Communities Mark 25th Anniversary of 9/11

Communities across the United States, Ireland and elsewhere are marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with ceremonies honoring the 2,977 people killed, including first responders and victims such as United Flight 93 passenger Patrick Driscoll. Events include flag displays and memorial gatherings in Bend, Oregon; ceremonies featuring Twin Towers artifacts in Streetsboro and Ravenna, Ohio; an interfaith prayer service at St. Nicholas National Shrine in New York; a remembrance Mass at Long Island’s Cemetery of the Holy Rood; and observances in Waterford, Ireland, Point Pleasant Beach, Hagerstown and Jerusalem. Survivors, relatives and emergency personnel are remembering the heroism and loss while confronting long-term health effects linked to exposure at Ground Zero, with one family saying deaths from 9/11-related illnesses have surpassed the number killed that day. The anniversary remains complicated for people born or married on Sept. 11, who describe balancing personal celebrations with national mourning, while some observances recall efforts to protect Muslim communities from backlash after the attacks. Ongoing debates over surveillance technology, including AI-powered license-plate cameras, reflect continuing questions about security, civil liberties and the attacks’ legacy.