About Calling of the Names
The Calling of the Names Ceremony at Saint Paul’s Chapel in lower Manhattan is an annual tradition held on the afternoon of September 11th. During this ceremony, members of the 9/11 community come together to remember those who contributed to the 9/11 Rescue and Recovery Effort, and who have since left us. Many responders have died from 9/11-related illnesses, but it doesn’t matter how they died; what matters is that they came together to help when the need was greatest, and that they are honored for their sacrifice.
You Are Invited to the 10th Annual September 11th Calling Of The Names Ceremony
The year 2024 marks the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The 2024 Calling of the Names Ceremony, which we invite you to watch below, was a solemn and fitting tribute to those responders that we have lost. We look forward to our opportunity to pay tribute again at our 10th annual ceremony, which will take place on the afternoon of September 11th, 2025 at St. Paul's Chapel. Anyone, whether or not you are a part of the 9/11 community, is welcome to attend the ceremony.
SUBMIT NAMES:
Please submit names of any deceased 9/11 Rescue & Recovery Effort Responder's and Volunteers by clicking here
DONATIONS:
Please make donations by clicking here
The 9/11 Remembered Foundation, a 501(c)(3), is our fiscal conduit; contributions for Calling Of The Names made through this foundation are tax-deductible. Write on your donation, "COTN Donation". Your support makes all of this possible, including our programs and beautiful commemorative pins. Gifts of any size are appreciated; thank you.
VIEW PREVIOUS CEREMONIES:
Click here to view part 1 of the 2024 ceremony
Click here to view part 2 of the 2024 ceremony
Click here to view the 2023 ceremony
Click here to view the 2022 ceremony
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Contact Ceremony Director, Barbara Horn: director@callingofthenames.org
Your gifts make this annual ceremony possible.
Donations of any size are gratefully appreciated.
Thanks to 9/11 Remembered for accepting donations on behalf of the
Calling Of The Names and providing proof of your donations.
9/11 Remembered is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization creating a traveling 9/11 Memorial exhibition to visit approx 1,400 9/11 Memorials established across the USA. 9/11 Remembered has developed a nation wide network of "Trauma Counselors" who provide PTSD and Suicide Prevention Therapy for First Responders and Veterans.
Thank you again for your generosity.
To learn more about 9/11 Remembered visit:
HOW WE BEGAN
As the 15th Anniversary of the September 11th attacks approached, three volunteers from the 2001-2002 St. Paul's Chapel World Trade Center Relief Ministry - Chester Johnson, Ralph Farris, and Barbara Horn - created the first Calling Of the Names Ceremony. Their intention: to honor all deceased 9/11 Rescue and Recovery Workers and Volunteers who came to help in the days, weeks, and months following the September 11th, 2001 attacks. They felt it meaningful to do so on the anniversary itself and at historic St. Paul's Chapel where many responders found respite during the nine-month Rescue and Recovery Effort. Two important decisions were made immediately: first, to call each Responder by name and affiliation, for example, Firefighter, Police Officer, Sanitation Worker, Iron Worker, etc.; and second, that their name would be called regardless of what caused their death.
The WTC complex was considered this country’s most dangerous construction site ever. For nine months, Responders labored at their own peril. They put themselves in harm’s way in order to save survivors, restore safety and security to the complex and find as many remains as possible for the families of those lost. Their determination and dedication allowed many families to put their loved ones to rest.
Responder’s Families: Your love and encouragement sustained the workers. You are the reason they were able to do what they did. Our nation is forever in your debt.
Read More
St. Paul's Chapel
A poem by J. Chester Johnson
It stood. Not a window broken.
Not a stone dislodged.
it stood when nothing else did.
It stood when terrorists brought September down.
it stood among myths. It stood among ruins.
To stand was its purpose, long lines prove that.
It stands, and around it now, a shrine of letters,
poems, acrostics, litter of the heart.
lt is the standing people want:
To grieve, serve and tend
celebrate the lasting stone of St. Paul's Chapel.
And deep into its thick breath, the largest banner
fittingly from Oklahoma climbs heavenward
with hands as stars, hands as stripes, hands as a flag;
and a rescuer reaches for a stuffed toy
to collect a touch;
and George Washington's pew doesn't go unused.
Charity fills a hole or two.
It stood in place of other sorts.
lt stood when nothing else could.
The great had fallen, as the brute hardware came down.
It stood.
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