Ceremony of Remembrance

The City of St. Augustine reported to Historic City News that on Sunday, September 11, the City of St. Augustine continues the annual tradition of holding its Ceremony of Remembrance, honoring those who died in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

The public is invited and encouraged to participate in the community ceremony.

The ceremony will be held at the St. Augustine Fire Department’s main station, 101 Malaga Street, on Sunday, September 11 at 8:30 a.m.

In past years, the annual ceremony has been held in the Plaza de la Constitution; but, this year, it will be relocated to the main fire station and conclude with the ringing of the city’s recently restored 1902 fire bell.

The city’s first Ceremony of Remembrance was held just two days after 9/11 and has continued each year on the anniversary of the attacks. The brief program will include a presentation of the colors by the St. Augustine Police Department Honor Guard, an invocation by Matt Mitchell, Chaplin, St. Augustine Police Department and musical presentations by Bob Patterson.

The ceremony will conclude with a minute of silence at 8:46am, timed to coincide with the time the first plane hit the first tower of the World Trade Center in 2001.

As with previous ceremonies, the minute of silence will end with bell ringing, but this year making use of the historic fire bell recently restored and now displayed at the fire station.

The bell, originally located in the fire station when it was located on Hypolita Street, was cast in 1900 and in 1902 was put in use at the same time the city installed its first full time fire department.

The bell was donated to the St. Augustine Historical Society in 1986. They have agreed to loan it to the city for display. Its restoration was a result of a partnership between the city, Flagler College, the University of Florida, and the St. Augustine Historical Society.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News staff photographer