WINFREY: There are****New York City Prayer Service**** so many special people and dignitaries with us today. We can't name them all. But I did not want to leave without acknowledging the former leader of this great nation, former president William Jefferson Clinton (applause). His signature song has come to be an American anthem now, especially in our troubled times. Here to sing God Bless the USA, Lee Greenwood. LEE GREENWOOD: (Sings, "God Bless the USA".)****New York City Prayer Service**** (applause).****New York City Prayer Service****. OPRAH WINFREY: Lee Greenwood, Lee Greenwood. Lee Greenwood. Thank you, New York. You know, I believe that when you lose a loved one you gain an angel whose name you know. Over 6,000 and counting angels were added to the spiritual roster these past two weeks. It is my prayer that they will keep us in their sight with a direct line to our hearts. May we all leave this place and not let one single life****New York City Prayer Service****have passed in vain. May we leave this place determined to now use every moment that we yet live to turn up the volume in our own lives, to create deeper meaning, to know what really matters. What really matters is who you love and how you love. Every one of those people who got up last Tuesday no doubt thought it was going to be an ordinary day, and by 8:48 we all knew nothing was ordinary anymore. We all know for sure now how fragile, how uncertain yet extraordinary life can be. May we always remember. Thank you, New York. Here with a benediction (applause) for today's ***service*** is His Imminence Archbishop Demetrious, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America. Archbishop Demetrious will be followed by Pandit Roop Sukhram of the Hindu Shuram Temple in the city of Brooklyn who will offer a Hindu prayer (applause). ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOUS: Let us bow our heads in prayer. Almighty God, God of our salvation who alone works wonders, look down upon us with mercy and compassion and out of your enduring love hear us and have mercy on us. O Lord, we have gathered on this day in your presence to remember those who were taken from us, to comfort those who are grieving, to find strength for the tasks that are before us and to seek wisdom and peace in this difficult hour in the life of our city and our nation. Again, we ask give rest to the departed souls and the innocent victims and to those who lost their lives in the heroic attempt to save others on September 11th. May their memory be eternal. Further, as we have offered here today, may we continue in our prayers and service to the families who have experienced such great loss. And so as our great physician, bring comfort and peace to them through your divine presence and in our hearts of ministry. We give thanks to you, Lord, for in your mercy you have filled our hearts with love and compassion. The sacrifice, generosity and concern of our people throughout the world has been a visible sign of the****New York City Prayer Service**** bonds that link us to you. Continue, Lord, to grant to us from your inexhaustible power the strength to meet the challenges and needs of the days to come. We give thanks to you, O God, for the enduring peace that you have given to us from above. In the assurance of your guiding presence may we seek divine wisdom so that our decisions and our deeds reveal our love for justice and life for one another and for you. For you are the help and victory and salvation of all of those who pledge their hope in you, and to you we offer praise, honor and glory now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen (applause). ****New York City Prayer Service****. PANDIT ROOP SUKHRAM: Brothers and sisters all, I greet you in the name of the guru father, God. Someone once said that no nature form has ever wrought such destruction on the face of this planet as the humankind. This statement with the recent tragedy clearly demonstrates how the humankind can become a lethal weapon. On September 11th we have seen two kinds of humans. We have seen the humankind who would go to any length giving their own lives to hurt others. And yes, we have seen kindly humans who sacrificed their lives in an effort to save others (applause). To the families who have lost loved ones, are missing someone that is not accounted for, we bow our heads and we pray. (prays in Hindu) For, O Lord, may you lead them through darkness to light, from death to immortality. Carry their souls and bring your light within that they may find everlasting peace. As a child I remember my father voicing this very short poem to me, and all week long it came into my mind. Here we are, altogether as we sing our song of victory and sadness. Here we are, thoughts together as we pray we'll always be. Joining in singing, let us celebrate liberty and freedom hand in hand. Keep the fire burning. Kindle it with care. America, we shall prevail. America, we shall prevail. Today we pray. Honored one, omnipresent Lord, give me the devotion, give us the knowledge, give us the strength. This is the dawn of a new horizon, a new reality. An evil that is quite beyond the imagination of any sane God-fearing individual has descended upon us. With the same grit which has sustained us and withstood the same wars raged against this great nation for centuries shall declare us victors once again. Let us stand together to conquer this evil which threatens the very foundation of our freedom. We must support our president. We must support our leaders, and we must support our law enforcement agencies in their endeavor to bring the evil to justice. We must stand together, for remember these final words. A nation's power lies only in the strength of unity. God bless you all (applause). OPRAH WINFREY: To close today's ***service*** here's Mark Anthony to lead us all in the singing of America the Beautiful.****New York City Prayer Service****. MARK ANTHONY: (Sings, "America the Beautiful".)****New York City Prayer Service********New York City Prayer Service********New York City Prayer Service****. OPRAH WINFREY: We love New York. (End of service.) * * * C E R T I F I C A T E STATE OF WISCONSIN ) ) SS COUNTY OF OZAUKEE ) I, Kathryn A. Jagow, Registered Professional Reporter, and a member in good standing of the Wisconsin Court Reporters Association and the National Court Reporters Association, hereby certify that I transcribed the videotaped proceedings had in the New York City Prayer Service held at Yankee Stadium on September 23, 2001; and I further certify that the foregoing typewritten pages constitute a true, correct and accurate record of said proceedings, to the best of my God-given ability. ____________________________ Kathryn A. Jagow Court Reporter 2 5