U.S. Embassy to Holy See commemorates 25th anniversary of 9/11

The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with a gathering in Rome honoring the victims, their loved ones, and the courage shown in response to the tragedy.

Brian Burch, U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See and co-founder of CatholicVote, reflected on the commemoration in a Sept. 11 Instagram post.

“As we mark the 25th anniversary of one of the darkest days in our nation’s history, our tri-mission community gathered here in Rome to honor the victims of September 11th, those who lost their lives, their families, and countless others whose lives were changed forever,” Burch said.

The gathering displayed an urn containing earth from the World Trade Center site alongside an American flag flown at Ground Zero.

In a Sept. 10 X post, the embassy also remembered the 2,977 people killed in the attacks.

“We honor the lives lost, the heroes who emerged in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and the resilience of the American spirit,” the tribute read.

The remembrance continued at a Sept. 11 prayer vigil held by the Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic lay movement devoted to prayer and peace, at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere. Burch attended the vigil, which was presided over by Vatican diplomat Monsignor Mihăiţă Blaj.

During the vigil, Burch remembered the men, women, and children killed in the attacks, noting that the victims came from more than 90 countries, including Italy. 

“Further, we remember the courage and sacrifice of first responders, many of whom were climbing and running toward the fire as the buildings collapsed,” Burch said. “In the United States, Catholics have a special connection to the vocation of public safety. More than 80% of the police officers and firefighters who died that day were Catholic. We remember and honor them this evening.”

Burch then turned to the words of St. John the Apostle: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.”